Category Archives: Food

Weight Loss Foods – Are They For Real?

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Considering the bulging waistlines we see around us, weight loss is something a majority of people around the world are interested in. There are a million diets that are being thrown at us in cyber space and we are trying to grab all of them with our chubby hands! But, are there any super foods that aid weight loss? Imagine, no calorie restrictions, no running on the treadmill for hours everyday, just some weight loss foods to help you win the battle of the bulge!

First you must understand that loading up on a particular food will not make you lose weight by itself. But again, there are some special foods that are good for the body and which help keeping the total number of calories down, thus causing significant weight loss.

Some foods that aid weight loss are fresh natural foods, fire-rich foods, low-fat foods, low- calorie foods, foods low in sodium and refined sugars. Everyone knows about them. Following are a few little-known foods which will help you lose weight.

  • Grapefruit: Research has made this food a reliable weight loss food. People eating half a grapefruit before meals have been reported to lose significant amounts of weight.
  • Grass-fed beef: Contrary to popular belief, meat is good for you if you are trying to lose weight. Meat has a lot of proteins that will keep you full longer and help you lose weight. Grass-fed beef will also be free of steroids, antibiotics and hormones.
  • Sardines: This is a great food. It is protein-rich, it stimulates the metabolism, it stabilizes the blood sugar and it keeps you full. It is available easily and is cheap as well. So stock up!
  • Green tea: Drinking green tea regularly aids digestion, stimulates the metabolism, regulates blood sugar levels and speeds up fat oxidation. If you want to lose weight, this could be the key.
  • Pumpkin: This high-fiber simple food has very few calories which makes it the perfect weight loss food. The great thing about it is that it is easy to prepare and delicious to eat!
  • Fruits and vegetables: Yes, your granny was right! Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables is not only healthy, it also helps you lose weight. They are naturally low- in calories and the high fiber content will keep you away from that bag of chips!
  • Wholegrain food: Foods like whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, muesli, brown bread, etc. are good for you if you want to lose weight the proper way. They will also help you maintain your weight.
  • Fresh fish: High in Omega 3 and filled with the goodness of proteins, fresh fish is healthy and you can cook it in various ways to keep monotony at bay.

Don’t make weight loss painful to yourself and the people around you by starving yourself and punishing your body. Instead opt for a healthy lifestyle with moderate exercise and a balanced diet. The most important thing is to be happy. Losing weight the right way is not that hard, only if you have discipline. So eat right and stay fit.

How To Preserve Food Using a Food Dehydrator

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Food dehydration has become a popular way of preserving food and it is increasingly popular among vegans and raw food enthusiasts as it preserves food without destroying the nutritional value. Using a food dehydrator is easy and fun and it will save you a lot of money as well.

Drying food is a great way to preserve garden crops or to take advantage of bulk offers in grocery stores. It is a great way to save money and to eat healthy as well.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in water and the drying process removes this water and prevents decay. When fruits and vegetables are dried until they contain about 15% water or less, the microorganisms can no longer survive and the process of decay is prevented.

When fruits and vegetables are dried, the sugar levels are concentrated relative to the weight and dried fruits are sweeter than when they are fresh.

Almost all fruits and vegetables are suitable for drying and even meat can be prepared in a food dehydrator if you want to make your own beef jerky. Flowers and herbs can also be dried with great results so the possibilities are endless.

When you want to start using a food dehydrator it is important that the fruits and vegetables are fully ripe and undamaged. However, you should start the dehydration process before there are any signs of decay.

You need to clean the fruits and vegetables well before you place them in the dryer in order to make sure that they are free from bacteria. They will be eaten raw so you want to avoid any contamination.

You can dry your own food in an oven or you can buy a food dehydrator that is manufactured specifically for this purpose. Using a food dehydrator will give you the best results as you will be able to get an even drying process.

It is important that you place all ingredients evenly in the dryer so you avoid that they are placed in layers. If one is placed on top of the other, they will not be able to dry evenly.

After the food dehydrator is finished, you need to make sure to store the dried food right. It is important that the dried foods are stored in a way that they do not reabsorb any moisture from the environment. If this happens, the process of decay will start again. Fruits, vegetables, berries, and nuts should be stored in airtight glasses that are sealed well. When they are finished and have completely they should be placed in sealed glasses and you should make sure that the glasses have been cleaned and dried well.

You need to store them in a preferably dark and cool place if you want to be able to preserve them for as long as possible. This way you will be able to enjoy your own homegrown tomatoes all year around.

Nutritional and Ingredients Information on Food Labels

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Food labels are used on all food products, except for small packets and fresh foods like fruits, vegetables and local bakery or organic products. Food labels give you information about what ingredients or additives are in the food. They offer you nutritional information about the food’s fat and protein ingredients. Also, they give you information who manufactured the food. Nutritional information is a part of the food labels. It tells you what nutrients the food included and how much of each nutrient there has.

A food product’s label can include only the ingredients that are available in the food product. So, in a strawberry yoghurt must contain strawberries. All ingredients must be mentioned according to the weight, including added water. The ingredient mentioned first is present in the largest amount. So if the sugar is the first mentioned product, it means that it is the main ingredient and the product is high in sugar.
It is very important for a food product to list seven nutrients on their nutritional information panels such as protein, energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium. By comparing the nutritional information on a different type of food products, it may an old food or a new food product, helps you work out the best and healthiest choice. You should remember that when you are comparing two products, you need to look at the over 100 gm information on each rather than the per serving information.

Nutrition offers on food labels and in food advertising such as low fat on a packet of chips may be confusing and misleading. Nutrition claims might capture your attention, but it is always a better idea to give a look at the nutritional information panel. Here are some points to carry in mind about general nutrition and health claims.

You should know that a product might be 100% cholesterol free but still contain fat. For a manufacturer to make the fat free claim, the product must have less than 0. 15% fat. The word lite or light might just mean the food product is light in colour, texture or flavour. You still need to check the fat content on the nutritional information panel. The over baked or not fried products might still coat with fat before cooking, making them fat. You need to check the fat content. Reduced fat or salt mean this product should have at least 25% less salt or fat than the original product. It does not mean it has less salt or less fat that the other similar products.

All foods with a life of fewer than two years should have a date on them that inform you when the maker advises the food will either unsafe or not as good to eat. “Use by” is for meat, dairy and fish. It says the date when the food is off. It is illegal for shops to sell the food past its use by date. The “Best before” word tells you the date when the food product safe to eat but might not be the best quality any more. So make yourself carefully before buying a food product from the market.