NUTRITION

Americans aren't eating enough fruits and veggies. Why? Most people know that fruits and vegetables are key to a healthy diet, but they may not know exactly how many, and the amounts, they should be eating daily. Some may believe they are on the right track but are surprised to learn they are underestimating the amount needed to meet nutrition recommendations. A survey conducted by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) confirms that Americans are largely underestimating how many fruits and vegetables they need to eat on a daily basis. Consumers surveyed estimate the daily number of recommended servings to be 3-4 servings a day, short of the actual recommended 5 servings per day defined by the World Health Organization. For consumers to work toward achieving a healthier lifes...

Here’s why we crave food even when we’re not hungry. Food cravings are very familiar to most people. We may see or smell food and want to eat, or sometimes we suddenly feel like eating something delicious. These intense desires occur even when we’re not hungry and can be very difficult to resist. There are many reasons why we may “feel” hungry even if our stomachs aren’t growling. Physical hunger in our bodies is controlled by complex physiological signals which stimulate our appetite and then suppress it after we’ve eaten (known as satiety). However, eating is much more than just responding to a biological need. There’s another system that drives and motivates us to consume foods that are rich in energy (calories): the brain’s “food reward” system. The rewarding nature of food can eas...

The Health Benefits Of A Simple Egg Sandwich. This is the typical conversation most mornings and sometimes at weekends during snack time, between my wife and my 4 year old daughter. "Mum, I'm hungry." "What would you like to eat?" "Egg sandwich." She wants a fried egg, cooked in a small dab of virgin olive oil over moderate heat with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper in a sandwich of freshly baked wholegrain homemade bread. I introduced her to eggs when she was a toddler. Eggs are easy to chew and should be part of a daily diet given to any child of one year old or older. I remember when my daughter as a toddler would eat the egg white first and then pop the whole yolk of a hard-boiled egg straight into her mouth. I still remember when I was a child and my mother used to give me a...

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Caviar But Were Afraid To Ask! Once just a symbol of wealth, power and privilege, caviar is back in fashion. Not only that, these exotic fish eggs can be purchased by the average person, if only for special occasions. So how does a person go about enjoying the delicacy of caviar? Buying caviar can be a little tricky, not typically, caviar may be found in a specialty supermarket. Fresh caviar is a must. It may be sold in red, yellow and blue specialty tins, for the three top varieties of Beluga, Sevruga and Ossetra. It is available to buy over the internet through Caviar Xpress and other firms. The term "Mollosol" means "less salt" and refers to a finer class of caviar. A rare and exotic food item, the cost of caviar can be prohibitive, not usua...

Smoothies are said to be around since the early sixties with the term being considerably used to refer to the fruit and fruit juice based drinks consumed by the hippies. But officially, the smoothie was first launched by Stephen Kuhnau under the brand name of Smoothie King. The smoothie is usually made with fresh fruit or vegetables, mixed in a blender to which crushed ice, yoghurt or honey is added. They have a thicker consistency than juices and slush. The main difference between smoothies and milkshakes are that the latter contains ice creams. The drink became popular when they became available at cafe's, coffee shops and even at the local ice cream vendor's. Smoothie makers are also available to simplify the task. It looks like a normal blender with a tap in front. Smoothies are consi...

Cocktails are a lot of fun no matter what the environment. There are some people who simply do not want to drink cocktails because they do not enjoy the negative health effects which they face by drinking too much alcohol. This causes people to avoid cocktails altogether, but there are many cocktails which can be made in a non alcoholic version which will have great health benefits for you. One of the best recipes you can have without alcohol is the virgin Bloody Mary drink. So, put away the punch and the wine. Put the beer back in the fridge and get ready to try a recipe for a healthier cocktail everyone can enjoy. Why the Bloody Mary is Healthy The main ingredient in a Bloody Mary is the main reason why the drink is so healthy to begin with. The tomato juice which is used for the cockt...