Archive for January, 2007
by: Shelley Green
Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fibre, plus a whole range of vitamins and minerals, and because they’re low in calories, they make an important and healthy addition to any diet. Here is some information for you about vegetable nutrition. “Eat your fruits and vegetables” is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet, and for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.”5 A Day” is a national health programme in the USA and also in the UK to explain why you need vegetable nutrition as well as fruit and to encourage you to eat more servings of fruit and vegetables every day. People all over the world are becoming more and more aware of how important fruit nutrition and vegetable nutrition is to stay healthy.
In general, yellow and dark green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. The greener the leaf, the richer the nutrients will be. Here are some suggestions to think about color to pack nutritional power in your diet: · White: Eat cauliflower more often than potatoes, onions and mushrooms.· Green: Add more dark lettuces, such as romaine and red leaf lettuce, spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts to replace iceberg lettuce and green beans. · Yellow-orange: Substitute more carrots, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruit for corn or bananas. · Red: Select tomatoes, red peppers and strawberries in favor of apples. If you are trying to watch your weight, an idea is to make sure you are not eating too many calories if you are adding these foods to your diet. increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat can promote weight control, but only if they replace higher fat foods like ice cream, meat and chips to help you consume fewer calories. But if fruits and vegetables are simply added to what you already eat, total calories won’t significantly drop and weight loss should not be expected. The most important thing to do is to vary the fruit and vegetables that you eat from day to day. This is to give your body a variety but to also keep you interested in your food. There are always great new recipes, ideas and ways to make your food look and taste great!
About The Author
Shelley Green is the owner of http://www.vegetable-delivery.com, a site that specializes in vegetable delivery including organic vegetables, organic fruit, fruit and vegetable boxes, and also other recommended sites.
January 18th, 2007
by: Matthew Hick
Coffee is a complex mixture of chemical components of the coffee bean. Some of these components are partially destroyed by the roasting process; however, many of these components are not. Caffeine is one of the components that is not affected by the roasting process. With the addition of hot water, the caffeine is extracted from the coffee bean.
Caffeine was discovered in coffee in 1820. Caffeine is an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant. It increases the blood pressure, stimulates the central nervous system and the action of the heart and lungs, and promotes urine formation. It also acts as a diuretic and delays fatigue. Caffeine does have some positive side effects. It has been found to help treat migraines since it helps constrict the dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing the pain. It also has been documented to increase the potency of aspirin and to slightly relieve the affects of asthma attacks. It has been suggested that caffeine has been linked to possible cancers and birth defects. However, this has not been confirmed and there are no bans or warnings that have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).
The amount of caffeine found in the coffee beans varies. On average, a regular cup of coffee contains approximately 90 to 150 mg of caffeine. Coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker has about 115 to 175 mg of caffeine while other coffee makers may brew coffee with about 80 to 135 mg. Typically, espresso has about as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee. On average, a standard espresso cup would have about 100 mg of caffeine. However, the serving size for espresso is much smaller. The actual content of caffeine per milliliter in an espresso is much higher than in a regular brew. Also, caffeine is assimilated quicker when ingested in a concentrated dosage such as an espresso cup.
The amount of caffeine found in coffee blends will also vary. The following are examples of the caffeine content for different coffee blends:
-Brazilian Bourbons: contains 1.20% caffeine
-Columbia Excelso: contains 1.34% caffeine
-Columbia Supremo: contains 1.34% caffeine
-French Roast: contains 1.22% caffeine
-Costa Rican Tarrazu: contains 1.35% caffeine
-Vienna Roast: contains 1.27% caffeine
-Decafs: contains 0.02% caffeine
People hypersensitive to the caffeine found in coffee may decide to drink decaffeinated coffee. This way, they can still enjoy the great coffee taste, yet avoid the caffeine. Coffee can be “decaffeinated” by treating the green beans with solvents called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once the solvents are removed, the beans are then roasted by ordinary procedures. Most people become accustomed to decaffeinated coffee and do not have to worry about the effects of caffeine.
January 18th, 2007
by Anne Ehmer
Nuts are much more than a snack; besides their obvious use adding flavor and texture to any dish, nuts are a valuable source of nutrients in their own right. In Western cuisine, nuts are usually treated as a luxury and relegated to confectionery and desserts. Vegetarians know better and give nuts the consideration due to real food. The latest research suggest this is the right approach; a daily serving of nuts is a great way to stay healthy ad live longer.
Contrary to what their high calorie count hints, nuts can even help to control weight as the balanced blend of nutrients they supply prevents cravings. So anyone avoiding nuts for this reason has been missing out on an easy source of health. Providing sugared and salted nuts are avoided, all the calories in nuts are good ones, and their fat is of the kind that prevents heart disease and feeds the mind.
Basic Facts About Nuts
Nuts are protein rich - almonds and peanuts have a higher ratio protein to weight than beef or chicken meat.
Nuts are packed with vitamin and minerals - including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and vitamins A, B, C and E. Black walnut are one of the best sources of the oligo-element manganese, as Brazil nuts are of selenium.
Their fatty acid profile has actually shown to decrease the risk of heart disease by lowering the levels of “bad” cholesterol.
Nuts have generally a very low glycemic index and dietitians recommend including nuts in the diets of people with insulin resistance problems.
Six Easy Ways To Enjoy Nuts
For a healthy, nutritious and quick dessert - get cheese and nuts.
Nutritious, healthy and quick snack - grab a handful of plain roasted nuts, alone or mixed with dried fruits, a quick burst of energy without the side effects of a sugar low.
Nutritious, quick lunch - add a handful of toasted nuts to a salad and use a fat free dressing. A nut butter sandwich is perfectly healthy. Try a simple sandwich with almond butter and thinly sliced apple and celery. Extra benefit, the almond, apple, celery combination makes a complete meal.
Nutritious quick meal - add some nuts to any vegetable stir fry.
Healthy, nutritious drink - prepare your favorite smoothie or fruit milk shake adding some ground nuts or nut butter. Try this, add 1 level Tbs nut throw 1 Tbs almond butter, 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced, and some celery, washed and chopped, into the blender with some milk and honey or sugar to taste. Use almond milk and skip the almond butter to make it lighter.
Western cuisine traditional - use nuts in stuffing for meat or poultry, and with cookies, pastries, cakes, ice creams, and fruit salads.
Getting Nuts In Your Diet
Try to incorporate nuts to your diet slowly. Ingesting three pounds of nuts a day is not going to make for years of nut neglect, and we have already mentioned nuts are high in calories, so portion control is in order. A serving of nuts is a handful, about 25 almonds or 10 Brazil nuts, or 1-2 level tablespoon of nut butter.
Nuts are Nature’s gift to man, flavorful, healthy, and able to give a recipe the contrast in textures that only professional chefs provide, so don’t limit their use to sprinkling a few chopped nuts on ice cream; it is worth to add them to sweet and savory dishes. Enjoy getting nuts!
Utterly Nutty Cooking Tips
The most popular nuts and seeds you would find in any pantry today are almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. Filberts are a kind of hazelnut.
* Mix toasted hazelnuts with double cream cheese, minced garlic and paprika. Spread over crackers.
* For a fragrant oriental dessert add toasted pine kernels to a fruit salad.
* Festive chestnut stuffing - Mix 1 cup chestnut puree, ½ cup bread, no crust, crumbled, 1 egg, 1 minced onion, and the juice and rind of 1 orange. Season and use it to stuff a turkey, duck or a chicken.
* Fried chicken with a nutty twist dip chicken pieces in seasoned egg, beaten, and cover with a mixture of 1 Tbs flour and 1 cup ground pecans. Cook until golden.
* Garnish grilled fish with chopped peanuts fried in butter until golden and lemon wedges.
* Use green pistachio nuts to garnish lemon curd, lemon cheesecake or lemon soufflé.
* Get crunchier burgers by rolling them on lightly salted chopped peanuts; and get also added protein. Recommended proportion ¼ lb peanuts per ½ lb ground meat.
* For a crunchier fruit pie, sprinkle ground nuts on top of the pastry before adding the fruit. The nuts will absorb any liquid from the fruit adding flavor on top.
Potential Problems
Nuts are an important source of protein in a vegetarian diet, but they are deficient in the amino acid lysine, so in a vegetarian diet, nuts should be combined with other lysine rich sources of protein, like beans and pulses.
Nut allergy can be very dangerous. Be extremely careful and avoid completely using nuts around people suffering this type of allergy.
Very young children could easily choke on whole nuts and because of the risk of nut allergies, follow the pediatrician’s advice on how and when to incorporate nuts to their diet. It follows you should not offer nuts to a child without the parent’s permission.
About The Author
Anne Ehmer is passionate about food. Non-stop travelling between Europe and United States has somehow afforded Anne time to develop her unique skills in cooking. Her stimulating ideas and recipes are registered in her web sites http://www.all-foods-natural.com and http://www.world-food-and-wine.com.
January 18th, 2007
by: Davinos Greeno
The Fairtrade Foundation exists to ensure that producers are guaranteed a minimum price for their goods irrespective of world prices.
This means that Fairtrade goods are often more expensive in the UK than those without the Fairtrade logo. Although people are now arguing that supermarkets are fuelling their excessive profits by adding large mark-ups to these products This premium that the producer charges covers the basic food, housing, health and education needs of the local communities in countries such as India and Brazil. The Foundation awards a consumer label, the Fairtrade Mark, to products which meet internationally recognised standards of Fairtrade. It is the only such certification in the UK.
Examples of products:
• Fairtrade coffee
• Fairtrade Tea
• Fairtrade Chocolate
• Fairtrade Bananas
• Fairtrade Honey
• Fairtrade Sugar
• Fairtrade Fruit Juice
• Fairtrade Wine and Snacks
The list of goods certified Fairtrade is growing daily as is the range of products available. The co-op changed all their own brand chocolate to Fairtrade a few years ago and now all the other big supermarkets are beginning to move into the Fairtrade market. Nestle have just released a Fairtrade brand. There has been huge controversy over this as many people are asking how a company that is subject to a boycott can pertain to have Fairtrade and therefore ethical principles?
Why buy Fairtrade?
Millions of small farmers around the world cannot get enough money to feed their families, send their children to school or invest just a few pounds into their farm. This is because people want to buy the cheapest goods possible and don’t think about the people that working in poor condition and often receive less than £1 per day in wages.
Buying products that display the Fairtrade logo ensures that the producers of products such as tea, coffee and chocolate receive a decent income. Rather than being hit by the ever-changing price of their product on the world market, or being fleeced by a middleman who takes a chunky share of the profits, producers in a Fair Trade scheme are guaranteed a decent, stable price for their produce.
By buying Fair trade products that buy direct from farmers at better prices, consumers are improving the lives of producers all over the world. In Eithiopia, farmers can often get more then twice the price for their fair trade coffee then those that sell it on the open market. This extra money enables the farmers to educate their children and to break the cycle of poverty.
Many people struggle to find a reason not to support Fairtrade. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers. Fair trade is not about charity, it is about settling the imbalance which exists.
How do I know its Fairtrade?
Look for the Fairtrade Mark when you shop and make the choice to support small farmers and workers in the developing world, and encourage your workplace to switch to Fairtrade tea and coffee.
About The Author
Davinos Greeno - I work with the Green and Ethical directory http://www.guidemegreen.com This growing green resource lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and Ethical companies and Articles at http://articles.guidemegreen.com/ We also have loads of jobs at http://jobs.guidemegreen.com/
January 18th, 2007
by Davinos Greeno
Again, I find myself torn apart with choices when deciding which is the most ethical, eco friendly and/or healthy option when it comes to shopping for food and non-food products.
Should I buy food and products that support workers in Third World by buying Fairtrade labelled products even though these goods normally travel thousands of miles from Africa, South America or South East Asia? What if these foods were produced with the use of pesticides and additives? It makes sense then to look for and to buy Fairtrade, organic food to both help the producers in the Third World and fulfil my lifestyle choice to eat healthy and additive/pesticide free food. Thankfully, many producers are now wising up to this dilemma by increasingly producing organic and Fairtrade labelled products. I am currently using Fairtrade, organic t-bags at home! Now comes another important question, should I buy Fairly Traded organic sugar from Kenya that has travelled thousands of miles, or should I buy apples grown in the UK (ideally from a farmers market) that have only travelled only a few hundred miles which means less carbon dioxide and other nasty emissions from the lorries that you see constantly on the motorways in the UK? Buying UK products not only ensures less food miles but also supports local farmers, communities and economies. Unfortunately, choice is often limited and can be more expensive then food produced in other countries……… Decisions, decisions, it’s probably best to abstain from eating and give your choice making brain a rest!
But I can safely say that I make attempts to avoid food or products that have travelled from far away destinations such as Australia even if they are organic! Next time you are in the supermarket or wherever you buy your food from check the labels and you will be surprised by how far your food has travelled. Also look at the amount of unnecessary wrapping such as individually wrapped peppers, mushrooms and kiwi fruit in wrapped boxes. When I buy from the local market I tell them to throw it all into one bag, the customer next to me often has 10 individually wrapped portions of fruit and veg. That’s 11 (10 plus one big plastic bag) bags into the landfill site that day. For maximum eco efficiency we need to be using jute or other bags made from recycled materials and putting all the loose food into that.
For recycled bags, Fairtrade and Organic companies, products and food see GuideMeGreen.
About The Author
Davinos Greeno - I work with the Green and Ethical directory http://www.guidemegreen.com This growing green resource lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and Ethical companies and Articles at http://articles.guidemegreen.com/ We also have loads of jobs at http://jobs.guidemegreen.com/
January 18th, 2007
A New Red Meat
Since the high glycogen content of Ostrich meat confers to it an almost sweet flavor, it is suggested to serve it along with a complement of vegetables that contrast nicely with sweet, such as red radicchio and rocket. Rich in proteins and iron, the meat is also low in fat (1-2g per 100g of meat). A large part of those 2g consists of polyunsaturated fatty acids (healthier) as compared with saturated fats. This makes ostrich meat ideal for the diets of babies and the elderly, pregnant and lactating women as well as athletes and people suffering from anemia. As for its flavor; it is more or less similar to high quality beef, although it is much more tender and made up of very short muscle fibers that allow for easier digestion.
Choice
Most ostrich meat comes from farms, many of which are located in Israel, South Africa and the US. Sold ever more commonly even in traditional butcher shops, the major obstacle to its purchase is its relatively high price. This due in large part to three factors: high mortality rates among the farm-raised birds, long growing periods (9 months to a year) and low meat yields relative to the animal’s weight (35kg edible meat from a 150kg animal).
Preservation
This meat should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator soon after purchase, ideally wrapped in the appropriate polyethylene wraps or in wax paper. It should be consumed within one or two days of purchase at the most.
Cuts
Ostrich is a flightless bird because it has a flat breastbone that makes it unsuitable for flight. On top of making it flightless, the bird’s flat breastbone means it does not have large breast or wing muscles. Therefore the meat from comes from the thigh, leg and back. Cuts are nearly exclusively from the various muscle groups found in the animal’s leg, divided into the fillet, sirloin, and thigh. The last cut comes from the neck. From the fillet, cut from the less fibrous part of the animal’s thigh, are cut the medallions, kebabs, carpaccios and roasts. From the sirloin; cutlets, steaks, chops and roulades. From the thigh itself; roasts and ground meat for meatballs and hamburgers, while the neck is used in boiled dishes and ossobuco.
Cooking
In dealing with lean meats such as that of the ostrich, especially when grilling, it is important to baste the meat with abundant extra-virgin olive-oil before cooking it in order to avoid the meat becoming hard and dry due to the quick evaporation of its juices. Another method, useful when cooking whole cuts, is to lard the meat in such a way that it keeps the meat moist. Even for the higher quality cuts, it is preferable to cook ostrich meat in the pan and for only a short period. It is also best if the meat is cooked rare and therefore should be removed from the refrigerator at least half an hour, this also allows for a shorter cooking time. In order to further avoid losing the meat’s juices, it is wise not to puncture the meat with a fork but instead handle it with two spoons in a pincer movement. For the same purpose, it is a good idea to brown the ostrich roast in a pan with some butter and extra-virgin olive oil before cooking it in the oven, this creates a barrier on the outside of the meat that helps keep the juices in.
Ostrich meat’s extreme tenderness, comparable only to the finest veal fillet, lends itself nicely to being eaten crude and therefore should be tried in a carpaccio or tartar.
January 18th, 2007
Throughout centuries, people have searched for a proverbial Fountain of Youth, a fountain whose water can actually slow down the aging process. From Juan Ponce de León to the modern day seeker, the search for the Fountain of Youth, much like the fountain itself, springs eternal.
While this fountain’s location has proven elusive, it’s believed to be somewhere near Florida, causing hopeful searchers to leave no Cadillac unturned: as the Atlantic winds blow onto the shores, the sounds of “here fountain fountain fountain” are often heard from afar.
The reason for this extensive hunt is simple: when it comes to life, everyone hopes to find an extension cord.
Though the Fountain of Youth hasn’t provided us with this extension - as its waters have yet to be packaged, labeled, and displayed in the vitamin aisles of the local market - there is something that may serve as a close second: red wine.
Red Wine Slows Down Aging
Most of us are aware of the health benefits of red wine. From lowering blood pressure to helping cardiovascular health, red wine is giving all sorts of diseases something to whine about. However, recent discovery has led scientists to believe that, in addition to increasing health, the consumption of red wine may single handedly decrease the mortality rate and slow the aging process: belly up to the bar and order a Merlot, with an added dash of lifespan.
Calorie Restriction
There are a lot of things that a person can do to increase the years they will live. From lowering cholesterol to working out on a daily basis, several practices work together to give the average person more years of living. Yet, nothing increases a human’s lifespan quite like the act of calorie restriction, limiting caloric intake to a minimum. Some researchers estimate that calorie restriction can increase lifespan by as many as 50 years.
However, from Alfredo sauce to zucchini bread, our world is a world that loves to eat. Because of this, restricting calories isn’t very feasible; we have a better chance at actually finding the Fountain of Youth than we do of not consuming the T-bone steak sitting on the dinner table, begging us to stick a fork in it. .
Taking into consideration the fact that humans aren’t likely to engage in caloric limitations, scientists began looking for a way that people could have their cake, and literally eat it too.
The Sirtuin 1 Gene
Calorie restriction activates the Sirtuin 1 Gene, a gene that is known to heavily influence the continued existence in all living cells. Once this gene is activated, cells go into survival mode, putting more effort into longevity. This ultimately, as cells fight harder to stay alive, increases lifespan.
However, calorie restriction, as scientists have discovered, is not the only thing that can activate the Sirtuin 1 Gene. Recent studies have found that red wine also possesses this talent. Due to the fact that red wine contains Resveratrol, a class of antibiotics produced by plants that activates the Sirtuin 1 Gene, drinking it can add years to life. With each glass of red wine consumed, a cell’s urge to exist becomes stronger, the body is filled with antioxidants, and Gloria Gaynor’s “I will Survive” is heard, reverberating off the strands of DNA.
The Data Speaks
After discovering that Resveratrol lengthened the life of fruit flies and roundworms, Dr. David Sinclair and a team of Harvard researchers began to see if Resveratrol had the same affect on mice. While the concept of giving a red wine molecule to a group of mice may seem odd - leaving the mice inebriated and surrounded by relatives begging them not to get behind the wheel…of cheese - the study actually drew conclusions that could leave Dr. Sinclair and his team sitting next to Jonas Salk on the spectrum of important scientific discoveries.
The researchers found, after a 110 week study of mice placed on a high fat diet, that the mice who took Resveratrol lived longer than the mice who did not. Despite ingesting foods that were high in fat, the mice who took Resveratrol had a mortality rate of 32 percent, while the mice who didn’t take Resveratrol had a mortality rate of 50 percent.
The reasons for this, the researchers concluded, is that Resveratrol essentially copies calorie restriction, giving those who ingest it the same benefits of those who restrict their food intake. In sum, Resveratrol ignites the will to survive in the cells, rewarding the person who ingests it with a longer life.
Could it be the Same in People?
While mice - living an average of 2 years - were an ideal subject matter for the Resveratrol study, testing in people, because our lifespan is about 40 times that of a mouse, is not as convenient. Therefore, human testing has yet to be done. However, it’s highly theorized that a Resveratrol study would find a similar outcome, whether the test is performed on mice or men. . The main reason for this prediction is the French.
The French are a culture bent on poor eating - consuming foods high in fat and calories - and inactivity. Despite having a lifestyle that serves as a manual for a heart attack, heart disease is not an enemy of France. The majority of the French simply do not get heart disease. The reason for this is because they, in addition to being a culture who consumes foods high in saturated fat and fails to exercise, are also a culture that consumes a lot of red wine. This red wine has proven to be the one variable that seems to enable them to sidestep death, allowing them, despites some vices, to live a great deal of years. In fact, in areas of France where wine is grown, citizens live 35 to 65 percent longer than citizens residing in a non-growing district.
How much Red Wine Should People Drink?
While this “Fountain of Youth” discovery is great news for wine lovers, it has the potential to perpetuate the wrong idea, with some people locking themselves in a liquor store, grabbing a corkscrew, and drinking all the wine on the shelves in a quest to live forever. Like all of the benefits of red wine, the key is moderation.
Right now, it is recommended that people hoping to consume Resveratrol drink one or two glasses of red wine a day. Because the air can alter Reservatrol’s potency, it’s best to drink red wine that has been recently opened. While white wine has some Resveratrol, red wine has about ten times more. Along these lines, wines grown in cooler climates - such as New York - have more Resveratrol than wines grown in hot climates, such as Australia. Pinot Noir is believed to be among the wines with the highest levels.
While the Fountain of Youth may not have technically been found, this red wine discovery is allowing us to feel its mist. By igniting our cells will to survive and filling our body with life preserving antioxidants, red wine may slow down the aging process, allowing humans to stay younger and live longer than they ever thought possible.
Somewhere Juan Ponce de León is smiling.
January 18th, 2007
There are two ways in which chickens or poultry can be cut up, one for home use and the other for professional use. The technique can be learned quite easily and it’s a useful skill to have.
The advantages are that it is more economical to cut up chicken or poultry yourself than buying in portions, and you can cut the way you want them in any various combinations such as drumsticks with or without the thigh, or breasts with or with the wings, etc.
A key point to remember is to feel the joints when you have to sever sinews and cartilage. To cut through bones, ideally a serrated knife or poultry shears are used.
The method that is common and popular amongst home cooks is as follows:
Basically there are eight steps to cut up the chicken or poultry. Firstly, by using a large sharp knife, free the leg by carefully cutting the skin between the body and the leg. Cut through the skin as far as the joint, bending the leg outwards with the hand. Then twist the leg until the ball of the joint springs out. After that, cut through the joint, pressing lightly. Cut through the leg at the knee joint to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Separate the wing at the shoulder joint, cutting off a small part of the breast with it. Press quite firmly to split the collarbone and divide the back parallel to the backbone. Cut across the back at the middle point, breaking the backbone with short movements of the knife. Finally to separate the breasts, carefully cut left and right along the length of the breastbone.
The professional cooks have a different method of cutting up chickens or poulty and the following method is based on 1-3/4 pounds poultry, in order to achieve portions of equal size:
In eight steps, firstly make a cut approximately 3/8 inch deep across the back under the shoulder blades. Cut along the backbone at a right angle to this and remove the “chicken oysters”, which is the tender part whose quality matches that of the breasts. Cut through the skin between the body and the leg. Spread out the leg and cut through the joint. Chop off the outermost section of each wing, cutting through the joint with a small chopper or large knife.
Remove the wings with some breast meat, along the breastbone and wishbone as far as the joint. To remove the breasts, first hold the chicken firmly by the wishbone and cut along the breastbone. Turn the carcass 180 degree, then loosen the breast from the front along the wishbone as far as the joint. Take off the breast, making a cut from the joint to the end of the breastbone.
The legs are left in one piece and the wing tips are removed, for the sake of appearance.
The number of individual pieces depends on the size of the chicken. You can use the remainder of the carcass to make stock, soups and sauces.
The two methods above are simple to master and whether you choose to cut your chickens simply or professionally, these are the correct methods to follow.
January 18th, 2007
Fiber is part of a healthy diet, discover why.
Fiber plays a very important role in a healthy diet. Fiber is found in plants, and dietary fiber –the kind of fiber we eat- comes to us inside the fruits, vegetables and grains we eat.
Human provides no calories, as it cannot be digested by humans. Why is it so important then?
Fiber adds bulk to the diet. This bulk aids digestion by making food move faster through the system; not only preventing constipation but preventing the absorption of unhealthy substances as well. Fiber also protects the intestinal wall. With this function in mind, fiber helps to prevent diabetes, heart disease and diverticulosis, which sometimes develops into colon cancer.
Fiber makes you feel full faster and keeps you satisfied for longer, a priceless function when you are trying to control your weight.
DAILY RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF FIBER
Older children, teenagers and adults should aim to have 20-35 grams fiber per day. Fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals should be introduced to younger children, but without counting grams. The amount of food young children should eat in a day doesn’t allow to reach this level of fiber in their diet.
WAYS WITH FIBER
The way to ensure adequate fiber intake is to eat a variety of foods, including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereals, and dried beans and peas.
If you are not having enough, add fiber to your diet gradually. Water aids the passage of fiber through the digestive system, so drink plenty of fluids. Take a few weeks to build up the amount of fiber in your diet to avoid discomfort.
When you don’t peel fruits and vegetables, you are actually getting some more fiber. Cooked food may actually increase your fiber intake by decreasing the volume of the food that you eat. Eating fiber rich food is beneficial, no matter if it is cooked or raw.
HOW TO GET FIBER
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
Soluble fiber attracts water and turns to gel during digestion, slowing it. Soluble fiber is found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, and some fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol, which can help prevent heart disease.
Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables, and whole grains. Insoluble fiber seems to speed the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines.
THE DARK SIDE OF FIBER
Eating too much fiber in a short period of time can cause bloating and cramps. This usually goes away once the natural bacteria in the digestive system get used to the increase in fiber in the diet. This is the reason to take some weeks to reach the recommended amount of fiber.
It has been mentioned that too much fiber may interfere with the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. As high fiber foods are usually also rich in minerals, this should not take your sleep away. However, consider this effect in the case of young children.
TIP
If you swallow a sharp object by accident –a little piece of broken glass, for instance- eat artichokes and asparagus -bread also helps. Their bulky fiber will wrap the object helping it to go through without causing injure.
January 18th, 2007
When I was a kid, I developed an allergy to peanut butter, something I loved to eat by the spoonful. While others ate it, mixing clumps with strawberry jam and putting it between two slices of bread, I stood by drooling; then, with a sense of defeat, I went to stick my head in my Easy Bake Oven. To me, there was nothing worse than being five years old and having a peanut allergy; it‘s the equivalent to having a wine allergy when you’re over 21.
Lucky for me, I’m not allergic to wine. I’ve self-tested with hundreds of bottles and I can confidently declare that I would definitely know by now. Definitely.. But, many others aren’t that lucky; some people have wine allergies, an allergy that hinders their ability to savor one of life‘s greatest pleasures.. This allergy leaves people with an empty wine glass, an empty wine cellar, and a unyielding impulse to look up to the sky and scream, “Make me allergic to diary, make me allergic to cats, make me allergic to my siblings, but please don’t take away my Cabernet.”
While no one wants a wine allergy, those who have one are forced to take it seriously. This is particularly true if they are allergic to sulfites, compounds often used as a means to preserve wine by helping it to avoid oxidation and spoilage. Unfortunately for those with allergies, sulfites are added to a vast majority of wines. Because of this, checking the label doesn’t just become a matter of hoping to find the best tasting wine, it also become a matter between being well and being ill.
When someone who is allergic to sulfites drinks wine containing this compound, they run the risk of experiencing an allergic reaction - an allergic reaction to wine makes a wine hang over look like a walk in the park. Some people may experience sneezing, or hives, while others may have difficulty breathing and need emergency medical attention. Sulfites can also cause anaphylaxis, the most severe of allergic reactions.. During this kind of reaction, a person’s blood pressure dangerously drops and their bronchial tubes narrow, making it increasingly harder for them to breathe.. If left untreated, this can lead to death in a matter of minutes. For these reasons, many people with sulfite allergies avoid wine altogether: not even the greatest wine in the world is worth compromising health.
However, luckily for those affected by sulfites, organic wine has come to the rescue, wearing a red cape and giving those allergic to regular wine a second chance.
Organic wine doesn’t necessarily mean “sulfite free,” a tidbit of information extremely important to those sensitive to even the most minute levels of sulfites. In fact, wines are rarely sulfite-free; sulfites occur naturally in wine. However, conventional wines go above and beyond the naturally occurring sulfites, adding many more sulfites to their finished product. Organic wine, on the other hand, tend to believe that the naturally occurring sulfites are enough - they don’t want to compound the situation.
The true definition of organic wine depends on where the wine is produced. For wines produced in America, the National Organic Program, the federal agency overseeing the production of organic food, has mandated that any wine claiming to be “organic” must not contain any added sulfites. Wines merely claiming to be made with “organic grapes,” however, aren’t subject to these regulation.. Along these lines, wines that are produced outside the US are governed under their own regulations: these wines generally have added sulfites, but the amount is roughly a third of the amount found in conventional wine. Thus, for those with sulfite allergies, it’s important to read the label very carefully.
Drinking organic wine isn’t just limited to those with sulfite allergies - it’s not a secret club people are allowed into by submitting their medical records.. Many people simply find organic wines better tasting, healthier, and good for the environment.
Organic wine is composed of grapes that are grown in an organic vineyard with organic farming techniques. Essentially, this means that the grapes were grown in a manner void of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides and full of natural fertilizers.. These vineyards also contain cover crops between their vines and work to attract beneficial insects, insects that will feed on harmful pests. Though no scientific provides credence, there is strong speculation that drinking organic wine instead of conventional wine decreases the chance of a hang over. This has led many people down an organic path, a path paved with the healthiest of soil.
Though not widely available, organic wine has recently begun to gain in popularity. Sommeliers are finally beginning to get the hint as bottles of organic Pinot Noir approach, tapping their fingers and impatiently saying, “Ahem.” Still, organic wine remains harder to find than conventional wine - many restaurants do not serve it and some liquor stores have either no collection or one that is minimal.. But, rest assured, there are places to find it, and soon they’ll be more..
Online is a great place to start, booming with shops that will ship organic wine to your house. Organic food stores - such as Whole Foods - have also jumped on the organic band wagon, obviously needing a ride from drinking too much. Along these lines, there are certain liquor stores that do carry a large selection of Organic wines.. To find one in your area, try calling around, doing an Internet search, or going to http://www.wine-searcher.com.
It might take a little research, but you’ll be rewarded once you are cradling that bottle of organic wine in your hands with a straw in your mouth. Then, it will all be worth it…naturally.
January 18th, 2007
