Tag Archives: Food Facts

Pomegranate Health Benefits

Pomegranate Seeds NutritionThe pomegranate fruit is obtained from a tree  that is originally native to the Southwest Asia and is cultivated since centuries together. Pomegranate is widely cultivated throughout the Afghanistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, East Indies, Malaysia, tropical Africa and southeast Asia. Later on, it was also introduced to the US and Latin America. The fruit is typically available from November to February (in the northern hemisphere), while in southern hemisphere, it seasons from March to May. There are more than 750 species that are observed and cultivated all over the world for various purposes from eating to forming pomegranate juice.  The name pomegranate literally means “the apple with many seeds”. The number of seeds in a single fruit varies from 300-1000.

Pomegranate tree can live up to many years, which is an advantage for the pomegranate growers. This way, it enhances the outdoor decoration of the house with additional fruits provided. The fruit of pomegranate is ruby colored with many seeds that are both juicy and citrus in flavor. Pomegranate seeds nutrition facts are just numerous and therefore, pomegranate seeds are used for many purposes from ancient times.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds
Often called as super fruit, the invaluable pomegranate seeds are loaded with numerous antioxidant properties that are said to be three times higher than the green tea. As we know, antioxidants are very important to control the free radicals from the body that can cause several troubles to the body. Antioxidants also maintain and repair the damaged body cells.  Pomegranate is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin E , fiber, potassium, iron and calcium.

This ‘magic fruit’ is a bliss for the heart health, as regular intake of pomegranate seeds or pomegranate juice promotes:
Cardio health and reduces risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Contributes to proper thinning of the blood, reduce blood pressure levels, increase blood flow towards heart.                 Maintains good cholesterol levels (so that HDL cholesterol is elevated) and reduces arterial plaques.
Reduces symptoms of:
Anemia (add 1 tsp of cinnamon & honey to 1 cup of 100 % Pomegranate Juice)
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Skin allergies
Skin disorders
Urinary tract infections
Wheezing linked to asthma
Sore throats
Tapeworms
Digestive disorders
Blood impurities
Anemia
Diabetes
Read on for health benefits of pomegranate juice.

Researchers are carefully observing the effects of pomegranate juice and prostate cancer as well as skin cancer. There are numerous products that are used by the pomegranate seeds including: pomegranate seed oil , pomegranate dietary supplements, pomegranate extracts and pomegranate concentrated juice.

Due to the polyphenols (anti oxidant) within this wonderful fruit it’s nutrition promotes anti inflammatory effects which strengthens the immune system, wound repair and reduces skin wrinkling making it’s derivites the most sought after when addressing skin remedies.

Eat, Drink and Enjoy!

RECIPE

Pomegranate Apple Salad

Red seeds from a Pomegranate
1 Apple diced (remove core)
1/4 c. Feta Cheese crumbled (optional)
Lettuce Leaves: Endive, Rucula  (Arugula), Spinach, Green Leaf Lettuce. Tear into bite size.
Dressing
1/3 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese grated

Wash Pomegranate, Apple and Lettuce leaves. Over a salad bowl cut Pomegranate into quarter pieces, invert each piece so that the skin is push inward and the seeds com outward. Seeds will easily come out. Make sure to remove white pith that the seeds are attached to, discard pith. Cut apple in half, remove and discard seeds. Cut apple into chunks place into bowl. Add feta cheese and lettuce into salad to salad bowl.
Toss well so that all ingredients are incorporated.

Place all Dressing ingredients into a bottle or bowl, cover tightly, shake ingredients so that they are well combined. Pour dressing onto salad 5-10 minutes before serving.

Salsa, Guacamole Dips tied to Food Poisoning: CDC

Please remember to place dips into small containers for refrigeration, or which may also be frozen in order to avoid food poisoning.  Homemade dips should have all vegetables washed in the home. Best practices on washing vegetables:  2 tablespoons of baking soda into 4 cups of water, allow vegetables and fruit to sit in water for 5 minutes, rinse well before preparation of  food.  KMC

Rita Maas (Photo by Getty Images)

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Contaminated salsa and guacamole dips are common causes of food poisoning in restaurants, and food workers need to take greater care, researchers told a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on Monday.   

They said nearly one of every 25 traceable outbreaks of foodborne disease between 1998 and 2008 began with one of the increasingly popular dips, which are made using onions, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, herbs and other ingredients.

“Possible reasons salsa and guacamole can pose a risk for foodborne illness is that they may not be refrigerated appropriately and are often made in large batches, so even a small amount of contamination can affect many customers,” said Magdalena Kendall or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

“Awareness that salsa and guacamole can transmit foodborne illness, particularly in restaurants, is key to preventing future outbreaks,” Kendall, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

“Salsa and guacamole often contain diced raw produce, including hot peppers, tomatoes and cilantro, each of which has been implicated in past outbreaks.”

Kendall and colleagues analyzed all outbreaks of foodborne illness reported to the CDC. None were associated with salsa or guacamole before 1984, they found, but by 1998 to 2008 the two dips accounted for 3.9 percent of outbreaks traced to restaurants.

“We want restaurants and anyone preparing fresh salsa and guacamole at home to be aware that these foods containing raw ingredients should be carefully prepared and refrigerated  to help prevent illness,” Kendall said.

In March a coalition of consumer and public health groups said foodborne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill a year ago to reorganize the convoluted U.S. food safety system, but the Senate has yet to act, despite broad bipartisan agreement on the issue.

The CDC estimates that 76 million people in the United States get sick each year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die.”

(Editing by Paul Simao)

Resourse: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100712/hl_nm/us_food_usa_salsa

Personalize Weight Results in 5 Easy Steps

5 Easy Steps to Personalize New Weight Results!

To burn fat around your waist there are some easy habits and exercises you can start today. Your body is genetically programmed to store fat around the waist area. Some people tend to have a harder time keeping fat off their waist. With simple lifestyle changes and enjoyable exercise choices you will be able to lose a few inches off your waist by burning fat with noticeable results in a months time. 

Step 1
The easiest way to start to burn waist fat is to cut out the excess fat currently in your diet. Concentrate on the fat already stored in your waist, not on new fat. Eliminate fast food. Easy to make Recipes can be made at home were you can the ingredients. Include fish into your diet 3 times a week and aim for adding lean meat, beans or soy into your menu plan. Minimize the amount of cheese to 1 ounce per day. Reduce other high fat dairy products you eat including changing from 2% milk to skim milk. Eliminate fried foods and salty snacks!!! 

Step 2 
Watch what you are drinking. ADD WATER, Reduce wine and beer to one glass a day, Eliminate all soda’s and juices (100% juice is okay) from your daily nutritional intake.  The sugars and added ingredients in soda’s are not good for your body and since your body can not use them the SUGARS (sucrase) ARE STORED AS FAT. 

Step 3  
Replace white breads in your diet with whole grain bread. Replace plain pasta with whole grain pasta. Only eat whole grain cereals.  You body converts white breads to sugar, which in turn will result in added waist fat. Opt for more vegetables and fruits when making your Grocery Shopping List for Weightloss in 5 Tips 

Step 4   If you are not already doing so, start some general moderate exercise. Exercise 4-5 times per week. The exercise should include 20 minutes of cardio such as hill climbing, jogging, biking, swimming, hiking, etc. The general exercise will balance your input of calories and stop the addition of new waist fat. Walk 20-30 minutes per day. 

Step 5 
Concentrate on core exercises. Do a core workout for 15 to 20 minutes every 3rd day. You will not need any more than this to quickly reduce waist fat. Do not increase the frequency of the core exercises, give your body time to recover. There are many great core workouts out there or you can develop your own routine. Core workouts include sit-ups, leg lifts, and mason-twists. There are many other exercises that concentrate on the waist to the mid-section of the torso. 

IMPORTANT: Document in a journal:
Weight
Waist Circumference (passed around waist and over belly button)
Daily Exercise
Drinks
Foods for the day (include condiments.) Read more Tips to Modify Recipes 

Exercising your core as little as 30-45 minutes per week, along with the diet changes are the keys to burn waist fat.               BELIEVE that you will succeed! 

Kim Crocker 

References 

A comparison of the effects of swimming and walking on body weight, fat distribution, lipids, glucose, and insulin in older women-the Sedentary Women Exercise Adherence Trial 2.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20197194 

Effect of nutritional counselling and nutritional plus exercise counselling in overweight adults: a randomized trial in multidisciplinary primary care practice. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20026554 

Modification effects of physical activity and protein intake on heritability of body size and composition. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19710197 

Photograph http://www.savvy-diets.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/Reduce%20belly%20fat.jpg

Teas Elevate Health Benefits

“Kava kava Tea has been used to treat anxiety/nervous disorders, migraines, hyperactivity in children, insomnia, menstrual cramps, UTI and bladder problems.  Kava was used by the Germans in the 1890s for pharmaceuticals relating to blood pressure; before then, it was utilized by the Polynesians”.

Today, Kava is used as a non-addictive way to sooth nerves and relax. In , small recommended doses, no side effects have been found for Kava. However, large dosages of Kava can have a sedative effect, which means that one should avoid alcohol, driving, and operating heavy machinery when taking heavy amounts. Talk to your doctor before consuming Kava tea if you have liver disease.

The “kava” lactones, which are the plant chemicals that produce the desired effects, have been studied in the use of relaxing stiff muscles by blocking signals in the user’s nerves.”

Additional safety studies have been done on Kava.  Negative research has been denounced by Polynesian countries who have used  the plant’s health benefit’s for 3000 years.  Leading others to put into question how the plant is processed and sold  in such countries as Germany and Switzerland.  It should also be noted that the Polynesian lifestyle has been recognized for their longevity, to which Kava has been a contributing factor.

Black Tea  is grown from a tree in higher elevations of China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka. The healing benefits of  black tea has been used throughout history for medicinal purposes. It helps relieve diarrhea, lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent tooth decay. The tea has a therapeutic effect on gastric and intestinal illnesses because of its tannins. To get the maximum benefit for diarrhea let the tea steep for a full 15 minutes.

Black teaimproves circulation,  by opening the capillaries and normalizing blood pressure (bp).  Benefits are noticed by simply drinking 2 cups of black tea 2x’s a day for 3 weeks.  Additional benefits are contributed to the theophylline in black tea that helps improve cholesterol levels. It also has been known to expand the airways, improving on easier breathing for asthmatics.  Black tea also helps with preventing tooth decay due to the Fluoride, a trace element found in black tea, which strengthens tooth enamel.

Oolong Tea  is made by allowing the raw leaves to sun-wilted and bruise, which exposes their juices to the air, so the leaves oxidise and start to turn brown like a cut fruit. They oxidise only partially, giving them a rich, floral flavour. The tea is then dried fully; locking in the rich flavors that oolong tea is known to offer. Oolong’s unique drying process creates a tea that has many metabolic stimulating attributes, therefore, it comes in a wide range of tastes and aromas from teas very close in taste to green tea to those very close to black tea.

Health Benefits

Oolong tea burns over 157% more fat than Green Tea and has become the most popular tea designed to accelerate weigh loss!!!  Drinking two cups of Oolong tea every day helps shed stubborn pounds by boosting your metabolism and blocking the fattening effects of carbohydrates.

Large quantities of polyphenol in Oolong tea:

  • • promotes strong, healthy teeth;
    • improves cognitive functioning and mental well-being;
    • preventing eczema, allergies
    • clarifies your skin, giving it a healthy, radiant glow and
    • strengthens your immune system.
  • Studies show in Japan and USA that it may be an effective adjunct to treating Type 2 Diabetes.

Only three teas have been discussed, however, many varieties are known to bring a wide range of health benefits.  Try ending your day by unwinding with a cup of Chamomile tea.

By: Kimberly Crocker

Literature Research

  • Safety of Kava
  • Anon. FDA Issues Warning on Kava Suplement. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 26, 2002.
  • Anon. Kava Use Not Linked to Liver Damage, Report Says. Vitamin Retailer, April 2002.
  • Anon. NNFA Releases Expert Analysis of Kava Safety. Whole Foods, April 2002.
  • Blumenthal, Mark. The Safety of Kava Questioned. Whole Foods, March 2002.
  • Duke, James A. Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs. New York: St. Martin’s Paperbacks. 2001.

http://www.essortment.com/all/blackteabene_rbcb.htm”>

http://www.essortment.com/all/blackteabene_rbcb.htm

The Benefits of Cappucino on Bones

 More about the benefits of  Tea’s.

Fun food facts for “Coffee Drinkers” and “Tea Toters” on how caffeinated beverages may affect bone absorption and the importance of the presence of calcium in caffeinated drinks.  Various studies have been conducted on the overall effect of caffeine on bones. Caffeine in reduced amounts  does not seem to have a negative effect on calcium absorption when it comes to bone status.  It was also noted that if  1-2 tablespoons of milk was added to a cup of  tea, or coffee, that the calcium that comes  from the milk would offset any of the negative aspects of  caffeine that could otherwise occur if more than 300 mg of caffeine was consumed in a day.  Coffee drinkers should limit their consumption to 3 cups ( 750 ml) per day, while Tea Toters can consume 5 cups (1250 ml ) per day. 

References:

Pubmed:  Effects of caffeine on human health. 2003 Jan;20(1):1-30.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12519715?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=16

Beverages mg of caffeine http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm

FDA Beverages mg of caffiene  http://google2.fda.gov/search?q=beverages+caffeine+mg&client=FDAgov&site=FDAgov&lr=&proxystylesheet=FDAgov&output=xml_no_dtd&getfields=*