General

How healthy is home cooked food, really? We choose to cook most of our food at home thinking its the better and healthy option. But lets take a look at the various aspects that determine the true health of food and how this decision adds up to it. It’s generally believed that home cooked food is healthier than store-bought, and this is true to some extent. But even if you are being cautious while cooking at home, there may be a few things you’re missing out on: For instance, you may be using all the healthy ingredients but not the right cookware! Did you know your cookware plays an equally important role, equal to that of the choice of ingredients? Conventional cookware is usually made of different metals and ceramics that are not appropriate for cooking, albeit being used widely. Not too long ago however people only used one material — All-Natural clay to make their pots and pans. But what is wrong with these other materials, lets find out: Food is a biochemical entity. All metals are reactive to the nutrients in the food that are in the form of Oxygen, Hydrogen halogens, acids, and bases. At cooking temperature, metals leach ions and react with food which then assimilate with food and accumulate in tissues and organs. Over the course of time these metal ions that have accumulated in the organs and tissue become the foundational cause for various illnesses and a compromised immune system, The second big problem is metals damage the delicate nutrients in food; try touching a metal pan five minutes into heating, it burns skin tissue and leaves a scar. Same thing happens to the nutrients in food – the harsh heat destroys the nutrients. To make matters worse, water-soluble vitamins and minerals evaporate as steam, further depleting the nutritional value of food. What’s left is food with toxins lacking in nutritive value. Same is the case with ceramic cookware. that’s made with over 200 different chemicals. Choosing the right cookware is mandatory for healthy cooking. A material that is 100% non-toxic and also keeps the nutrients intact is perfect for making healthy cookware. Pure clay is one such material. The idea of using pure-clay probably comes from the roots of our civilization — people have always cooked in clay all the way upto about 200 years ago. Pure clay is the only material known to be naturally inert and scientifically proven safe for making healthy cookware. It doesn’t leach anything into food while cooking! Besides being completly non-reactive pots and pans, the pure clay pots preserve nutrients cooking with far-infrared heat, a life-supporting form of heat only generated by “earth”. These are just some of the great benefits of cooking in the safest medium. So, the true health of home cooked food depends on the choice of cooking pots and pans. As shown here, it actually happens to be the make or break of the deal. So next time you’re working to prepare the healthiest meal for your family, take a long and hard look at the cookware! Source by Sharon Ray

When it comes to choosing the right kind of healthy dog food you may find that it is more difficult than you first thought. Certainly most of the dog foods that you find available in your local pet or grocery store contain large amounts of preservatives as well as being over processed. Therefore in order to help you find the most healthiest dog food for your beloved pet we provide you with some tips below. Firstly you need to understand what your dog’s diet should be made up of. It is important that you provide your dog with ample amounts of protein (40%), fiber (30%) and starch (30%). Therefore look only for those dog foods which contain these amounts of ingredients within their formula. Also when looking at the label ensure that the first ingredient that is listed is some form of protein (pork, chicken etc) and is not made up from meat by products. You will often find that some of the cheaper dog foods will least a meat ingredient first but then just below will provide details of by products and fillers that have also been used to make the food that they produce. Be wary as this means that you will not be provided with sufficient amounts of meat (protein) which your dog requires to remain fit and healthy. Secondly look at what preservatives the dog food manufacturers are producing. Certainly they are essential as they help to keep the food from going and so remaining edible. However they do not need to be ones which are made from artificial substances as these could actually cause serious health issues for your dog in later life. Instead look for those foods which use Vitamins E and C within them as they are not only great for preserving food but are also much better for your dog as well. If you can afford to then choose only premium brand foods such as Eukanuba, Iams or Hill’s as these contain the most healthiest of all ingredients that you are likely to find in dog food today. Plus they also provide a wide range of foods that are suitable for dogs of all ages and when they reach certain stages in their lives. However if you really want to ensure that your dog only eats healthy dog food then you could consider making your own. Today if you were to carry out a search online you will find that there are plenty of sites now offering a vast array of healthy dog food recipes and meal plans that you could try out and see which your dog prefers. Source by Allison Thompson

Let us first take a look, why healthy chicken recipes are becoming so much popular these days? In today’s fast paced world when people are becoming extremely health conscious, they have started adopting newer ways of life. Everything they do or eat is oriented towards their health. Even young people these days are suffering from ailments like blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac problems due to increased challenges in their jobs and day to day life. This is the time when one needs to take crucial steps related to healthy eating habits as food plays the most essential role to keep one healthy. Chicken is an excellent source of protein and at the same time provides less fat when compared to other meat products. Tropical Chicken Salad is one of many healthy chicken recipes and is also very easy to make. This light and easy dish is made by combining baked chicken with different tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, apple butter sauce jalapeno and honey. Take 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Add little salt and pepper to the chicken. Brush it up with olive oil. Place the chicken for baking until crisp and tender. Cut the chicken into pieces and place in an open plate. Add all the above mentioned ingredients to it. Squeeze a lemon and add some freshly chopped cilantro. Mix them all well and a great healthy chicken recipe is ready. The next healthy chicken recipe we will discuss is Chicken Pesto Sandwich. This is ideal as a filling lunch. Take ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1/3 cup fat-free plain yoghurt and 1/3 cup of Buitoni pesto. Whisk them all together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to it roasted and cubed skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Next add diced celery. Mix them well and keep aside. Take 1 pound focaccia bread, cut it into two halves horizontally and then slice it accordingly. Take the salad mixture and place 1 tablespoon on one slice of bread. Top it up with some bell peppers and Romaine lettuce. Place the second slice to cover the sandwich. A healthy and sumptuous lunch is ready. From the world of healthy chicken recipes this one is the low carbohydrates chicken recipe. Take 3 smoked skinless and fatless chicken breasts, sauté it in a pan from both sides. Take 150 grams baby beans and 1 cup green peas and bring them to a boil, then drain them in cold water. Add little olive oil and fresh mint leaves to the green vegetables and toss them. Place the beans and the chicken in the serving plate and top it up with a dollop of low fat tzatziki. Sit back and relish this delicious healthy chicken recipe. Talking about healthy chicken recipes, how can we miss the Rosemary Chicken Noodles Soup? Boil the noodles separately in a pan and keep aside to cool. Make the chicken broth from skinless, boneless chicken breasts by adding onions celery and dried rosemary to it. Once ready, shred the chicken in the broth. Now take a pan, sauté vegetables like carrots and beans. Add chicken broth to it and bring it to boil. Now add already cooked noodles to the soup. Lastly add some salt, pepper and lemon for seasoning. To make your chicken meals healthier, there are options available for you to buy natural grain fed chicken. These will help achieve your target of healthy chicken recipes. Wants More Secret Recipes? Go Here: http://www.BestRecipesInfo.com To get instant access right away! Source by Temo Valle

If you fear eating red meat due to concerns with its cholesterol content, it might be time for you to reconsider this thought. At least it is not a good idea you shun red meat entirely. The fact is, red meat contains many essential nutrients necessary for you to include in your diet – nutrients too many people otherwise go without. These nutrients include iron, zinc, as well as vitamin B12. If you are not taking in these nutrients, you may notice you become more fatigued than normal and especially have low endurance levels during your exercise program. The good news is there are some great options to help you take in these nutrients. Here are four terrific red meat sources you should start including in your eating plan… 1. Grass-Fed Steak. When selecting your steak, you want to choose grass-fed steak. Realize there is a significant difference between the fat profile of grass-fed steak and grain fed steak. Grain fed has a higher level of saturated fat and fewer omega-3 fatty acids, while the grass-fed steak is the opposite. While you will pay a premium for grass-fed steak, it is worth the extra money. 2. Bison. Bison is another excellent source of protein and a lean type of red meat. Bison is naturally grass-fed because it comes from the wild, so you can feel good eating whatever variety you want. You can even find ground bison to make yourself bison burgers, which is perfect for satisfying your cravings. 3. Pork Tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is another good option to turn to if you are tired of eating grass-fed steak and can’t find bison in your area. Pork tenderloin is a lot lower in fat than pork chops and is still an excellent source of protein. Fire these up on your grill, and you will have a delicious source of protein you will look forward to eating. 4. Venison. Last but not least, consider venison. Venison is another wild game meat, so you will not have to worry about choosing grass-fed over grain fed. It is also very lean and can be slightly dry, so be sure you use a bit of heart-healthy olive oil while cooking it. There you have four great sources of lean protein to be adding to your eating plan. Make sure you are not overlooking these as they will all help you move one step closer to improving your health, increasing your energy level, and feeling your very best. Source by Beverleigh H Piepers

As a pet owner you are concerned as to what ingredients are contained within the commercial dog food that they eat. In fact a number of foods have recently been recalled because of this issue and although convenient are not the best option for your dog. The far majority of these types of dog foods are made up using fillers, artificial colors and unnatural flavors along with meat which is of a substandard compared to what we would eat. In some cases the meat may even have come from a country where they do not have any regulations relating to the processing of such products. So if you are at all worried about the health of your dog then why not think about making healthy homemade dog food for them instead. Actually making homemade dog food is much easier than you would first have imagined. To start with before you actually go looking for recipes you need to discuss it with your vet. In many cases they can provide you with some guidelines relating to the right quantities of ingredients that you need to include with the dog’s food. A good balanced healthy dog food should contain sufficient amounts of meat, vegetables and grains in them. You may even find that they can offer you nutritional guidelines which you can follow in relation to the breed of dog that you own. After you have been provided with this information by your vet, you can now start to look for recipes to try out. You can either go to your local pet store, bookstore or library to see if they have any books that you can use or you can go online and get some of the many free ones. However, if you are going to use the ones that you find online then you need to make sure that they ingredients they contain are healthy but will provide the right balance of nutrition that your dog needs. Once you have found some recipes for trying out on your dog, you now need to go out and get the ingredients to make them with. Ideally go for as good as quality ingredients as you can easily afford as this will ensure that the food is not only healthy, but also contains the right kinds of nutrients that your pet needs. If you can select the same kinds of ingredients as you would use for yourself when preparing a meal for your family. Also it is important that you avoid using foods which have been processed as these will lack the nutrients that your pet needs. When shopping for these ingredients it is wise to spend time looking at what is available and comparing everything. Often people will use the much cheaper cuts of meat in the butchers to make up meals for their dogs. But if you want why not tell the butcher what you need exactly and he may offer some cuts that he would not normally sell and these could cost you even less. Actually preparing and cooking homemade dog food is actually much easier than you would have first thought. What you can do in order to save yourself some time is as you prepare a meal for your family you prepare a large batch of the dog’s as well. Then once ready it can be placed in a clearly marked container in the fridge or freezer and removed when required. It is a good idea to prepare and cook large amounts of your dog’s food on either a weekly or monthly basis. Not only will this save you time as you will not have to get and prepare fresh ingredients each day, but it can also save you money as well. So if you carefully plan out which recipes you are going to cook and when it will make the whole process of producing healthy homemade dog food much easier. If you want to be sure that your dog is eating properly, then investing some time and effort into using homemade dog food recipes will ensure this. But it is important that you remember to use only the best quality ingredients that you can in the food that you prepare. Also it is important that you feed your dog regularly on these recipes and if at all possible avoid commercial dog foods altogether. After a while you will start to see changes in your dog not only in his health, but also he will often have increased energy levels as well. These are things which you may not see until you start feeding the on homemade dog food which have prepared using recipes that you have found. Source by Allison Thompson

Our current world population is becoming increasingly more health conscious now but not necessarily healthy. This is still a good sign though because more people are aware of the importance of a good lifestyle now. They are now thinking of prolonging their lives by maintaining a quality lifestyle so they can still live to see their grandchildren. To do this, we have our healthy recipes and cooking for your kitchen to guide you on doing the right thing to prolong your life. Despite more takeaways and instant foods today more than ever, we are also witnessing today the era of healthy living through the rise of cooking shows featuring healthy recipes and cooking for your kitchen. What makes these shows truly amazing is the fact that it brings back something very important that was lost in our modern society and that is cooking our own foods at our very own kitchen. Because of our busy life at work, we prefer just buying the foods or ordering them instead of preparing them in our own homes with our bare hands. This is why we cannot be sure if these foods are really healthy and safe because we really do not know how they are prepared. Unlike if we do our own cooking, we can always be sure that we are cooking healthy and safe foods because we are the ones who prepare them. Here are some sample healthy foods for your kitchen: 1. For Appetizers, we recommend Cheese Fondue, Homemade Yogurt, Stuffed Vegetable Recipe, Veggie Finger Platter Recipe, and Light Sausage Balls Recipe. 2. For Breads, we recommend Cinnamon Twists Recipe, Herb Pinwheel Rolls Recipe, and Wheat-Flour Tortillas Recipe. 3. For Desserts, we highly recommend Baked Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe, Chocolate Lover’s Trail Mix Recipe, and Cranberry Blueberry Pie Recipe. There are so many healthy foods for your kitchen to choose from and we highly recommend to try all of them because only in this way you can be sure that you are on the right path to a great lifestyle. Source by Manuel McDaniels

With all the info out there about what to eat, what not to eat, what to eat occasionally, how often and so on, meal time may have become more confusing than necessary. See, feeding your bearded dragon doesn’t need to be unnecessarily confusing. In fact it’s really quite easy and much of what they require can be bought from the local grocer. To tell you the truth, you may, and most people do, already have most of what they need in stock at home. But as there is so much information available, I thought I’d put it together into an easy to read guide that briefly outlines everything you need to know. Firstly, the majority of your bearded dragon food intake should consist of greens such as peas, beans, collard greens, etc. They’re rich in vitamins and minerals and are very healthy. Best of all they’re relatively inexpensive to buy – so let your beardie eat as much of them as he wants. The health benefits are amazing and they won’t cause him to gain excessive weight (it’s the insects you’ve got to be careful of). They, along with vegetables should make up approximately 85% of your bearded dragons diet. As I mentioned before, you need to be careful when feeding your bearded dragon insects, worms, etc as they contain a high fat content and some are not a very healthy choice. In saying this though, it’s very important that they’re included in their diet as they are an essential source of protein. As a general guideline, feed you beardie 1-2 dozen crickets (as they are one of the healthiest options) per meal, twice a week. Remember though that this is just an outline to give you an idea. You’ll have to adapt this, depending on the size of your beardie. There are also other protein options available that will help to ‘mix it up a bit’. You might like to feed him 2-3 roaches or another alternative is 8-16 mealworms. You should also treat your beardie to a little desert once a week. Not the kind of dessert people eat though. I’m talking about some delicious fruit and flowers. Bearded dragons love fruit! There’s a complication though. Excessive amounts can cause loose stools and diarrhea. It may even lead to dehydration. An interesting fact – bearded dragon are able to excrete ‘dry’ urine in order to conserve their fluids. Therefore losing fluids from having diarrhea is not good and very much preventable. Remember to chop all food into an appropriate size. As each beardie is different a good way to gauge is to ensure each piece is no larger than the distance between your bearded dragon’s eyes. Always provide water! You can put a water dish in the enclosure or spray your beardie, or his food with water regularly. Remember though a water dish can become messy so ensure you clean it at least once a day. Lastly, remember that a healthy bearded dragon has a bit of substance to him. A skinny dragon is not a good sign and may be an indication of sickness or underfeeding. On the other hand though you don’t want a chubby dragon. You can tell if your beardie is getting a bit fat if his belly drags along the ground when he runs. At this point it’s a good idea to reduce the size of his meal. Source by Lauren Powell

Soul food recipes continue to maintain popularity among consumers. The Great Recession is credited for the growing popularity. Because the dishes have the reputation of sticking to the ribs or having staying power. For example, eating the average soul food meal stays with the average person 2 to 3 hours longer than Chinese food. And it stays up to an hour longer than Italian food, which came in second place in this University of California study. These recipes have helped many African American families make it through the hardest times in this Nations history. Many medical professionals have questioned the health concerns of traditional this traditional southern cuisine. Why? Because of the high salt, fat and calorie content. But like most cuisines that stand the test of time, It’s adapting to the changing concerns of consumers. Now healthy soul food is one of the fastest growing cuisines. You can now find more restaurants, food manufacturers and even recipe website publishers adapting to this new trend. By offering more menu items with less salt, fat and calorie content continues to grow healthier. Here’s the most viewed questions for the month of August 2010. Many of the questions reflect the health concerns more consumers have concerning their diets. 1. What’s The Best Substitute For Using Fatback and Ham Hocks? Fat back and ham hocks used to be staples for seasoning soul food dishes. For example, collard greens, black eyed peas, pinto beans and other southern vegetable dishes. But because of the high content of fat, calories and sodium, many people have turned to smoked turkey necks as a healthier alternative. Smoked turkey necks have low fat and sodium content, in addition to having the benefit of giving food that smokey, flavorful taste. 2. I Have To Cut Out Deep Fried Foods Because of Health Concerns. What’s the Healthiest Alternative for Fried Dishes? A healthier alternative to deep frying food is what’s called oven frying, this is one of the fastest growing cooking techniques, because of the health benefits it has over deep frying. It has many benefits, especially for people with heart problems, weight issues and for those who want to avoid them. Done properly, oven frying can give you the same taste benefits of deep frying. For example, the tasty – crunchy texture, without the health dangers. Now you’ll find more people enjoying oven fried chicken, french fries, onion rings, shrimp and all the other popular foods. 3. I Love Soul Food Desserts.  But I Must Cut Back On Sugar, What’s The Best Sugar Substitute That Doesn’t Taste Like Motor Oil? One of the best alternatives to white sugar that you can use in desserts is Agave nectar or Agave syrup. Compared to sugar it has less health concerns. It’s about 31% sweeter than sugar, so you can use less. It’s excellent in cookies, pies, cobblers and other places you would normally use white sugar. Another advantage of using Agave has little to no affect on blood sugar or insulin levels, making it an excellent health alternative to granulated sugar. You can often find Agave in the health food section of most supermarkets or in health food stores and also online.You can also find many healthy cooking tips on many free soul food recipes websites. Source by Roy Primm

Lately the media has reported new findings regarding the rise in childhood diabetes and its dire consequences. This news has once again sounded the alarm about the growing epidemic of obesity in our children and youth. The problem is so serious that experts are recommending drastic changes in the way our children eat. But could complacency, denial, and ignorance among the adult population be hindering our young people from getting the help and education they need to make these drastic changes? Dinner Tables and School Cafeteria Trays During a recent school-screening visit to a high-ranking eastern college for one of my daughters, I had the opportunity to raise questions about the quality of the food available through the campus cafeteria. Was the food being served at their school free from pesticides? Was it non-GMO? What about meat sources? Were the students being served factory farm animals injected with hormones and antibiotics? Were there natural, healthy and organic food options available in the cafeteria–as adopted by some of the more cutting-edge schools across the nation such as Yale, UC Berkley, Duke and Oberlin Colleges? The question seemed to stump the college staff member. She said she wasn’t sure of the quality of the food in the cafeteria. She didn’t know if there was any kind of focus being placed on providing students with natural, vegetarian or organic options. It was not clear that the school provided nutritional fare that addressed some of the grave health concerns that are confronting Americans at younger and younger ages… visions of an array of fried foods, processed starches, and sugary desserts covering cafeteria trays swam before my eyes. This reaction seems somewhat typical of school professionals at every educational level. I recently had the opportunity to ask food service directors of our local educational institutions about nutritional quality and education in elementary, middle and high schools. I was told that kids wouldn’t eat healthy-looking food and that they only wanted the kind of food you could find in any fast-food restaurant. Further, they implied that it was not the responsibility of the school system to provide healthy food options for kids. That’s the parent’s job. While I agree that healthy eating habits start at home and that parents need to demonstrate them for their children in the kitchen and at the dinner table, it doesn’t dismiss our educational system from its responsibility to teach good nutrition. Our schools must provide information and training about the elements of a good diet and must lead by example. That means clean, healthy cafeteria food. And healthy does not and should not imply “unappealing to kid’s taste buds”. Healthy, natural food, prepared with good recipes, can be far more delicious than the fast food that now holds sway on the school cafeteria lunch menu. Sadly, political concerns have impeded the progress of the campaign for better school food. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this important issue and allow big food conglomerates to dominate school cafeteria fare simply by default. Healthy Eating from Romper Room to Retirement A foundation for lifelong healthy eating begins in early childhood. If we introduce kids to healthy, natural foods, give them dietary knowledge, and teach them how to prepare delicious meals, they are likely to carry good eating habits forward into adulthood. Taking children to the local Farmer’s Market to shop for produce, is an example of expanding on the way we learn about and shop for food. We need a revolutionary approach to changing our food system. Taking on cafeteria school food is vital if we are to stave off childhood overweight, malnutrition, and illnesses caused by poor quality nutrition for our youth. The evolution of food on our planet depends on a gentle but firm revolution in the market, the kitchen, and in the cafeteria. Source by Diane Hoch

As a youngster, I often heard my father say things that later turned out not to be on the true side of the table. So I guess that is a father’s prerogative, and I probably have done the same thing many times. But I don’t want to research that aspect of my life right now. One that he said quite often was, “Eating healthy is for sissies.” At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about, but I did know that good old mom worked very hard to make sure he had healthy food to consume. So she did her job, but he did not fare well with that. He always ate in the opposite of healthy, and that just was the way he was. Later in life, he had diabetes, high blood pressure, clogged arteries and finally, several heart attacks. Then he died. According to him, these things had nothing whatsoever to do with his eating. They were just things that happened and he had no control over them. No matter how sick he was at any given time, he always found it in himself to enjoy a dessert with lots of sugar in it. His favorite dessert was the one he was eating at the time. I had not remembered that for the longest period until several weeks ago, when I had my first heart attack. Who knew I even had a heart! And, what did my heart have against me that it wanted to attack me? My main artery was 90% clogged, and the doctors called it the “widow maker.” That was something relatively new to me. I spent about half a week in the hospital having a stent put in to help the main artery. The nurses took more blood out of me than I knew I had. Count Dracula would have been jealous. One nurse, I called Nurse Porcupine because she had more needles than a porcupine had quills. It took half a dozen attempts to find an artery that had blood in it. Both my arms are black and blue and have the appropriate needle marks in them. My stay in the hospital was only three days, but felt like an eternity. Its experiences like that make you appreciate your own home and bed and lazy chair. I was so happy to get home. Then I again thought about my father. He spent most of his time in the hospital during the last few years of his life. I am not quite sure how he made it through those experiences, but he did. Then I thought about his healthy diet remarks. According to him, a diet consisted of what he wanted at the time. All this cautious eating was far beyond his modus operandi. I remember once he spent two weeks in a hospital to have his arteries cleansed and purged, or whatever they call it, and when he came home, his idea was, “I’m healthy now so I can eat whatever I want to eat.” It did not take long until he was back where he was before he went into the hospital. Thinking about this, I had a dire option before me. I could take things as my father did in a very hap-hazardous way and not take my dietary routine seriously. On the other hand, I could take my health and my eating habits seriously. My first impression is to go along with my dad. After all, dads are never wrong, right? Not to criticize my father, who has been gone for over a decade, but he did not really take his health seriously. He assumed it was just a given that he could eat whatever he wanted with no consequences involved. As the situation is, the biggest obstacle in my decision concerning my health and eating habits is the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. For some reason, she has taken my diet quite seriously as though it was hers. The quandary I am in is that she is the one who supervises the culinary activities in the house. I have been barred from the kitchen for years because of an incident that happened a few years back, which I am not comfortable getting into right now. Being in a health-challenging situation right now, I do not have many choices. It’s either eat what the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has produced or starve. Starving is not the particular exercise that I enjoy. I must admit my wife is a marvelous cook and makes very delicious meals, which I am assured, are most healthy. From my point of view, if it does not have broccoli, then it is delicious. Her healthy array of desserts is mouthwatering. Therefore, I can do my own thing and be in a lot of trouble or allow the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to do her thing and be in charge of the dietary activities in our home. In pondering this quandary that I am in, I realized a wonderful verse in the Bible. “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:13). Instead of getting all caught up in some ritualistic eating habits, I believe from God’s perspective he would want me to enjoy my life. But, of course, as I realize now, enjoying life means that I take care of my eating habits to the glory of God. Source by James Snyder