Steer Clear Of These Food Bombs

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by Johncoc Hermsin in Health & Nutrition

Struggling to Loose Weight? Or to Just Get into Better Shape?

Deep Fried Foods Health Debate

Modern day diets are woefully short on healthy ingredients like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. We live in a fast paced society that values instant gratification, so it comes as no surprise that we favor fast food and our bodies pay the price.

When it comes to Diets

It is very important to create a diet that is both balanced and varied. Indulging in the occasional sinful treat is not going to ruin your health, but making wise food choices can substantially improve your nutrition. If you need to evaluate your daily nutrition, try cutting these 12 foods out of your diet altogether. To lose fat and build muscle you must avoid these 12 foods and remove them from your diet completely.

Deep fried fats and oils: Foods deep fried in fats and oil will definitely raise your bad cholesterol and have been linked to cancer.

White flour: Wheat is a nutritious food until the bran and germ is removed, leaving behind a product that lacks essential nutrients. Refined flour products are also linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Sugar: Calories aside, most people do not know that the fructose in refined sugar also raises your cholesterol levels.

Canned soups: It is so easy to open a can of soup for a quick, satisfying meal, but beware: many canned soups contain high levels of sodium, fat and calories.

Donuts: There is nothing nutritionally virtuous about a deep fried refined white flour blob dipped in sugar.

Energy drinks: You may get an energy boost from some popular energy drinks on the market, but you also get sky high amounts of sugar, caffeine and carbohydrates.

French fries: The simple sugars in potatoes quickly convert to glucose and raise your insulin levels significantly. French fries are extremely high in trans fat, calories, sodium and the carcinogen acrylamide.

Granola Bars: Granola may have started out as a health food, but it has evolved into something much worse. The granola bars you find in the supermarket rival candy bars in respect to fat, calorie, and sugar content.

Dried Fruit: You may have munched on it during a hike, or packed it in your lunch, but you might want to forget it altogether. Dried fruit is often coated with sugar and is loaded with additives and preservatives.

Margarine: Once thought of as a healthy alternative to butter, the trans fat in margarine is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Sodas: Sodas and colas are packed with tons of sugar and caffeine. Even diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners that may lead to long-term, unpleasant side effects.

Hot Dogs: There is nothing healthy about the hot dog. This summertime grill staple is loaded with preservatives, sodium and fat. Choose lean chicken or salmon for your next cookout.

Healthy, Delicious Dishes with Rotisserie Cooking

Posted on 05. Jan, 2010 by Stephen Daniels in Health & Nutrition

Another potential health hazard in grilling is the use of lighter fluid and some charcoal with additives to help start the fire. Overuse could make these unhealthy chemicals end up in your food. Grease dripping down into grills can also cause dangerous flare-ups that burn food (or even an unwary cook).

Rotisserie cooked food does not suffer from any of these problems. When meat is cooked on a rotisserie, the fat and drippings from the meat baste the meat, while the excess is collected in a pan on the bottom of the rotisserie unit. The result is delicious, moist meat with less fat than other cooking methods. (You can also choose to make a wonderful sauce or gravy out of the pan drippings if the fat isn’t a concern.)

Chicken, turkeys and Cornish hens, as well as various beef, pork and even lamb roasts, are easy to prepare on the rotisserie. However, innovations in kitchen products can allow you to cook almost anything using this delightful method. Fish, whether store bought or freshly caught, can be placed inside rotisserie baskets to further add to the variety of your meals.

Fruits and vegetables can also easily be skewered on a rotisserie. You can choose to cook them alone or alongside meats as a part of delectable kabobs. Peppers and onions are only the beginning of the many healthful, scrumptious vegetables that can be prepared with a rotisserie oven. Even vegetables that don’t skewer well, such as Brussels sprouts, can be placed in rotisserie baskets for easy cooking.

Conventional rotisserie ovens are made to cook turkeys and other large roasts. They take up quite a bit of space out of sheer necessity. However, not all rotisseries are of this size. Single people and small families might opt for a counter-top model to enjoy the benefits of rotisserie cooking, because they use very little kitchen space. These smaller models are more energy efficient, and more affordable, than conventional size rotisseries, but it is important to note that most of them can’t hold the larger roasts that their bigger cousins easily manage.

If you or your loved ones feel that the majority of healthy cooking methods are flavorless and boring, a rotisserie could very well be the ideal solution. No matter if you are cooking for twenty people or just one, rotisserie cooking will assist you in preparing delicious, healthy foods.

Hair Loss in Women – Is it Preventable?

Posted on 30. Dec, 2009 by Raymond N. Winsome in Health & Nutrition

Aging baldness is frequently considered a trouble that men have to deal with. But what about women? Countless women are losing their hair and vexed from the emotional trauma and physical changes that come with hair loss – otherwise known as, “phalacrosis”.

It’s been forecast that about 30 million American adult females will have to cope with hair loss. Although women are pleased to be hairless on all other parts of their bodies, a bald head is not encouraged by society.

There are some familiar causes of hair loss in women, some of which will call for treatment and others that will not.

Role of Birth Control Pills and Hair Loss in Women

It is relatively common for women to lose their hair when they are taking birth control pills. Hormones that regulate the female reproductive cycle also seem to play a role in hair growth and re-growth. The American Hair Loss Association urges women should take low-androgen index contraceptive pills to reduce this form of hair loss in women.

You shouldn’t opt not to take the pill if you don’t want to become pregnant; you just need to talk to your doctors about your options. Some pills are more likely to cause hair loss in women than others. Like any form of contraception, you really want to talk it over with your doctor or gynecologist. Nothing you articulate will shock them. Talking to your doctor will help you envision any risk or potential side effects.

Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia refers to the over styling of your hair. While your hair is fun to style and wear in special ways, this stresses the follicle and can actually cause hair loss in women. Commonly, a hair follicle needs a certain amount of freedom from hair styling products, blow drying or hair coloring in order to get some essential rest and relaxation. A major cause of hair loss in women is, sadly, entirely preventable. Give your hair a couple days off every week and you’ll likely be able to prevent this type of hair loss in women.

Androgenic Alopecia

Many hair loss in women runs in their families, and this is known as androgenic alopecia. There is a baldness gene passed down in families that gives male-pattern baldness to both women and men. It is most normally thought that the family member to blame for giving you this gene is your maternal grandfather, although this has not been verified.

While many people see baldness as a sign that they are not healthy, this is not necessarily true.  Sometimes changes in your hairstyle, and/or lifestyle will make all the difference. The only bad thing is that once you lose your hair it won’t spring back up. Proper knowledge and care is the key to preventing the types of hair loss in women that can be avoided.

Looking to find the best deal on yeast hair loss, then visit http://hairlosstreatment-guide.com to find the best advice on young man with hair loss for you.

H1N1 Flu Virus Phishing Scam

Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Feature, Health & Nutrition

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK

Center for Disease Control H1N1 Virus Flu Phishing Scam

Fraudulent State Vaccination H1N1 Program

Fraudelent emails referencing CDC-sponsored State Vaccination Program

(posted December 1, 2009)

CDC has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program.

The messages request that users must create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov website. The message then states that anyone that has reached the age of 18 has to have his/her personal Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov site.

The CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov. Users that click on the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
• Use caution when visiting un-trusted websites.
• Use caution when entering personal information online.

The report was reprinted in its entirety. If you would like to read it go to – http://cdc.gov – there is a link on the right side of the page that has a current listing of top 10 articles or stories and “Phishing Scam” is number 1. http://cdc.gov/hoaxes_rumors.html

Don’t be taken in this Christmas Season – use caution when opening your mail and “never follow unsolicited links in email messages” no matter how credible the email looks. That is why phishing emails are also known as “copy-cat” emails. They try to emulate the web site to make you think that it is real.

When in doubt – open up a new browser window and type in the web site manually and then search for any reported fake emails.

Greeting Card Scams – About.com Antivirus Software
FBI warns public of e-mail scams – Federal Bureau of Investigation

Chocolate – Healthy and Fashionable?

Posted on 18. Oct, 2009 by Kirsten Daly in Fashion, Health & Nutrition

Salon du Chocolat - UPI Photo/David Silpa

Healthy Chocolate

The health benefits of chocolate are being toted by such renown organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Dr. Norman K Hollenberg, physician and professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Dr. Carl Keen of the University of California-Davis nutrition department as well as others.

Recent studies are now attributing healthy benefits such as:

• promoting blood flow
• helping the body to process nitric oxide (NO)
• healthier blood pressure
• increases antioxidant levels in the blood
• increases serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being

Read The Health Benefits of Chocolate and the scientific report – Chocolate’s Potential Health Benefits – and its Effect on Chronic Fatique Syndrome Patients.

Paris – Making a Statement with Chocolate Fashion

This past week, at the 15th annual Salon du Chocolat de Paris fashion was ’sweeeet’! “A host of French celebrities took to the catwalk, modeling creations inspired by and embellished with t he decadent sweet treat.” – Mail Online

The fashion show highlighted creations with chocolate buttons, hats, corsets and crinoline and much more. Some of the celebrities included model Laetitia Rey and Actress Carole Brana, singer Dominique Magloire wearing an ancient Roman creation and television presenter Virginie de Clausade wearing a warrior-inspired outfit.

Over 400 chocolatiers presented their latest innovations this year at the annual event which was held at the Paris Expo centre.”This year’s operatic theme will see Belgian chocolate company Leonidas join forces with Swarovski crystal to build a scaled-down version of the Paris Opera out of chocolate, while patissier Dalloyau will be making a large-scale version of their trademark Opera cake.” — Mail Online

Healthy Fried Tofu with Vegetables

Posted on 13. Apr, 2009 by kimberlye in Cooking Recipes, Food & Drink, Health & Nutrition, Lifestyle

*** Kimberly’s Corner: Exclusive cooking recipes and cooking tips on CIDANews.com. Subscribe Now and don’t miss a single article and get the news only when there is news. ***

Welcome to another edition of “Kimberly’s Corner”. Today, I’m making tofu the star of the dish with Healthy Fried Tofu with Vegetables!

I love tofu! In fact, I try to include it in many of my dishes because it is a lean protein and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. However, in this appetizer, it’s the main event!
~ Kimberly Edwards

Type: Appetizer
Tags: tofu, fried, fried tofu, healthy, vegetables, mushrooms, Asian
Serve With: Chopsticks and a smile!
Prep Time: 4 min
Cook Time: ~ 10 min
Yield: As an appetizer, this serves 2-3 people.
Nutrition Facts: Healthy, lean protein, low in calories

Ingredients:
1 pkg Firm Tofu – 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubed
15-20 Snow Peas – Washed and stem end trimmed
1 dozen Mushrooms – Shiitake, crimini, button or oyster – If using a large mushroom, use less and slice them.
3 (more…)

Kimberly’s Homemade Ginger Soda

Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by kimberlye in Cooking Recipes, Food & Drink, Health & Nutrition, Lifestyle

*** Kimberly’s Corner: Exclusive cooking recipes and cooking tips on CIDANews.com.  Subscribe Now and don’t miss a single article and get the news only when there is news. ***

Welcome to another edition of “Kimberly’s Corner”. Today, I’m covering a healthier version of that soda pop you love so much!

Let’s Face It: Soda isn’t the best thing for you – it slows down your metabolism, and if you’re drinking anything like a Coke or 7-Up (soda pop you get from the store that’s flavored and sweetened), you have up to 16 tsp of sugar in 1 can!

I’ll bet you didn’t know that…Imagine serving yourself up 16 tsp of sugar in a glass of liquid. Yuk!!!

That’s right people – Do you know how many calories that is? There is 16 calories in 1 tsp of sugar – That means there is at least 256 calories in your beloved caffeinated soda.

So, you try to drink diet pop, but those additives are bad for you and could cause cancer!

So, make your own unsweetened or slightly, naturally sweetened version without preservatives and artificial colors yourself!

Kimberly’s Homemade Ginger Soda

Type: Beverage
Serve With: Ice, if desired
Prep Time: 2 min
Yield: 1 glass
Nutrition Facts:  This is a fraction of the calories you’d get from a store-bought soda pop. Ginger has numerous health benefits, as you’ll read after the recipe below, and ginger is known to help settle your stomach.

Ingredients:
1 glass Soda Water, Tonic Water or Mineral Water – Use a flavorless, plain, carbonated water.
1 inch Freshly (more…)

Cooking With Kimberly

Posted on 05. Jan, 2009 by Editor in Cooking Recipes, Feature, Health & Nutrition

Decadent Cooking from Home

Decadent Cooking from Home

Kimberly Edwards, the owner of CookingWithKimberly.com – Decadent Cooking from Home, is a talented, down-to-earth Canadian who loves to cook among many other things. She models, loves sports – artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, track & field, equestrian riding and trains her husband; of over eight years; professionally in the Track & Field Decathlon.

The Holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s can be such a busy time. They can also be a time when we gain a few unwanted pounds and then we vow to get rid of them after the first of the year. Unfortunately that doesn’t always work. The types of foods on many health meal menus, does not attract many followers for long.

I was reminded of this once again when I was in a major store the other day and discovered that replacing all the holiday festive lights, sugary candies, cookies, cakes, etc… were boxes of “fit & lean” meals, “light”, “less calories”, etc… were words on the boxes. Where were those boxes before Christmas? That is why we decided to share with you one of Kimberly Edwards fabulous healthy recipes that tastes great!

Kimberly Edward shared with us this recipe that she wrote for a health fitness website called theoutdoorjourney.com. Other recipes by Cooking with Kimberly can be found at CookingWithKimberly.com

Post Holiday Healthy Eating

Vegan Banana Pecan Muffins

Type: Dessert
Serve With: Softened butter or a rum creamed cheese
Prep Time: 7 min
Cook Time: 23-28 min
Yield: 12 large muffins + 6 small muffins
Nutrition Facts: Vegan Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour – I use organic.
1 cup All-Purpose Flour – I prefer Robin Hood brand.
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
* 1 tbsp Flax Seeds – * Optional
1 cup Pecans – Lightly broken into pieces – or use your favorite nuts!
3 Ripe Bananas – Mashed
4 tbsp Unsweetened Apple Sauce
2 tbsp Plain Yogurt – I prefer Balkan style.
1/2 cup Peanut or Coconut Oil – You may use canola or vegetable oil, if desired.
1/2 cup Water – Lukewarm
1 tsp Vanilla Extract – Please use real vanilla extract, not artificial!
* 2 Eggs – * Optional for non-vegans

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mash bananas, and combine other wet ingredients: yogurt, vanilla, water, oil, apple sauce (& eggs if desired).

3. In a second bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add flax seeds, pecans (or other nuts) and brown sugar, and combine entire mixture.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl and mix through until everything is just combined.

5. Put into muffin cups and bake on 325 for about 23 min (for small muffins) to about 28 min (for large muffins), or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

* Tip: Check if baked through with a toothpick by inserting into the middle of a muffin and ensuring that it comes out clean, not gooey.

6. Serve with softened butter or even a rum creamed cheese.

7. Enjoy!

* Tip: You can also make this into a loaf by baking on 350 degrees for 40-50 min.