Archive for the ‘Eating right’ Category
Bridal Registry
My friend is getting married in a few weeks, and as both she and her fiancé are chefs I was quite worried that they would not have the time to organize everything for their wedding. Thanks to her wedding planners and her sisters though, they were able to pull everything off despite both of them having to work long hours in their restaurant. I am all ready for the wedding and have bought my dress, the last thing I would need to do is to purchase a gift for them.
I checked their bridal registry and found that they wanted one of those electric blenders for their new home. Since I had the budget to purchase the said item, I immediately got the same and wrapped it up as soon as I got it. I am looking forward to the wedding of my friend, and I am sure the reception will just be spectacular with delicious food to boot.
Building Blocks
Proteins are an important substance in human and animal diets. Nutritionally, complete proteins are those that contain the right amounts of amino acids. A proper diet can be easily achieved when a person consumes the right mixture of proteins. Some of these might be deficient in one amino acid but rich in another.
Amino acids are organic compounds that are the building blocks of proteins. Amino acids form long chains. There are many kinds of amino acids but only about 20 are the main constituents of proteins. Half of these are identified as essential nutrients that are much needed by the human diet.
Building Muscle
Most guys out there would like to bulk up and build more muscle, and all it takes is commitment, time management, and a few changes in diet. First you will need to workout (obviously). This can be done with home equipment like a Bowflex or Nautilus, or in the gym with weights. The key is to focus on what areas of your body you want to bulk up (upper body, arms, legs, etc.) and then create an exercise plan that targets those areas. For bulking up and building muscle, you tend to want to do low repetition, high resistance. This means your workout should be hard, but not too long, and most of the time you should be lifting near your maximum for the particular weight. You will want to do this at least three times a week, with a day in between each time.
For dieting, you will want to consume high protein foods like meat, eggs, and some dairy products. Protein supplements like protein bars or a protein drink can speed up bulking and building muscle.
Eating Right
Every time i walk through a crowded place i am astonished by the number of individual of all ages who are overweight and are facing major health risks.Not everyone’s overweight problem is related to poor eating habit and lack of exercise, but as we all know in the U.S. 3 out of 4 adults are overweight or obese, which significantly increase the risk of developing heart disease as well as diabetes. One of the main reason for those extra pounds: Too many people out there are taking in more calories then they burn off.
Not only eating too many calories is a problem but if vegetables, fruit and whole grains would make up three-quarter of the food you eat and one quarter would be filled with poultry, lean-meat, fish or eggs you’ll automatically be on the right heart-healthy track.
I don’t mean to be pushy, but the foods you choose to eat contribute to your well-being, therefore to melt off pounds keep an eye on what you eat or don’t eat, exercise to burn-off those extra calories and save the treats and ice cream for special and unique occasions.
Choose your food wisely and exercise it will help you leave healthier and happier!!!
Building Muscle? You Need Protein
If you are looking to build muscle, protein is a must. During a weight training workout, you literally tear your muscles apart. While this may sound like it is detrimental, this tearing forces your muscles to repair themselves, and during this process, they add more muscle in an effort to not be torn apart again. In order for the process to take place, however, an ample amount of protein is needed.
Many people look to protein powders to get adequate amounts of protein, but there are many protein rich foods that provide that same quality. Egg whites, for instance, are essentially pure protein and don’t contain any fat or cholesterol. Powdered milk is quite similar to many protein powders, having a high concentration of whey, and is only a fraction of the cost.
More kitchen tips
There is a crazy way and there is an easy way to get your dinner ready, or any other meals, the kitchen chaos can be avoided if you think ahead and do what we call in the professional arena a ” mise en place” which simply means a good set-up. Prior to involve yourself in the actual cooking part of the meal or any dishes, you need not only to have all the required ingredients on your work area but they have to be prepared properly. For instance first , if the oven is need it make sure it is turned on at the proper temperature, next have the proper pots , pans, or baking dishes ready. Second have all the items in your recipe washed, peeled, diced, trimmed, chopped, measured and seasoned, then and only then you are to proceed to the actual cooking. If you are following a recipe from a cook book ,double check your set-up and that you have everything at your finger tips and ready to go. All this may seems to be a logical approach but i have witnessed chaos and stress way too many times and what could be an easy situation turn into a disaster, with something burning on the stove while we are looking for who knows what to proceed with the recipe. Then of course instead of cooking a healthy meal, we simplify and state that” i hate cooking”and go for the fast food or prepared food .
Stay healthy, eat right!
A different approach
We all know that fried food is harmful to our health and still we love to indulge, especially that traditional fried chicken. Well i have developed a healthier way to prepare this particular favorite without the need of a deep fryer, therefore no excessive calories and fat.
For four servings you will need : one 2 to 3 pound whole chicken, cut into serving pieces. 3 cups of panko bread crumbs. 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts.One cup of yellow fine corn meal, 2 garlic clove, a pinch of cayenne pepper,a pinch of salt, 2 tsp. of crumbled sage, 2 egg white, 1/3 of a cup of Dijon mustard and a 1/3 of a cup of white wine.You may replace whole chicken with cut chicken of your choice.
Preheat oven to 375 and position rack in the center. Spray large shallow pan with Pam and set aside.
In a food processor or handy electric chopper combine , Panko, pine nuts, corn meal, garlic, sage and seasoning. Process until fine, add egg white and blend using 3 to 4 off/on turns. Transfer to a shallow pie dish.
Remove the skin from all the large chicken pieces. Combine the mustard with the wine and brush it on all sides of each pieces. Roll the chicken in the breading mixture, coating evenly, shake off the excess and press the coating in place with your hand. Arrange the pieces in the prepared pan. Bake until crisp and nicely browned, about 55 min. or until the center of the largest pieces reach 165 degree with your food thermometer .
You may also apply this breading technique to other favorite foods like onion rings, zucchini sticks, button mushrooms etc..
Using less fat and trans-fat is a better way to stay healthy.
How to pasta ?
When it comes to pasta, you have two basic choices- fresh or dried , but among those two choices you have a wide variety of styles, composition and origins.
The Italian pasta can be dried or fresh. Dried one are made from high-protein durum wheat flour, semolina, which is coarsely ground durum wheat or whole grain wheat flour , which i prefer and would recommend.
Fresh pasta are now as available as dry ones and many choices are available with or without flavor as well plain or stuffed. They of course are a bit more money and if not cooked properly they can be very gummy. They are easily overcooked, drain them a few minutes before they reach al dente and cooked them a few more minutes with whatever your sauce is for a couple more minute, they will absorb more flavor from it that way and the starch from them will help thicken the sauce.
To properly cook pasta you’ll need as a rule 4 quarts of water for 1 pound of dried pasta and 5 quarts for fresh. Any less and you may have a sticky mess due to the release of starch as they cook. Add salt and the pasta to the water when it reach a rolling boil, stir immediately with a wooden spoon making sure to get the bottom of the pot as well to prevent from sticking. Bring it back to a boil and stir regularly. Check early and often for doneness, remember they have to be cooked al dente which is with some chew but neither hard or gummy at the center. When done reserve some of the cooking water to had to your sauce and drain them in a colander in the sink without shaking them dry, the remaining water clinging to them will help the sauce to cling on them.
Transfer the drained pasta back to the hot pot from which they came out of and add enough sauce to coat them properly, some fresh butter, grated cheese and some of the boiling water that you had put aside, mix and serve.
To your health….
Sodium
In most everything we eat we find or use salt. Accordingly to the latest research an over indulgence in sodium can be the cause for many health problems, minimizing it’s consumption requires a change in your understanding on how to season your food and still provide the right flavor. Their really is no substitute for salt but using it more sparingly will help, i personally developed an easy way to satisfy my taste buds and provide the right flavor to my cooking by combining a selection of herbs and spices, something that is very easy to do and require only a few minutes, and the following ingredients: In a glass or stainless steel bowl mix , one cup of onion powder, one cup of granulated garlic, a half cup of smoked paprika, a third of a cup of dried Mexican oregano, a third of a cup of dried basil, a third of a cup of ground thyme, one table spoon of chili powder and a half cup of ground white pepper or ground back pepper. Mix well with your hand or with a large spoon and store it in a glass container with a lid.
To slowly refrain from having a salt withdraw you may add about a third of a cup to that recipe the first time and totally eliminate it next time around.
I have been using this to season most everything that i prepare, even on salads and nobody has complained as yet and it has been over 2 month. Also most of those items are beneficial to your health and are easily found on your supermarket store shelf or even cheaper in larger container at your Club stores.
You may still need to accommodate your needs for salt in certain recipes, but try to use it more sparingly!
This is my recipe, and it is only a suggestion you may vary it’s contain to your preference and taste.
Easy Ways to Eat Right
With the obesity epidemic that is rampant in the US, eating right has become a priority for many Americans. Unfortunately, most healthy foods cost significantly more than there sugary and fat-ridden counterparts. That doesn’t mean that you have to blow your budget on health food-you just have to shop smarter.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cost considerably more than whole breasts. You can save a lot by simply purchasing the whole breasts and trimming them yourself. Adding whole grains to your diet is the best way to satiate your hunger and eliminate empty calories. Whole grain oats and pastas are virtually the same price as refined versions but will give you much better bang for your buck.