Healthy breakfast for your children

October 3, 2011 By

Some parents don’t provide a healthy breakfast and only have time to give their children toast before they rush out in the morning.

The truth is that anything for breakfast is better than nothing, but regularly consuming fortified cereals at breakfast has the advantage of supplying the body with extra iron and other vital minerals and vitamins.

Studies have found that teenage girls who are on the border of iron deficiency can improve their performance in IQ tests by 9 points (the difference between a D and C grade in GCSEs) by upping their iron intakes.

Anemia caused through a lack of iron leads to tiredness and inability to concentrate, hardly the symptoms you want to handicap your children with at school. If they can fit in a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal and glass of juice or strawberry smoothie before their toast you could be helping them reach their full potential at school.

Both boys and girls felt hungrier after the smaller breakfast, and it’s not hard to imagine how that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach could put you off concentrating on what a teacher is saying. More children reported feeling bad rather than good during the morning when they’d eaten the smaller breakfast.

Parents who don’t make sure that children have eaten a good and healthy breakfast before school are, in effect, handicapping them in their school work in several different ways.

Recent studies show that children’s school performance is affected by their nutritional status in the very short term. Therefore, it is important that children are fed breakfast in some way.

There are far too many people, especially children who skip a healthy breakfast; we know that from various studies in developed countries, and even just some fresh juice from your juicer machine is better than a donut or a cookie.

 

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The Need To Separate Raw And Cooked Food

September 20, 2011 By

Why is there a need to separate raw food from cooked food? Disease-causing bacteria and other viruses can quickly fan out from raw or uncooked food to cooked food, which is a process of cross-contamination.

It is important to separate raw foods like poultry, meat, and seafood from cooked foods in your kitchen, refrigerator, or while you are handling and preparing foods at your home.

Raw food, especially poultry, meat, and seafood still have their juices that can contain harmful bacteria that can spread to other foods during preparation and storage of food. Raw foods my still have microorganisms and when placed next to cooked foods will easily contaminate cooked foods.

To avoid juices from raw poultry, meat, or seafood from dripping to other foods inside your refrigerator, it is best to put raw foods inside a sealed container or plastic bag.

If you are preparing raw foods like cleaning, storing or cooking them, just be sure not to place them near cooked foods. Cooked food can easily be contaminated with germs if it gets into contact with raw foods allowing these germs to spread and grow rapidly.

Raw and cooked foods need to be separated at all times. Cross-contamination happens when raw foods come in contact with cooked foods. Kitchen utensils such spoons, knives, chopping boards as well as the surfaces should also be clean while preparing raw food. Carefully wash the dishes, cutting boards, and utensils with detergent and hot water right after they come in contact with raw foods.

When cooking or grilling raw meats or fish, use one cutting board for raw foods and another one for unwashed vegetables and fruits. If you do not have two cutting boards, you can first prepare vegetables and fruits and place them safely. You can wash the cutting board thoroughly with hot soapy water, prepare the raw poultry, seafood, and meat, and use the same cutting board. After using it with the raw foods, wash the cutting board again.

Be certain that you are using a clean tray or platter to keep the foods after cooking. Do not use the same tray you used to carry the raw food that you cooked on the grill. If cooked food is placed on an unwashed tray that previously carried the raw poultry, meat, or seafood, microorganisms from the raw food could spread onto the cooked food. Marinades that were used on raw poultry, meat, or seafood can contain microorganisms. If you would like to use them again on cooked foods, you have to boil them first.

A California food handler can give you even more excellent information on this subject to keep you safe.

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Recipes For Beef Stroganoff And Other Simple Dishes

August 5, 2011 By

Kitchen wonders happen not only to those who have excellent culinary skills but also to those who make an effort to try new things and experiment with different flavors.

For the most part, you can create great dishes even without the talents of a well trained chef and all you need are basic cooking tools and fresh ingredients.  Here are some recipes you should try if you are in the mood for great home cooked meals.

Beef Stroganoff 

While there are so many recipes for beef stroganoff, the best ones are those that make use of a few simple ingredients that are bursting with freshness and flavors.

The key to a great stroganoff is good quality beef which is seasoned to perfection. 

Fresh herbs also contribute to that exciting aroma that will inevitably fill the entire kitchen while you are cooking.

Cooking the beef just right and putting the right amount of sour cream just a few seconds before turning  off the fire will definitely seal the deal.

Simple Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

This classic calls for the freshest butternut squash which would give excellent structure to the soup.

For maximum flavor, freshly grated nutmeg and powdered cinnamon will have to be added directly to the soup as well as on top of it right before serving. 

Depth of flavor in the stock is also important so adding freshly chopped shallots, onions, celery, and butter is always called for.  You will know that the soup is ready when it turns bright yellow and the consistency is similar to that of a puree, only less dense.

The utter simplicity of beef stroganoff and the warm goodness of butternut squash soup melds perfectly together that they make an excellent combination.  These dishes can be done in about an hour so you can prepare them for your family even on weekdays.

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The Joy of Nut Milk Smoothies

July 19, 2011 By

Nut milk recipes are really very simple to make and they can taste delicious too. We can make really thick or thin drinks. This all comes down to whether we keep in or strain out the nut pulp.

The best masticating juicer for the job is something like the Slow Juicer from Hurom, or the Omega VRT330HD. The way that this type of machine works ensures that the nut oils and water base that you use are blended together very well.

Just thinking about nuts and water, you might not be all that excited. The base of the drink is of course nuts and water but we can all some other flavors too. Why not try making a nut milk at home to see how you like it?

If you can afford it, I recommend the Omega VRT350HD vertical masticating juicer or a high speed blender such as the Vitamix.

Using a blender, you can make either a thick or thin drink depending upon whether you strain it or not. The juicer will automatically remove the nut pulp though.

If you want a fuller bodied drink, using a blender would work out best. If I want more of a meal, I prefer to use my blender and consume everything.

Before you start making a nut milk drink, it is useful if you have soaked the nuts to soften them up. Using cashew nuts is pretty good because they don’t need to be soaked for long at all.

Cashews and dates make a decent tasting drink. Grab a handful of cashews and a few dates, put them in a jug and add some coconut water or plain water.

It might be a good idea to quickly rinse the nuts beforehand. If you’re using your blender, just add everything at once. Blend for less than one minute for a lovely thick and creamy nut milk smoothie. That’s all there is to it.

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The Composition of the Chinese Slimming Tea

April 20, 2011 By

Various researches have linked Chinese tea to effective weight loss. Regular consumption of Chinese tea is very helpful in burning fats and eliminating excessive amount of calories in the body to promote weight loss. Various reports presented in some health blog shows that green tea is helpful in increasing the body’s metabolism, thus resulting to faster burning of fats. According to the report, catechin polyphenols contained in green tea extracts can alter the body’s usage of norepinephrine, which is a chemical being used when transmitting information from the body into the brain.

Stimulating norepinephrine can cause increased metabolic rate, which means the body’s ability to burn fat is sped up. Studies have also shown that the thermogenic properties of green tea are helpful in promoting oxidation of fats, which cannot be explained by the caffeine content alone. It was not clear whether green tea helps the control the body’s composition through thermogenesis or oxidation of fats or if it is a combination of both.

Chinese tea is traditionally made by combining various Chinese herbs. The combination of these herbs were said to produce satisfaction from a natural beverage. However, when consuming Chinese tea for weight loss, it should be complemented with fruits, vegetables and lots of water.

Chinese tea is made of natural Chinese herbs and is reinforced with Panax ginseng, which is a dietary supplement that helps harmonize the body’s need to lose weight and maintain overall wellness. The gentle laxative and diuretic effect as well as the enhanced control of appetite makes the Chinese herbal tea a great choice of beverage. However, you should know that the consumption of a slimming tea can have annoying side effects for a couple of days and one of the most common effects is the increase in bowel movements. This can be prevented by shortening the steep time of the tea.

There are lots of different brands of Chinese slimming tea available in the market today. However, to make sure that you picked the right brand, make sure to check on the ingredients contained in it and these ingredients should be 100% natural. The tea that you should opt for must not contain substances that can be harmful to your health. Take note that when it comes to losing weight, your health should not be taken for granted. You also may also consult your physician or a dietitian for more tips on how you can choose the right slimming tea for you.

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