Cooking steak

If you have ever had a steak cooked by some one else and it did not satisfy your taste buds, you are not alone.

Do you like it cooked rare, or as my brother puts it, waved over the fire.

Steak cooked the way you like it is a real art, and one that is not done without a lot of trial and error.

Well done Steak is more to my personal preference and it is hard to get one done just right.

Look for future posts on the following subjects.


cooking steak in the oven
how to cook steak in a oven
cooking tuna steak
cooking sirloin steak
cooking steak times
cooking ribeye steak
cooking perfect steak
cooking steak tip
steak cooking temperature
cooking t bone steak
cooking round steak
cooking recipe steak
cooking steak grill
cooking flank steak
cooking salmon steak
cooking cube steak
cooking venison steak
cooking porterhouse steak
cooking veal steak
cooking steak indoors
new york steak cooking
cooking ham steak
cooking steak stove
cooking deer steak
cooking steak time
cooking angus steak
cooking a fillet steak
cooking rib eye steak
chart cooking steak
cooking new york strip steak
cooking shark steak
recipe for cooking tuna steak
cooking mesquite over ribeye steak wood
cooking prime rib steak
cooking pork steak
cooking skirt steak
cooking a beef steak
cooking rib steak
cooking chuck steak
cooking indoors porterhouse steak
tri tip steak cooking instructions
bear steak cooking
steak cooking instructions
cooking london broil steak
buffalo steak cooking
cooking elk steak
cooking top sirloin steak
cooking eye round steak
cooking a good steak
steak cooking guide
tip cooking steak in oven

Nutrition Facts Table

Trans fats and you

In December, 2005, large food manufacturers placed new Nutrition Facts Tables on their products to include the amount of trans fat in the food. (Small food manufacturers will be required to include this information on the Nutrition Facts Table by December 2007.) The reason? Trans fat is thought to be more unhealthy than saturated fat in increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Armed with these new labels, you may now become a savvy trans fat detector. The less you eat the better.

What is trans fat?

Trans fat is created when an unsaturated fat is processed or hydrogenated. Hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid. Hydrogenated fats extend a food’s shelf life or improve its shape or texture. These fats are found in commercial baked goods and for cooking in many restaurants and fast-food chains.

Trans fat may be found in deep fried foods from fast food outlets, partially hydrogenated margarines, crackers, cookies, popcorn, chocolate bars, candy, doughnuts, cakes and other commercially baked products. The words “partially hydrogenated” or “vegetable oil shortening” in the ingredients list on a food package will tell you the product contains trans fat. Foods with partially hydrogenated margarines and shortening are a major source of trans fat.

Impact on heart disease and stroke

Certain types of dietary fat contribute to atherosclerosis, heart disease and other conditions. For example, saturated fats (found in fatty meats and full-fat milk products, snacks and fast foods) and trans fats raise blood cholesterol – and heart disease risk along with it. A high level of blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack and can increase your risk of stroke. Trans fats are more hazardous to your health than saturated fat because they not only raise your “bad” cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL-cholesterol) levels, but they also lower your “good” cholesterol (high density lipoprotein or HDL-cholesterol).

Unfortunately, scientists have not been able to determine any safe levels of trans fat intake. The best advice is to try to eliminate or lower trans fat from your diet as much as possible. And while Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the health risks associated with them, our consumption of trans and saturated fat is one of the highest in the world.

What you can do

By lowering or eliminating the amount of trans fat and saturated fat in your diet, you lower your risk for heart disease and stroke, too. Here’s how:

• Read the Nutrition Facts Table on all labelled foods to help you choose products such as margarines, snacks, cookies and crackers with less or no saturated and trans fat (less than 10% daily value) and avoid products with higher saturated and trans fat (greater than 10% daily value). Choose lower-fat versions of products that contain trans fat, such as microwave popcorn, coffee whiteners and croutons. Read more about food labels.
  
  
• Look for the Heart and Stroke’s Health Check™ symbol on food packaging in the grocery store. Every food in the program is evaluated by the Foundation’s dietitians based on Canada’s Food Guide. The Health Check™ symbol is your assurance that the product contributes to an overall healthy diet. Visit www.healthcheck.org for a list of more than 500 products.
  
  
• Include the “good” fats. Some fatty acids, like omega-3 (Found in cold water fish such as mackerel, salmon, herring, trout and cod, flaxseed, canola oil, soybean oil, nuts, omega-3 eggs and liquid egg products) are actually good for your heart and are an important part of a healthy diet.
  
  
• Follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating if you’re trying to reduce trans fats.
  
  
• Eat a healthy diet that includes 5 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit per day.

Advocating for change

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is co-chairing, with Health Canada, the National Trans Fat Task Force. The Task Force is working closely with food manufacturers to significantly reduce or eliminate trans fat from foods sold in Canada.

Read more about the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s recommendations

Read more about other dietary fats

Dietitians of Canada www.dietitians.ca

Last reviewed March 2006.

Cooking Garlic Beef Steak

2 beef rib fillets
4 cloves garlic
1 chili pepper
1 scallion
1/2 T cooking wine
1/2 T cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 T rice wine
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 T cornstarch mixed with 2 T water

Cut each rib fillet into three equal portions.

Prepare a marinade with 1/2 T cooking wine, 1/2 T and 1 tsp salt. Marinate steak for 20 minutes.

Mince garlic, shred chili pepper and scallion finely.

Heat oil in a wok, fry beef ribs until half cooked; remove and set aside; stir fry chili pepper and scallion, then garlic. Return ribs, add 1 T rice wine, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 T cornstarch water.

Saute over high heat until ribs are done. Serve.

a list of some Veggies

Apple cucumber
Asparagus
Aubergine
Baby cabbage
Beet
Beetroot
Belgian endive
Bibb lettuce
Black perigord truffle
Borecole
Broad bean
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Butterhead lettuce
Button mushroom
Cabbage
Capsicum
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Celery root
Cep mushroom
Champignon mushroom
Chanterell mushroom
Cherry tomato
Chicory
Common mushroom
Collard greens
Cos lettuce
Courgette
Cress
Cucumber
Cultivated mushroom
Curly endive
Curly kale
Egg mushroom
Eggplant
Fava bean
Field mushroom
Fennel
Flemish leaf
French bean
Gherkin cucumber
Girolle mushroom
Globe artichoke
Green bean
Green peppe4
Haricot bean
Iceberg lettuce
Italian cucumber
Italian tomato
Jerusalem artichoke
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lamb's lettuce
Leek
Lettuce
Love apple
Marrow
Mignonette lettuce
Morel mushroom
Morille mushroom
Neeps
Onion
Open cap mushroom
Pea
Parsnip
Pepper
Plum tomato
Portobello mushroom
Potato
Pumpkin
Radish
Red cabbage
Red-grained truffle
Red onion
Red pepper
Rhubarb
Rocket
Romaine lettuce
Roma tomato
Runner bean
Rutabaga
Salsify
Samphire
Savoy cabbage
Seakale
Shallot
Silverbeet
Spanish onion
Spinach
Spring onion
Sponge mushroom
Squash
Swede
Sweet corn
Swiss chard
Tomato
Truffle
Turnips
Violet truffle
Watercress
White cabbage
White piedmontese truffle
Witloof
Yellow pepper
Zucchini

Healthy Eating Trends

People are seeking more healthful diets for weight loss, disease prevention and general well being.

Counting carbohydrates, limiting fats and modifying portions are all popular approaches to weight loss.

People who find the right balance between a varied nutritious diet and physical activity enjoy a stable weight and overall health.

Luckily, turkey adapts to all meals plans. It's a delicious, versatile protein. A 3-ounce serving of boneless, skinless turkey breast contains 26 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 0 grams of saturated fat.

That's 8 percent more protein than the same size serving of boneless skinless chicken breast or trimmed top loin beefsteak.

What’s cooking for 2006?

Some industry experts are predicting the hottest new food trends to focus on -- of all things -- a sensible, healthful, and balanced diet.


“Over the next few years, I think consumers’ focus will be on maintaining a healthy balance of carbs and calories, as opposed to extreme food choices,” Lynn Dornblaster, an analyst with market research firm Mintel, told Reuters.


And a recent AC Nielsen report predicted that because of growing rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, consumers will continue to obsess over their health.


Products containing low glycemic index (GI) will continue to be popular, with some experts claiming the GI system to be a more sensible version of the low-carb Atkins diet. (The glycaemic index measures how quickly certain foods release carbohydrates into the body, which in turn raise consumers’ blood glucose levels.) Evidence has shown that low GI foods can help control weight and reduce the risk of diabetes.


According to AC Nielsen, antioxidants are also set to hit the mainstream. “Spending on antioxidants in health activists’ markets was estimated to be among the highest of all health-related categories in terms of year-over-year growth,” the study reported.


Liquid tea led the segment, while organic products also experienced continued growth.


Other food trends to look for:



More top quality frozen organic foods, particularly vegetables.


More whole grains. General Mills, for instance, recently converted all their cereal brands to whole grains, as well as certain bakery items such as cinnamon rolls, croissants and puff pastries.


Organic chocolate (the cocoa plant is one of the most heavily sprayed with pesticides.)


Snacks that deliver balanced nutrition through portion control such as small, 100 calorie packs of Oreo cookies and Cheese Nips


More products addressing specific health benefits, such as the French company Danone’s line of Activia probiotic yogurts to help regulate the digestive system.


More food products formulated or packaged specifically for older boomers, such as Proctor & Gamble’s Folgers Aroma Seal coffee canister that has as easy-grip molded handle.


The consensus among industry experts and trend spotters is that for 2006, health is definitely hot, which means consumers will at least try to eat healthier.





© February 2006 Fifty-Plus.net Inc.

For those who want Extra Fiber

Pumpkin Barley Oat Streusel Muffins

Barley flour can be purchased in some supermarkets, specialty and health food stores. Rather than trying the recipes developed by www.hamiltonsbarley.com, who provided the flour, I tested the recommended substitution - 1 cup (250 ml) barley flour for equal parts flour - on a favourite recipe. These muffins, originally from my book The Enlightened Eater's Whole Foods Guide, have the double whammy of fibre from both barley and oats.


Streusel:
1/4 cup oats (any variety, uncooked) 50 ml
1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar 15 ml
1 tbsp soft margarine, melted 15 ml
Pinch pumpkin pie spice Pinch
Muffins:
1-1/2 cups barley flour 375 ml
1 cup oats (any variety, uncooked) 250 ml
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 175 ml
2 tbsp coarsely chopped nuts 25 ml
1 tbsp baking powder 15 ml
1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 7 ml
1/2 tsp baking soda 2 ml
1/4 tsp salt 1 ml
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin 250 ml
3/4 cup skim or 1% milk 175 ml
1/3 cup vegetable oil 75 ml
1 egg, lightly beaten 1




Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups or lightly grease bottoms only.

Streusel: In small bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, margarine and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and set aside.

Muffins: In large bowl, combine barley flour, oats, brown sugar, nuts, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt; mix well. In separate bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, oil and egg. Add to dry mixture and mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups almost full.

Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter, patting gently. Bake in 400 F (200 C) oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let muffins stand a few minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins


Per muffin nutritional information: calories: 220; protein: 5 g; fat: 8 g; saturated fat: 1 g; carbohydrate: 34 g; dietary fibre: 4 g; sodium: 78 mg.


Rosie Schwartz is a Toronto-based consulting dietitian and is the author of The Enlightened Eater's Whole Foods Guide: Harvest the Power of Phyto Foods (Viking Canada).

Cooking

The information on cooking covers so many items and here are just a few of them.

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Go with the grain

Article By: Rosie Schwartz

Carb phobia is finally letting up. And in its aftermath is the recognition that not all carbohydrate-rich foods are created equal. While white bread and other refined grain products aren't making a comeback on the menus of the health conscious, whole grains are another story. Late in 2004, a conference in New Orleans whose theme was Whole Grains Go Mainstream presented a wide array of scientific studies trumpeting the health benefits of these foods. The event, organized by the Whole Grains Council, a consortium of the Oldways Preservation Trust and grain millers, manufacturers, scientists and chefs, featured educational sessions, along with culinary demonstrations and tastings.

But sorting through various grain products to come up with the most healthful option is not always an easy task. A glance at the labels on some breads reveals where some of this confusion may originate. Names containing words such as oats, multi-grain and 12-grain abound on packages. But a reading of their ingredient lists provides the real story. Ingredients are listed in descending order by amount, so if enriched wheat flour is listed as the first ingredient, it means white flour is the number 1 ingredient. Instead, choose those breads where the word "whole" appears first.

Whole grains are made up of the entire kernel of the grain - the bran, the germ and the endosperm. When grains are refined, both the nutrient-rich bran and germ are removed, leaving only the endosperm. But the bran and germ are the nutritional powerhouse behind the benefits provided by whole grains. Not only do they contain vitamins, minerals and fibre but also an assortment of other disease-fighting compounds.

Among the health perks outlined at the conference were links between eating whole grains and a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and diabetes, with the dividend of easier waist management. Studies show that barley is a top-notch source of soluble fibre - the type that helps regulate blood sugar readings and decrease blood cholesterol levels. But barley also contains compounds called tocotrienols, which have been shown to decrease cholesterol production in a similar manner to some of the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs.

In the battle against weight gain, two major studies conducted at Harvard University show that people who consume whole grain products are less likely to experience weight gain over the years. The latest study followed more than 27,000 men over an eight-year period and found that those who consumed the most whole grains gained the least amount of weight. The other investigation, on more than 74,000 women, showed similar results. But this study went a step further by demonstrating that consuming refined grains was associated with weight gain. The researchers suggested that it was not just the fibre at work, making you feel fuller and more satisfied, but a mix of as yet unidentified compounds that may boost metabolic rates or calorie-burning capacity.

Whole grain products are associated with lower levels of insulin. Insulin resistance, a condition where the body is less sensitive to insulin's effects, can lead to type 2 diabetes. A recent study of more than 2,000 people, conducted at the U.S. Agriculture Research Service, suggests that consuming three or more servings of whole grain foods daily could decrease the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by a combination of abdominal obesity; insulin resistance and poor blood sugar control; high blood pressure; low HDL (the "good" cholesterol); and high blood fats. This cluster of risk factors boosts the chances of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

And if these studies are not enough to increase your whole grain consumption, consider these facts: whole grains are also chock full of antioxidants, in some cases proving a richer source than fruits and vegetables. Whole grains outrank refined ones when it comes to other nutrients as well. For instance, whole grain flour has more than six times the magnesium and four times the potassium of white flour. Both of these minerals are important players in maintaining healthy blood pressure readings. And don't forget the role grains play in maintaining bowel regularity.

For those that are geting up in years Whole Grain is a very important Food Group.

Check with your Doctor before making a big change in your everyday Diet

The diet

One of the surprising principles in the Sonoma Diet is, "to lose weight, you have to love to eat."

This is contrary to the requirements of other fad diets, which usually deprive dieters from eating certain foods.

Gutterson, a registered dietitian, culinary professional and nutrition consultant to the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York, describes the diet as "a uniquely flavorful weight-loss plan that brings together the art and science of food, combining the latest knowledge from the world of nutritional research with culinary arts."

The diet’s roots can be found not in the lab, but in two agriculturally abundant regions of the world: the fertile coast of the Mediterranean Sea and California’s lush Sonoma Valley.

These two sun-drenched regions, Gutterson said in Sonomadiet.com, have something in common besides their climate: "They share a festive approach to eating—a heartfelt love of great food that turns every meal into a celebration of life."

On the Early Show aired January 4 on CBS News (www.cbsnews.com), Gutterson explains: "The diet is a healthy way of eating where you’re enjoying meals, often with a glass of wine. But it adds a weight-loss component . . . Flavor is part of health, and it’s part of losing weight successfully. . . . And when you’re eating nutrient-rich foods that are flavorful, you’re more satisfied and you’re not going to be hungry."

Gutterson adds: "There are no foods that you’re not going to be able to have on this diet. It isn’t about deprivation. It’s a celebration of foods that becomes a way of eating for life."

Besides easy-to-prepare recipes (Steak and Blue Cheese Wrap, Chile Mint Burgers, Greek Pizza, Peachy Berry Cobbler) with wine pairings to boot, Gutterson’s book lists down what she calls as 10 Power Foods that are both nutritious and tasty.

These are whole grains, which are filling and fibrous; almonds and other nuts that has "a healthy type of fat for your heart;" olive oil; and lots of fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, grapes and peppers.

The diet also consists of three phases which Gutterson calls "Waves." These outline the foods a dieter can enjoy while eliminating his cravings for unhealthy food. As he progresses, the food he can enjoy becomes broader until he reaches his desired weight and is given the free hand to customize his diet.

While the Sonoma Diet still hasn’t earned much publicity in the Philippines, it has already sparked the interests of weight watchers across America. But with a more tolerant approach to eating than the recent and much stricter diet craze, South Beach, Guttersen’s method may soon create a following in the country. After all, it is the only diet that promotes eating foods in their right amount and balance.

Golden Rule of Health

Moderation: New diet promotes the golden rule of health


After weeks of partying and indulging in holiday feasts, it’s time to diet—again.


On regular days we somehow manage to stick to a moderate eating habit, and then completely let go of it once the holiday season sets in.

Now that the banquets and drinking sprees are over, it’s time to face the mirror and count the ways to shed off those unwanted pounds. Again.

As always, diet and exercise is the healthiest weight-loss combination. But because not everyone can afford—time or money-wise—to engage in a regular exercise routine, others resort to dieting alone.

In dieting, any legitimate weight-loss doctor will advise that moderation is the key to healthy eating, and ultimately, a healthy weight.
The right diet means not depriving yourself of the foods you want to eat but merely controlling your portions.
By trying everything in moderate amounts, from all the food groups—meat, fish, poultry, dairy, vegetables, fruits and whole grains—you not just get all the essential nutrients for your body. You manage to keep your desired weight as well.

This golden rule in dieting will not be found in any diet book or fad that have made people only unhealthier over the past several years—until the Sonoma Diet came this month.

Developed by Dr. Connie Guttersen, the Sonoma Diet is based on the eating lifestyles of people in the Mediterranean and Sonoma Valley in California. It holds the promise of teaching a healthy way to lose weight—using food variety and moderation in its core principles.

Guttersen’s book, The Sonoma Diet: Enjoy Foods with Flavor. Lose Weight for Life, was released by Meredith Books right on time—just when people are at the height of their postholiday health and weight worries.

And the good news is the diet seems to provide a healthy outlook on dieting. No all-meat, low-carb regimens. No raw-food only meals. No deprivation and no starvation.

All food groups are incorporated into the diet, and you may even dine with wine!

By TERRIE B. FUCANAN

Black -Eyed Pea Dip

Here is a quick and easy dip for your New Years Day.

4 cups of canned black-eyed peas, drain off the juice.
1 cup of diced cooked ham
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
4 once can of chopped green chilies
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
4 onces of cheese spread
2 drops of tabasco sause

Combine Ham and Peas on a blender. Blend well.

Put the blended ham and peas into a sausepan and add the tomato juice, chopped onion, green chilies, and garlic.

Heat untill very hot, stirring well.

Add the cheese and tabasco sause.


Stir untill cheese melts, serve in a chafing dish with Taco or Frito chips.

This dip is also great with veggies.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Be sure to have both freezer containers and labels on hand.

If your container supply is running low, once the soup is frozen, turn it out into a freezer-strength plastic bag and put back into the freezer.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Makes eight servings:
1 ounce (30 g) dried mushrooms (such as porcini)
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) boiling water
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vegetable oil
1 large onion,
chopped2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup (250 ml) diced carrots
1 parsnip, diced
2 cups (500 ml) sliced button mushrooms (about 1/2 pound/ 500 g)
3/4 cup (175 ml) pearl barley
8 cups (2 L) low-salt beef, chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over dried mushrooms. Soak for 25 minutes.

Chop soaked mushrooms and set aside. Strain soaking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or a coffee filter and set aside the liquid.

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about five to seven minutes. Add celery, carrots, parsnip and mushrooms and sauté another five minutes. Add barley, chicken or vegetable broth and reserved mushroom liquid.

Bring to a boil and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for about one hour, or until barley is tender. If a thicker soup is preferred, cook for an extra half-hour. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Per serving nutritional information:
Calories: 150
Protein: 10 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrate: 24 grams
Dietary Fibre: 5 grams

Rosie Schwartz is a Toronto-based consulting dietitian and is author of the 10th anniversary edition of The Enlightened Eater

Vegetable Broths

Here are a few tips for your stockpot:

Rather than purchasing boneless chicken breasts, remove the bones yourself and accumulate them in the freezer for stock making.

If you're less skilled with the boning knife, keep in mind that leaving a little meat on the bones will only add to the taste.

When you've collected enough chicken bones, cook up a batch of chicken stock by adding flavour-boosting additions like carrots, parsnips, celery, onions and fresh herbs.

If the taste seems to be diluted, rather than adding salt, remove the lid from the pot, allowing the broth to concentrate and become more flavourful.

Freeze and use as needed. If you are cooking for a small family or for two or just yourself, freeze in smaller proportions with the date and the name of the broth on the frezzer package. This way you can whip up a meal in no time.

Making vegetable broths is a terrific way to empty your vegetable bin. Carrots, celery, parsnips, onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes -- along with herbs like parsley and dill -- are just a few examples of those foods that can be simmered together for a rich-tasting broth.

Avoid those with strong tastes or aromas, such as cabbage. Save the trimmings or odds and ends from different vegetables such as Shiitake or Portabello mushrooms in a container in the freezer and add to the stockpot.

For a meatier vegetable broth, add a few black Chinese mushrooms. Soak them first in boiling water to remove any grit.
Strain the soaking liquid and then add to the broth as well. These mushrooms, found in Asian grocery stores, are cheaper than other dried mushrooms.
Simmer the broth over a low heat for a few hours and cool slightly before straining and store.

Roasting vegetables on a baking sheet until they're tender and then adding them to a broth can produce a soup to savour.

Don't waste valuable cooking time preparing only small amounts of long cooking soups. In some cases, where small amounts of various vegetables may be called for, cook up a second pot at the same time.

Soup Making

Soup making is fast becoming a disappearing art.

These days, there's nary a sign of a stockpot in many kitchens. Packages with dry ingredients along with their canned cousins have replaced the standard aromatic, long-simmering homemade soup of yesteryear.

Reclaiming the stockpot will not only pleasure the palate, it may also provide a number of health perks. In the cold, dark months of winter when stick-to-the ribs fare is most appealing, avoiding the accumulation of excess body padding can be tough.
Soup, however, can kill two nutritional birds with one stone.

Soup tames appetite:

Research from Pennsylvania State University shows that soup is a super way to tame hearty appetites.
In the study, scientists compared the effect of three meals containing the same number of calories and ingredients on the amount of food eaten later in the day.

Having a chicken rice casserole with or without water resulted in the same number of calories being consumed later in the day.
When the water was incorporated into the casserole to make a soup, the result was less food being eaten.
Adding chunky vegetables may make the job even easier according to French research. Strained or pureed soups were found to have less of an effect on curbing appetites than those with larger pieces.
If you're looking for help with waist management, put away your food processor when cooking up soup.

Less salt content

Homemade options offer other advantages as well, especially when it comes to sodium counts. Many commercial offerings are laden with salt and may lack intense flavours. And all too often selections labelled 'sodium- reduced' are anything but low in sodium.

But they can be used as a foundation. For example, simmering a cup of broth and adding a cup of chopped vegetables results in less sodium per cup serving. It's also a tasty way of boosting your vegetable intake.

When making chicken, beef or vegetable broths or stocks, use a variety of ingredients to provide a complexity of taste, making the lesser amounts of sodium less noticeable.

History of Sugar

500 years ago, sugar was a rare spice or medicine, imported to Europe from India.

Then it became an expensive commodity primarily produced in overseas tropical colonies.

It later grew into a less-costly commodity produced and traded among countries, and finally became a cheap everyday commodity, produced from both sugarcane and sugar beets.

By about 1970, approximately 9% of all available food calories in the world, were in the form of sucrose. No other food in world history has had a comparable performance.

Sugars

Glucose (Dextrose, Grape Sugar, or Corn Sugar). Somewhat less sweet than cane sugar and is soluble in hot or cold water. It is found in sweet fruits such as grapes, berries, and oranges and in some vegetables such as sweet corn and carrots. It is prepared commercially as corn syrup.

Grapes

Fructose (Fruit Sugar). Highly soluble. It is much sweeter than cane sugar and is found in honey, ripe fruits, and some vegetables.

Honey

Sucrose The table sugar with which we are familiar and is found in cane or beet sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and maple sugar. Many fruits and some vegetables contain small amounts of sucrose.



Lactose (Milk Sugar). Produced by mammals and is the only carbohydrate of animal origin of significance in the diet. It is about one sixth as sweet as sucrose and dissolves poorly in cold water. The concentration of lactose in milk varies from 2 to 8 per cent, depending upon the species of animal.


Maltose (Malt Sugar). Does not occur to any appreciable extent in foods. Maltose is produced in the malting and fermentation of grains and is present in beer and malted breakfast cereals, it is also used as a source of carbohydrates for some infant formulas.

Know your sugars

Sugars are one of the most misunderstood parts of our daily food supply.

Many people believe that eating sugars can lead to certain forms of sicknesses, however, research has failed to link sugars to the development or cause of any chronic disease. Even though cavities may be associated with eating sugar, cavities can also result from eating other carbohydrates including starches.

Sugars are common food ingredients that are found in many forms. Since sugars are carbohydrates, they are a contributor of calories for the body - an important energy source.

There are no nutritional differences among sugars. The body uses all types of sugars in the same way. During digestion, sugars are broken down and enter into the bloodstream. They travel through the blood stream to body cells, where they provide energy and help form proteins.

As carbohydrates, sugars are preferred as a fuel during high-intensity activity.

Sugar does not cause hyperactivity, nor does it negatively affect mental performance .

Further, no particular group of children reacts to sugars differently from the general population.
Actually, research suggests that sugars tend to calm both children and adults .

This could just go unnoticed due to other influences, such as a birthday party in which everyone is excited to begin with.

Salads that are good

Fat-busting

What could be healthier or more low fat than salad? Well, it depends what’s in it and on it. In its basic state—a bed of salad leaves with chopped vegetables, it is indeed low fat and healthy. It’s what is added to our salads that gets us into trouble.

Salads prepared at restaurants or fast-food joints are not always the healthiest dishes on the menu. And those salad kits from the grocery store, with condiments and toppings included, offer convenience but may not necessarily be low fat. The salads listed below should raise some red flags.

High Fat Salads and Dressings:

• Chef-style salads are high in saturated fat, thanks to all that meat and cheese—and that’s before we even think about the dressing.
• Cobb salads feature bacon, eggs, blue cheese, avocado and creamy dressing.
• Classic Caesar salad with its egg-based dressing, croutons and cheese is high in both fat and cholesterol.
• Taco salads, with their cheese, refried beans, guacamole, ground beef, sour cream and deep-fried shell, are an all-round nutritional nightmare.
• Greek salads are often loaded with oil and feta cheese.
• Asian salads with fried noodles and a generous sprinkling of nuts.
• Dressings in general, especially ranch, blue cheese, thousand island, high oil-to-vinegar ratio vinaigrettes, and regular mayonnaise or sour cream.
  From Fiona Haynes

Healthy carbs benefit from protein, olive oil

Tweaking a healthy, high-carb diet to include a little more protein or healthy oils can further curb the risk of heart disease, say researchers who had volunteers try three variations of the same diet.

The findings do not mean you should gorge on meat or that carbs should be shunned.

The study – involving 159 adults with borderline or mild high blood pressure – found the best results, however, with diets that replaced some carbohydrates with protein such as nuts and dairy, or with healthy fats, such as olive oil.

All three diets were low in saturated fats and required plenty of fruits and vegetables, and all improved blood pressure and cholesterol readings.


Adopting any of them would be beneficial – and a big change for most North Americans, said lead researcher Dr. Lawrence Appel of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

“Most people aren't following anything close to any of these,” he said, adding that the bottom line is: “You can eat healthy in three different ways, and two of them are a bit better than the other.”

All participants tried each of the diets for six weeks, eating meals prepared in a research kitchen and taking a few weeks' break before starting the next diet.

The volunteers' average blood pressure was borderline high – 131 over 77 before starting the study. It fell by an average of about 8 points while they were on the carbohydrate diet, 9.5 points on the protein diet and 9.3 points on the healthy fats diet.

Levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad kind, measured 129 on average at the start; 100 is considered optimal. LDL levels fell an average of almost 12 points on the carb diet, about 14 points on the protein diet and about 13 points on the healthy fats diet.

Those reductions most likely would translate into less heart disease if the diets were widely adopted, the researchers said.

They estimated that for every 100 people with mild high blood pressure, there would be one less heart attack over 10 years for those on the protein or healthy fats diet, compared with the more carb-friendly diet.

The study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was prepared for presentation Tuesday at an American Heart Association conference in Dallas and is published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

A JAMA editorial about Dr. Appel's research questioned whether people in the real world would stick to the diets, since they would have to buy and prepare their own meals.

“Longer trials examining actual cardiovascular event outcomes will be needed to convince a skeptical public of the benefit of yet another unique and difficult-to-achieve dietary regimen,” editorial author Dr. Myron Weinberger of Indiana University said.

Dr. Eva Obarzanek, a co-author and researcher at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said the results show people “don't have to be restricted. If they have a certain preference, they should know that they can follow any of these.

“None of these diets are extreme,” she said. “These are well-rounded studies.”

Rachel Johnson, a University of Vermont nutrition professor, said the results refine “what we already know. It's not a huge about-face.”

In the same edition of the Journal, a study found that high doses of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor were no better at preventing recurrent heart attacks and heart-related deaths than regular doses of the competing drug Zocor. The study was funded and conducted by Lipitor's maker Pfizer Inc.

By Lindsay Tanner

Posted in the Globe and Mail

Controlling What You Eat

Watch that plate, is it to full?

Among the biggest criticisms of the old pyramid was that while it may have suggested what to eat, it never really told us how much.

We can't get into too much trouble in categories like fruits and vegetables, where many Americans ran amok was in the section labeled "grains."

People just didn't know what a whole grain was, so they ended up eating a ton of white bread, white rice, and pasta, all the time thinking they were doing the right thing.


The New Pyramid guidelines clearly spell out that of the 8 ounces of grains needed every day, at least half should be whole grains, foods like oatmeal, whole-grain bread, brown rice, and whole-grain cereals.

Nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York.