As promised, I'm back to talking about food additives. The ingredient I'll be discussing today is one I have always heard my mother, an ARNP, warn me about consuming too often.
When I was a kid, I loved hot dogs, sausage, baloney, bacon, and a host of other salty, highly processed meats. The only time I really got to eat them, however, was when I was staying at a friend or family member's home because my mother was worried about a harmful ingredient common to all of these foods: sodium nitrate.
According to a CNN.com report, the sodium nitrate used in hotdogs, sausage, baloney, bacon, smoked or cured fish, including salmon, and in other meat-curing preparations, has huge cancer-causing potential. Sodium nitrate is usually included in foods because, in addition to being a dye, it acts as a preservative that can prevent botulism (a kind of food poisoning). The problem is that once sodium nitrate is ingested and mixes with chemicals in the stomach, it allows nitrosamine to form. According to the CNN.com report mentioned above, nitrosamine is highly carcinogenic.
So there we have it: avoid meats cured with sodium nitrate and your mother is usually right.
Workout is a beneficial way to keep fit. Some people think it is too difficult to keep a diet to lose weight! So they prefer to do workout. So at the same time, questions are raised! What should I eat before the exercise? What should I have after workout to avoid gaining weight? Drink fruit juice or sports drinks? How long I can eat after the exercise?
Before exercise
You can eat high-fiber biscuit, yogurt, raisins or fresh fruit 1-2 hours before workout. This will help you have a more effective exercise!
After exercise
Give yourself at least half of an hour to one hour before eating.
Don’t drink caffeinated beverages after the workout, such as coffee and tea.They will complement the shortage of your body’s water.
Drinking water is better than sport-drinks. Although sport-drinks replenish electrolytes, it is not helpful for losing weight.
Thanksgiving is around the corner!!! Christmas will be here soon!!! I love all the holidays!! It is a great time to get together with your family and relax!! No school & No work!! Just have fun!! But it is also the time that we all need to watch out our weight!! It is so easy to eat too much during the holiday. At the same time, we get a lazy schedule. We are more like to go out late and get up super late. Do not really get a lot of time to work out. Also, we usually get big dinner: a huge turkey, all different types of side dishes, and a lot of dessert. So how can we have fun, but avoid gaining too much weight during the holiday season? Here are some suggestions!
1. Don't go to a party with hunger
During the holiday season, there are a lot of parties. It is great to go to parties to have fun. But when you have so many parties to go, it becomes dangerous to gain weight. One thing you definitely can do is never being hungry when you go to a party. You can have some healthy snack before you go, such as your favorite fruit, healthy bars and some low-fat/non-fat yogurt.
2. Be careful about the choices of food & drinks
Pick healthy food rather than junk food
Small plate & small bits
3. Try to keep moving!
If you cannot go to workout everyday, or you cannot go to workout long hours a day, try to move around in your place rather than just lay on the bed.
Hi there!
Today I'll be adding the final ingredient of the Name That Ingredient's Hair Care series. On the back of many cosmetics and hair care products, you're sure to find either methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, or butylparaben. Parabens are additives that act as a preservative.
Recently, they've become a topic of medical controversy because several studies have linked them to hormone disruptions, early puberty and breast cancer.
The following article from Livestrong.com can tell you a little more about this preservative and why many choose to stay away from all parabens.
Yesterday we learned about the sudsy joys of sulfates. Today I want to introduce you to another group of lovely hair-care ingredients: Silicones. One of the curly-haired gurus that I've recently started looking into had this to day about silicones:
"The purpose of silicone hair products are to coat the hair with a micro-fine layer of conditioners creating sheen, reducing friction for easier combing and to prevent tangles and breakage. Silicones also help other ingredients in conditioners and lotions to spread easily."
To me, that sounded pretty awesome, until I read on:
"Silicones are not water-soluble unless they are modified to be, so they also form a water-sealing barrier to prevent loss of water from hair and help retain dye by making hair more hydrophobic (water-repellent)."
Although many find it beneficial because they prevent the hair from losing water and make styling easier, the water-repellant properties of silicones make it a nightmare for many with chronically dry hair. Additionally, because they are not water-soluble, they are one of the key reasons we need sulfate shampoos: to get rid of silicones buildup on the hair and scalp. So, most likely, if you want to stop using sulfate shampoos, you will probably have to eliminate, or at least minimize your use of silicone containing products.
However, some silicones are water-soluble and are safe to use if you want to avoid sulfate shampoos. Another one of my favorite curly-haired gurus has put together the following information on silicones, both water soluble and not:
"A silicone ingredient with end with -cone, -conol, or -xane. Examples include: dimethicone, dimethiconol, amodimethicone, cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, and trimethicone. None of these are water soluble...
Make sure you don't confuse silicones with preservatives, which frequently end in -one (rather than -cone). Methylchloroisothiazolinone, while a mouthful, is a water soluble preservative...
Another little complexity about silicones is that scientists can modify their structure to make them water soluble. These cones are...friendly, but some people choose to avoid them for the sake of being totally silicone free...If a silicone ingredient (-cone, -conol, or -xane) is prefaced with PEG or PPG, it is water soluble. So PEG-12 Dimethicone is water soluble..."
Wishing you Happy, Healthy Hair!
Shalencia
Information found at:
http://dormroomcurly.blogspot.com/2008/12/style-definitions-table.html
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-hair-care-methods/no-poo/silicones-no-poo/silicone-hair-products-not-so-bad-after-all
I've recently started product-jumping for shampoos and conditioners because every shampoo I've used seems to dry my hair out and no conditioner seems to be able to get it moisturized. So, now I'm taking my label-reading habits to a new level by exploring what's in the hair products I use. Through lurking on several hair sites for curly-haired women, I've found that a few ingredients seem to be common causes for dry, frizzy curls. The ones I'll be exploring today are the sulfates sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laryl sulfate, and all of their sulfate-y cousins.
Sulfates are basically the ingredient in things like liquid detergent and shampoo that help them to lather. They break up all of the grease and oil so that it can be washed away, thus providing us with a clean, fresh scalp and head of hair. Although many can use shampoos containing sulfates with no ill-effects, many users suffer scalp irritation and dry hair from using these shampoos. They can prove to be very harsh on both hair and scalp and remove natural oils that are essential to curly hair because of its texture.
However, fear not! There are plenty of organic shampoos that contain no sulfates at all and can still give your hair and scalp the nice thorough cleaning it needs.
Time just flew by. It is almost the end of the semester. Everything is coming together: exams, homework and tons of projects. I have been experiencing the craziest week of this semester. I did three projects and one exam this week. I cannot even remember how did I really go through this week. I have not stayed up so late in the library since my freshmen year. But I did not leave the library until 2 am for two days this week. And this Tuesday was the first time that I drank 5-hour energy. To be honest to you, I was nervous before I drank it because I think drinking this type of energy drink is not healthy at all. I was reading the details on the bottle. Under Caution, it states that 5-hour energy contains caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee. After you drink it, you may experience a Niacin Rush (hot feeling, skin redness) that lasts a few minutes. This is caused by increased blood flow near the skin. This caution sounds scary to me, but I still drank it because I had to stay up to work on all the mess. I drank half of the whole bottle. I was awake for the first one hour, then I literally fell asleep. I even did not recognize how that happened. I guess that I was just so tired. Then I did search the feedback and comments on 5-hour energy online. I found all different comments. Someone thinks it is really useful and it helps to stay awake. (At least, it did not work for me. :( ) Someone was complaining about the side effects after drinking the 5- hour energy. After reviewing all different comments, it seems that we do understand that it could be some possible danger after you drink the 5-hour energy. But no one officially states that we should not drink it. Please let me know how do you guys think about this kind of energy drink!!
Its 2:30pm and I am busy working away in the library, I can feel my stomach growling and I know that it is time for lunch. Ughhh I am hungry, do not have time to leave campus, and really dislike almost all of the lunch option on campus….its time to get creative with what we have to work with. After four years of managing through the lunch hours at the University of Miami, I have manage to find a few hidden, yummy options spread throughout campus.
Here are some of my favorites:
·
Market Place Salad Bar: This salad bar offers a variety of different healthy and unique options, including two daily soup offerings. The Market Place even has two different types of grilled chicken that can be purchased upon checkout. Personally, I enjoy the grain offerings, which always includes a type of quinoa salad, the healthiest grain that you can eat.
·Sushi Maki: Although the sushi sitting in the case does not always look that appealing, Sushi Maki actually takes special orders that they make fresh in front of you, its as good as going to the actual restaurant!
·Starbucks: I actually love the egg sandwiches from Starbucks. I know that they do not look that good when they are sitting in the case but they are actually very yummy when they are heated up. My favorite is the egg white and spinach wrap. Not only are these egg sandwiches low in calorie, but they are also quick so that you can get right back to your studying in the library.
Happy Sunday blog followers!! I thought that I would dedicate this post to my favorite type of cuisine…MEXICAN FOOD.
Mexican food has gotten a bad reputation for not being healthy. I thought that I would share my favorite healthy, yet still delicious Mexican delights.
Posole: This traditional Mexican stew is great for cold fall and winter nights. Quite possibly one of my favorite soups, posole is easy to make and packs a great spice which will definitely warm you up. Here is my favorite recipe:
Recipe Ingredients
•1 can (15 oz) yellow or white hominy, drained
•1 can (14.5 oz) Mexican-style diced tomatoes
•1 can (10 oz) mild green enchilada sauce
•2 carrots, diced
•1 medium onion, chopped
•3 garlic cloves, minced
•2 tsp cumin
•5 chicken thighs
•(1 1⁄2 lbs), skin removed
•Chopped cilantro (optional)
•Lime wedges (optional)
•Tortilla chips (optional)
Recipe Preparation
Combine hominy, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, carrots, onion, garlic and cumin in slow-cooker. Add chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 3 to 3 1⁄2 hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables tender. Skim and discard any fat from the surface.
Remove chicken; pull meat off bones into large shreds. Stir back into slow-cooker. Stir in cilantro, if using. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips.
Guacamole: Delicious and quite possibly the easier food to make. Guacamole is great with meat, chips, salads, carrots, and more! Just mash up two ripe avocados, add onions and tomatoes, squeeze a little lemon, and top it off with some salt and pepper.
Chicken Fajita Salad: This salad is pretty much the same as a chicken fajita, minus the tortilla and rice. Just as satisfying as a chicken fajita, this salad contains almost half the calories of real fajitas and is easy to make. For those of you who are Miami locals, check out Taco Rico’s chicken fajita salad, and they deliver for those lazy nights!
Grilled Fish Tacos: Another healthy Mexican alternative that is easy to make and available at most restaurants. Grilled fish tacos are light in calories, heavy on flavor. The soft corn tortilla is actually healthy for you!
This is a really tough week. All the exams, papers and projects are due at the same time. It is so difficult to stay with my bed for enough hours. I started to hate my alarm clock. Sometimes, I even got scared to hear the alarm clock to wake me up. What was worse, I truly did all the unhealthy things in this week. I did not go to the gym at all. I drank different types of beverages, especially sodas. Also, I ate junk food at late night when I was studying for my exams. Eventually, all the unhealthy behaviors turn out to bad things. More pimples come out and my weight goes straight up. I even got a strong headaches this morning after I got up. I am so annoyed with myself, and I complained all these issues to my friends. However, this is the life for colleges. You want to have fun, but you always need to deal with all the school work. Then I start to think about how I can keep healthy when I get stuck in all the work.
1. Try not to go to sleep too late, then get up earlier to study.
When you are studying too late, it becomes less effective. It might took twice even longer for you to remember/ learn the same materials. Instead, try to get up earlier to take a shower to make you awake, then go ahead to study. At least, it works more effectively for me.
2. Eat some fruits instead of junk food as late night snack.
It is so reasonable to eat snacks when you are studying at late night. But choose wisely!! Fruits are more healthy, even though junk food is yummy! :(
3. No time to work out? NO!!
It is really difficult to go to the gym when you are in the exam weeks. I prefer to take a nap rather than going to the gym. So what can we do? I guess we can take advantages over small time to do a little bit work out. Walk to the campus instead of driving or taking the school bus, if your place is not too far away from the school. Use the stairs instead of taking the elevators!
Nestle's favorite holiday, Halloween, has just passed and I'm sure that many of us indulged in our favorite sweets. Naturally, I had to look on the back of a few of these delightful treats to see what was inside. After all, it's not as if sweet tarts grow on trees! I noticed a common ingredient in a lot of the sugar-free candies: Sorbitol. This natural fruit sugar has been used for quite some time in sugar-free and diabetic food products instead of cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Yet, I have found quite a few publications indicating that this sweetener does far more harm than good. Find out more from this article that I gathered from Medscape.com
Happy Eating!
Shalencia
January 11, 2008 — Consuming sweets and chewing gum with sugar substitutes may help the weight-conscious slash calories, but excessive use of the sweetener sorbitol can cause extreme weight loss and other problems, according to a new report.
In this week's BMJ, Juergen Bauditz, MD, of the University of Berlin, and colleagues describe two patients with a sorbitol habit who had dramatic, unexplained weight loss until their excessive use of the sweetener was discovered. Sugar-Free Sweeteners and Side Effects: Case Histories
One patient, a 21-year-old woman, had unexplained diarrhea and abdominal pain for eight months. She reported an unintended weight loss of 24 pounds, weighing in at about 90 pounds.
After she was asked about diet, she said she chewed sugar-free gum with sorbitol daily, taking in about 18 to 20 grams a day. One stick typically has 1.25 grams.
Once she eliminated sorbitol from her diet, the gastrointestinal problems stopped and she gained back more than 15 pounds.
The second patient, a 46-year-old man, had been hospitalized because of diarrhea and a weight loss of more than 48 pounds during the previous year. His blood work and other exams came back normal, but when asked about diet, he, too, reported excessive consumption of sorbitol. He chewed 20 sticks of sugar-free gum daily and also ate about 7 ounces of sweets daily, totaling about 30 grams of sorbitol.
When he cut out the sorbitol, he gained back 11 pounds within six months and his diarrhea problems disappeared.
The message for doctors, the authors conclude, is to inquire about dietary habits when a patient has unexplained weight loss. Sugar-Free Sweeteners and Side Effects: A Food Scientist's View
Reports of side effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhea with high amounts of sorbitol consumption are nothing new, says Roger Clemens, DrPH, a spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists and professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
"The laxative effect is very well documented," Clemens tells WebMD. "It could be these individuals [in the case histories] were particularly sensitive." And they did consume excessive amounts, he notes. "We would not expect the average consumer to consume upwards of 20 sticks of gum a day."
"Sorbitol is not well absorbed," Clemens says. As a result, excess water enters the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea can occur. Those who rely on artificially sweetened products to help manage their diabetes or to reduce overall calories, he says, should use a variety of such products and consume them in moderation. Sorbitol is found in toothpastes as well as chewing gum and sweets. What's a 'Safe' Amount of Sorbitol?
The FDA requires a warning label on a product with sorbitol if the manufacturer thinks the consumption would exceed 50 grams a day, according to an FDA spokesperson.
But levels under 50 grams of sorbitol daily may cause problems for some people, says Patti Truant, a spokeswoman for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. In 1999, the center petitioned the FDA to require a better label on sorbitol-containing products, noting that problems such as diarrhea can occur with as few as 10 grams a day of the sweetener. Sorbitol Manufacturers Respond
The cases reported in BMJ involved excesses, says Chris Perille, a spokesman for the William Wrigley Jr. Company, which makes chewing gum containing sorbitol (including its brands Extra, Orbit, Freedent, and Eclipse).
"To reach the threshold of excessive consumption of sorbitol through use of gum alone [at levels set by the FDA], someone would have to chew close to 50 sticks or 100 pellets of gum daily," he says. In the U.S., he adds, the average per capita gum consumption is just one stick every other day.
The ingredient is safe and effective "when used as directed," adds Tonia Elrod, a spokeswoman for Procter & Gamble, the manufacturer of Crest toothpaste, which contains sorbitol.
Well fellow blog followers it’s that time of year, the one and only time that it is acceptable to eat any candy what so ever without feeling the slightest bit guilty…HALLOWEEN.
Now that we are no longer children who are going trick or treating, it seems that the pressure to look “skinny” or “our best is very overwhelming this time of year. Living with 8 college girls, I have heard different combinations of the words “dieting” and “Halloween” countless times over the past month. I usually succumb to this same pressure that they are feeling, but this year I made it my goal to take the higher route. Why? Might you ask….
Well, I realized that all this Halloween nonsense has no actual truth. There is no reason that there is a need to look any better than usual on this specific night. Also, I really don’t think that after dieting for one week before Halloween anyone will actually look noticeably different on Halloween eve. I decided that the true spirit of Halloween involves guiltless eating of candy and other pumpkin delights, as opposed to holding yourself back.
For those of you who are on my same page, I thought I would share a few of my favorite delights with you:
·REESES GALORE!!!!! Ever since I was a child, Reese’s have been my favorite candy. As a kid, my next door neighbors moved to Colorado for Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Reese family was better than the typical neighbor since their grandfather did invent the Reese Peanut Butter Cup. Every time I would visit their house I would eat a minimum of five Reese’s. I think it is needless to explain further about my addiction.
·Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins: These godly creations are available at several different locations. My favorites are Starbucks!
·Take 5 Candy Bars: chocolate, peanut butter, pretzel, and caramel all in one? Sound like heaven to me.
Question! Have you guys have ever thought about being a vegetarian?
To be honest, when being on a diet, I did think about this. I am not a big meat lover, so I do not have to eat meat everyday. However, I do not feel like I will be fine without eating meat everyday for the rest of my life. So I did try to be a temporary vegetarian for a week. At the first two days of that week, I was happy with the meal without meat. It made me feel like I was losing weight and I was on my way being more healthy. Then, I started to miss meat a little bit by the middle of the third day. But I still persisted in having no meat. For the rest of my week, I missed meat more and more and I truly could not wait for my meat. The experience sounds funny, but it was my real feeling. After that, I never try to do the same thing again. However, after watching this video, I start to rethink about the idea of being a temporary vegetarian. Mainly, Graham Hill tried to sell his idea of being a weekday vegetarian. We usually define people whether as vegetarians or meat lovers. But he brought up a new category between two. We can be flexible to choose to have meal without meat for the weekdays, and have some other options for the weekends. By doing this, not only we can be more healthy, but also we still can have fun during the weekend. This is really a personal choice. No one can pushes others to be vegetarians or not. But I do think it sounds like an interesting alternative. Try to be more healthy and have fun at the same time. Let me know how you guys think about this video! Thanks!
Lets face it; there are some days where we just don’t want to work out. I mean everyone deserves a break right? Although this is true, there are sometimes where working out will actually make you feel better. The hardest part is simply getting out of bed, changing into gym clothes, and actually walking into the gym. I’m not suggesting that it is necessary to have a very challenging workout of these “lazy days”, but just moving for half an hour can make a difference.
Working out actually causes the mind to produce endorphins, which help an individual feel both more peaceful and happy in all aspects of their life. There is no reason at all to feel guilty about a lazy day work out, according to studies, women actually loose more weight by doing lower intensity cardio for a longer amount of time. For example, doing the elliptical for 50 minutes would be more beneficial then running on the treadmill for 30.
Here are some tips that I use when having trouble getting myself to the gym and surviving the workout:
1 Choose the elliptical or bike: The treadmill and stair master are simple not a lazy day option. Running and stair climbing both require high energy and endurance. Both the elliptical and bike provide a good work out with a wide variety of varying levels.
2.Plan ahead: Before you leave your house bring a book, magazine, or movie to distract you. Chances are that if you bring an activity that you are interested in, your workout will go by much faster. I always download an episode of my favorite TV show onto my ipod and watch it while on the machine.
3.Convince a friend to go to the gym with you: This way you will be forced to actually go and you will have someone to keep you company while you are working out.
4.Walking is actually a great workout: Although underrated, walking is a great form of exercise. Instead of sitting in a stuffy gym, enjoy the outdoors and go for a walk.
I have been living off campus for around one year and half, so I have not been having any meals in the dining hall for a while. But I still remember that I did gain a lot of weight when I was living on campus. I guess the dining hall is one of the biggest reasons that made me gain lots of weight. For the first few months of my freshman year, I did like the way the dining operates. Because it is like a giant buffet, which allows me to eat whatever I like to eat. However, without realizing what I really picked, you ate a lot of unhealthy food and I developed an unhealthy eating habit.
I was thinking that I probably will never go to the dining hall again to get food after moving out of the dorm. However, I did go there this Thursday with my friends, having lunch together. Unfortunately, I ate a lot again this time. I was so full after the lunch, and I even did not have the dinner. So I start to think about how college students can avoid eating too much and having an unhealthy eating habit from having meals in the dining halls. I was discussing this issue with my friends who went to the dinning hall with me. Finally, we did come up with some tips! Hopefully, they will help a little bit.
1. Do not skip any meals, especially you are eating in the dining hall.
When skipping a meal, people will usually eat more food for the next one. What was worse, they will even not realize that they are eating more.
2. Get more veggies and fruits first!
It is not easy to say no to the junk food all the time. So go ahead to get salads and fruits first, making you feel a little bit full. After that, you will eat less unhealthy food than you usually do.
3. Skip soda or beverage; Drink water!
Thirsty!? It is true that soda and other beverages taste better! But it puts a lot more calories into your body. Also, it cannot really solve your thirsty!!
4. Dessert or Not!
I am a big dessert lover! So it is so difficult for me not to have any dessert for my life! So what I do is picking only one dessert and sharing it with my friends. Also, at most, I just have a dessert once a week.
Yesterday I was in the mood for some cranberry juice; not cranapple juice, or craspberry juice, or even cranberry juice cocktail. Just regular old, minimally processed cranberry juice. So headed out to Publix! Of course, I spent nearly twenty minutes scouring Publix's large selection of "cranberry themed" beverages before I gave up my search and settled for some of Ocean Spray's 100% Cranberry juice. Although I wasn't able to find exactly what I was looking for (the manager suggested I try Whole Foods), I did find one common ingredient amongst most of the cranberry juices: Pectin.
This basically means that Pectin is a substance extracted from ripened fruits that producers use to give items a desired consistency, similar to how soy lecithin is used. Similar to soy lecithin, Pectin could be considered one of the less harmful ingredients added to processed foods. The following article from WiseGeek.com provides a little more insight into pectin's uses.
Happy Eating!
Shalencia
In cooking, pectin is used as a thickening agent, and could be considered one of the most natural types around. The first pectin available for purchase was derived from apples, which have a high amount of it. There are other fruits that naturally contain this gelling agent, including many plums and pears. The properties of pectin were discovered and identified by the French chemist and pharmacist, Henri Braconnot, and his discovery soon led to many manufacturers making deals with makers of apple juice to obtain the remains of pressed apples (pomace) that were then produced in a liquid form.
Pectin is a complex carbohydrate, which is found both in the cell walls of plants, and between the cell walls, helping to regulate the flow of water in between cells and keeping them rigid. You’ll note some plants begin to lose part of this complex carbohydrate as they age. Apples left out too long get soft and mushy as pectin diminishes. When apples are just ripe, they have a firm and crisp texture, mainly due to the presence of pectin.This is great news for people who are having extended trouble with irritable bowel syndrome or are getting over a bout of diarrhea because the presence of this substance in apples is considered some of nature’s best medicine. Doctor’s frequently prescribe the brat diet for patients with this condition (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast). Either whole apples or applesauce can help end these nasty stomach conditions by providing that extra thickening agent in the gut. In fact, one of the leading medications for this problem, Kaopectate®, used pectin as one its main “active” ingredients, though the ingredients changed in 2002.
You will find this thickening agent in other medications. Luden’s® uses it as a main ingredient in many of its cough drops. Cosmetic companies also make use of the ingredient, particularly when they’re looking for natural or non-animal alternatives to bind substances together.
More often, though, you’ll find pectin available in powdered form to be used when making jams and jellies. Today it may be made from apple pomace or from orange peels, and it’s usually available in powdered rather than liquid form. It doesn’t add flavor to the dishes you use it in, and it does work extremely well as a thickening agent. This complex carbohydrate is also used in a variety of commercially prepared foods to bind these foods together more effectively. You’ll find it in products like yogurt, chocolate milk, and in a number of commercial baked goods.
Coffee or Tea? I seriously become a coffee drinker after I came the United States. It seems that everyone cannot live without coffee in this country. A Starbucks is just next to the library. You probably can easily find a place to buy coffee every hundreds feet. You can easily grab a cup of coffee for waking you up or just for fun. Coffee smells good and tastes good. But it is not healthy to drink too much coffee. However, when the exams and all the due days are coming, we do need something to make us awake. Is coffee the only choice? Anything else we still can choose to be awake? The answer is TEA! My dad loves drinking tea. He always telling me how good the tea is. So I am sharing some points with you guys about the benefits of drinking tea, which I learned all from my dad.
Tea helps prevent cancer. Tea has antioxidants, which helps slow down the aging process, and help cells regenerate and repair.
Tea helps prevent heart attacks.
Tea helps lower blood pressure.
Tea helps your digestion system.
I believe that there are still other benefits the tea has. Absolutely, it has less caffeine than the coffee has. So when you are tired of coffee, tea could be your next choice!
Have you ever look at the back of a pack of chocolate or cookies or some other food and noticed the words "Soy Lecithin?" If you're anything like me, you probably wondered, "What is that and what is is used for?" "I know it's probably from soy beans, but is it still OK to consume?" "Would this cause problems with people with allergies?" Well, prepare to have those questions answered!
Soy lecithin is extracted from soybean oil and is usually used in foods as an emulsifier (it helps to hold foods together or give them a desired consistency). Additionally, it can be used for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as well as in paints, textiles, lubricants and waxes.
Unlike many of the mystery ingredients I will explore in this series, soy lecithin is commonly used as a supplement because it has been touted as having health benefits ranging from improving memory and cognitive function to aiding in cardiovascular, liver, and reproductive health and improving in physical and athletic performance.
However, this doesn't mean you should go out and stock up on soy lecithin. Critics of the popular emulsifier say that "soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid."1 Additionally, although soy lecithin should not cause allergic reactions in individuals with a soy allergy because it does not contain the actual soy protein, many people still suffer reactions from products containing soy lecithin.
So there you have it! In my humble opinion, as one who is NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, soy lecithin is not one of the most worrisome ingredients in many of our beloved processed foods, unless you have an allergy to soy. If you'd like more information on soy lecithin, try reading this PDF (it's where I got most of my information): http://www.soyconnection.com/soyfoods/pdf/Soy-Lecithin-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
As many of you do not know, I am quite possibly one of the biggest chipotle fanatics in the world. My obsession with chipotle dates back to my childhood. As a young elementary student, my small private school was located just around the corner from the first (and at the time, only) Chipotle in the United States. Lucky for my young taste buds, my school actually signed with Chipotle to cater lunch to its students every Tuesday and Thursday. Little did I know that this contract would spring my addiction to Chipotle later in life.
The majority of my friends find my obsession comical. They are constantly giving me a hard time about my eagerness to eat chipotle for every meal, no matter the time of day. Without failure, I manage to tell every single one of my friends that ever accompanies me to Chipotle that the first Chipotle every is located 5 minutes from my house in Denver, Colorado.
(Above is the original Chipotle on Evans Street in Denver)
In light of negative connotations that Chipotle is not healthy, I would like to explain why exactly Chipotle is actually one of the healthy options when dining out of the house.
As many of you may not know, Chipotle is committed to only serving “Food with Integrity.” Might you ask, What is “Food with Integrity”? Well basically, Chipotle only serves food made with the very best ingredients. For instance, all meat used at Chipotle comes from animals who are raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones and whenever possible, chipotle sources organic and local produce.
In fact, through “Food with Integrity”, Chipotle hopes to change traditional American fast food culture to one which only serves customers with the best and most natural ingredients available.
Many people commonly think that Chipotle is actually owned by Chipotle. Thus, leading to the false assumption that the nutritional content of Chipotle is equivalent to that of McDonald's. This connection is completely false. Although McDonalds was once heavily invested in Chipotle, this ended in 2006 when Chipotle went public.
According to current statistics, Chipotle actually serves more naturally raised meat and local produce that any other restaurant company in the US.
Need some advice on some of the healthier menu items at chipotle? Here are three of my personal favorites:
Taco Salad:
For those of you who are truly dedicated to eating 100% healthy all the time, the taco salad is the way to go. With just around 450 calories, the taco salad is a nutritiously balanced meal. Including black beans, chicken, fajita veggies, pico de gallo, and corn, there is nothing unhealthy about it. Make sure you do NOT use the salad dressing, which is packed with empty calories.
Soft Shell Tacos
As one of the menu items that is on the lighter calorie side, the tacos will never disappoint. However, just as every other menu item, the tacos are only as healthy as the ingredients you put in them.
Burrito bowl:
My all time favorite. Currently in all Colorado store, Chipotle is test marketing brown rice (don't worry, seasoned with cilantro, just like the white!)
In honor of this blog, I decide to Tweet at chipotle last night...
their response....
so....fingers crossed and we will have brown rice here soon!!!!
Make sure you all remember to go to Chipotle on Halloween dressed as a burrito to get a free meal!!!!
I haven't forgotten about you! I was a little under the weather on this weekend and wasn't able to start exploring ingredients as planned but here is the first installment.
So, do you have any idea which ingredient I'll be talking about today? If you guessed castoreum, you're wrong (Google that for a sweet surprise!) Instead, I want to kick off our ingredient exploration session with a processed foods favorite: High Fructose Corn Syrup.
High fructose corn syrup, or HFCS for short, is a corn syrup sweetener. Through an enzymatic process, the corn's glucose is converted to fructose. It is used in everything from soft drinks to salad dressings and, contrary to what the commercial above implies, is not as comparable to sugar as we may think. To help us better understand why there was controversy over this sweetener, I've included a Princeton University article on studies of HFCS as well as a cute youtube video featuring some excellent actors.
Happy Eating!
-Shalencia
A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain
Posted March 22, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
by Hilary Parker
A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.
In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.
"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."
A Princeton University research team, including (from left) undergraduate Elyse Powell, psychology professor Bart Hoebel, visiting research associate Nicole Avena and graduate student Miriam Bocarsly, has demonstrated that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup -- a sweetener found in many popular sodas -- gain significantly more weight than those with access to water sweetened with table sugar, even when they consume the same number of calories. The work may have important implications for understanding obesity trends in the United States. (Photo: Denise Applewhite)Photos for news media
In results published online Feb. 26 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.
The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.
The second experiment -- the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals -- monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet.
"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes." In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.
When male rats were given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow, the animals gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, along with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas, including the orange soft drink shown here. (Photo: Denise Applewhite)
High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars -- it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose -- but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.
This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.
"Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic," Avena said.
The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.
In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet -- the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda -- and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.
The research was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.
When studying abroad at the United States, I guess food is the thing I miss the most. What make worse is that I do not have a car, so it is more difficult for me to go to some Chinese restaurants being far away from the campus. So the Panda Express, located in the food court on campus, is my first choice when I miss the Chinese food. However, the food from Panda is more like the American Chinese food. The sauces are usually too sweet or too salty for me. What a funny story! Once I was chatting with one of my American friends, she was excited about telling me how much she likes the Chinese food. Then I asked her what her favorite Chinese food was. Her answer was the Orange Chicken! However, I never had the Orange Chicken for my entire life in China before I came to the United States. The truth is that we do not really have Orange Chicken in China.
I usually have Panda Express as my lunch once a week for these three years. So I do figure out some tips of choosing healthy Chinese food from Panda. Let me share my tips with you all. Hope you can pick healthier Chinese food from Panda later!
1. Rice/ noodles or Mixed Veggies
Whether you are going to order a Panda Bowl and or a Two Sides meal, you can say NO to both rice and noodles. You can pick mixed veggies instead of rice and noodles. It helps you take out more than 300 Calories!!!!
Mixed Veggies: Side: 70 Cal; Entree: 30 Cal
2. Fried Rice or Chow Mein or White Rice
If you are rice lovers or noodles lovers, you cannot have no rice or noodles for meals. Please go with white rice! It has 120/ 150 less Cal than Chow Mein and Fried Rice.
Fried Rice: 530 Cal
Chow Mein: 500 Cal
White Rice: 380 Cal
3. Low Cal Sides/ Entrees
Chicken dishes, especially chicken breast dishes have lower Calories! Go for it.
String Bean Chicken Breast: 170 Cal
Garlic Lovers' Chicken Breast: 180 Cal
Mushroom Chicken: 220 Cal
Potato Chicken: 220 Cal
Broccoli Beef: 130 Cal
4. No extra Sauces
If you the server asks you that do you want some sauce, please remember NO is the right answer!
Mandarin Sauce: 180 Cal (Watch Out!!!)
Sweet & Sour Sauce: 70 Cal
Hope all these tips help!! Have fun for your next Panda Express lunch/ dinner trip.
