On Food & Health
Make a resolution you can live with
Volume 0901, Issue 01
Greetings Friends, Happy New Year 2009!
Chef Daniel Online is launching the first of its official newsletters for this year. Here you will find relevant news, announcements, useful food and nutrition information, plus the recipe of the month. Please share with at least one friend.
Does anybody make a New Year’s resolution any more? In these days of financial hardship for so many, staying healthy is like putting money in the bank. It makes economic sense to make just one resolution that seems reasonable enough to keep for the long haul. The three suggestions, below, are simple enough that if you can stick with one for 90 days, chances are that you succeeded in adding a positive habit to your life.
More...
Food For Thought
A consistent supply of good-for-you-food has always been the best policy, especially for growing children. With children of my own, I make sure that we know about everything they put in their mouths.
It is well established that foods have the capacity to alter a mood and behavior. Understanding how certain foods affect mood and behavior, and making nutritional choices accordingly, can help enhance the learning process and maintain a calm mood. You can make this happen through deliberate food choices that support steady energy levels while providing necessary hydration (water), protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Water is essential. Natural, clean water is the best source. Water is a universal solvent that our body depends on to carry out the chemical reactions necessary for life. A minimally dehydrated individual will feel lethargic and less alert. Water taken often, throughout the day, will help you stay alert and keep your muscles functioning properly, making them less prone to injury. It will also help ferry toxins out. Keeping clear of metabolites or toxins is like keeping your home clear of garbage – everything moves about easier. Soda (sweetened or artificially sweetened) and/or alcoholic beverages are a poor source of hydration. Sugar-sweetened beverages (and non-caloric-sweetener-containing sodas) typically carry dissolved solids like sugar (or aspartame), acid, flavors, caffeine and coloring agents that create a burden for our internal organs. Caffeine stimulates the kidneys to produce urine, leading to further dehydration. Alcohol has the same effect. For clarity of mind and natural alertness, water or decaffeinated tea (un or moderately sweetened) is the best choice.
More...
Easy to Follow Healthy Nutrition Basics
The human body needs chemical energy to live. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats and minerals provide the energy and building materials to grow and repair bone and tissue. The energy resides in the chemical bonds within each of the foods we eat.
·Carbohydrates are the fuel of choice. They are easy to digest and breakdown into energy. The energy these provide lasts a short while and consumption should be limited to smaller portions to be eaten throughout the day, with the bulk of the “carbs” eaten earlier in the day when physical activity is highest. Refined products should be eaten very little as possible or avoided. Examples of refined products are: instant rice, sweetened drinks, granulated sugar, white-fluffy bread, pastries and all sweets. Better sources are brown rice, whole wheat pasta, dense multigrain breads, honey, wild rice and any grain product that is closest to its natural state. Whatever carbohydrate you eat, leave for the middle to last part of the meal – never begin with carbohydrates.
·Proteins are used for building and repairing muscle and connective tissue. These are easier to manage than carbohydrates. Meat, chicken, eggs, fish, legumes and soy are good sources of protein. Your body will discard whatever protein it does not use. The best kind of protein is that which has a minimal amount of saturated fat accompanying it. One pound of animal protein per week is the standard recommendation for the average American.
·Fats are essential for life and well-being. The ideal fats for our consumption are mono-unsaturated fats. The best examples include: olive oil and canola oil. Very green olive oil is best eaten uncooked to keep the integrity of its nutrients. The green coloration is rich in phytonutrients which aid in the prevention of cancers and lowering blood pressure to normal levels. Canola oil strikes a good balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. With neutral flavor, this oil provides your body with the essential precursors it needs to make the Omega-3 fatty acids that help keep arteries clean. Fats are essential for skin and hair beauty, as well as a properly functioning nervous system, overall health and a good sex life.
Eat fats regularly. The healthiest diets in the world contain 40 – 50 % of their calories from fat. However, keep in mind that the best fats to eat are monounsaturated fats, such as those mentioned above, and the fat found in marine oily fishes.
Healthy eating means combining the above with plenty of vegetables, eating three meals a day with healthy snacking in between. Always include plenty of water, before and after a meal, when waking and before going to sleep.
Live long and prosper!