Archive for April, 2008

Unique Wedding Favors SeriesPersonalized Tea Favors and Sweet Honey

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008


The perfect wedding favor will engage as many senses as possible while recreating the sweet memories and emotions of your wedding for your guests. Wedding tea favors and sweet honey delights, personalized with your name and unique message, are an ideal wedding favor choice. Gifts rich with sensory joys like beautifully packaged teas are the latest trend in favor gift giving as they evoke a feeling of warmth and comfort symbolic to your marriage itself.

Tea favors bring depth and culture to your choice of wedding favor. Tea has been enjoyed by mankind since 3,000 BC and is rich with tradition and meaning. The distinctive wedding tea favor is a robust blend of black tea, created from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, a beautiful white flowering plant known for its medicinal qualities. Many scientists and naturalists believe that teas promote a long healthy life, a symbolism of a wonderful marriage.

Tea has been an important part of wedding traditions all over the world for centuries. In China, guests sip sweet tea as a symbolic wish for a sweet marriage between the newlywed couple. In many cultures, sharing tea with guests, friends, and family is a sign of ultimate respect and gratitude.

Wedding tea favors are becoming a popular wedding favor choice and can be customized with gorgeous prints, lettering, and packaging to match the theme of your wedding. Try packaging the glossy white foil packs with aromatic cinnamon sticks and an elegant tea cup, bound with flowing ribbons. For an even richer gift surprise, add a matching personalized honey favor jar to further enhance the sweet warmth of the wedding tea favors.

Sensory rich wedding favors have a way of bringing the romance and splendor of your wedding back to your guests long after your last dance. The most wonderful way to reward the friends and family that made your day special is to send them home with invigorating tea favors and an opportunity to enjoy a moment of warm comfort.

Tea favors and hearty sweet honey jars are perfect items on which to print your name and your sweetheart’s names and the date of your wedding. The shiny packaging of the tea favor and the charm of the honey jar are fit for display and invite your guests to relive the memory of your union with each glance.

The hopes, dreams, and romance that create a perfect wedding are emotions that are difficult to capture with objects in the physical world. Warm, invigorating tea favors sipped from a delicate cup and sweetened with rich honey offer a way to recreate the magical moments of peace and joy that form a beautiful wedding.
The author is a freelance copywriter. To find tea wedding favors for your special day, try www.PWPOnline.com. This site offers a wide variety of wedding favors.

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All About Restaurant Sanitation

Sunday, April 27th, 2008


Restaurants have a natural challenge that just comes with the territory: cleanliness and food safety. It seems not a day goes by without another horror story in the news about contaminated food products. Restaurants get routinely shut down by the Health Department. Even if things don’t get that bad for your business, all it takes is for a delivery person to see a puddle of muck on the floor in your kitchen for a bad word-of-mouth campaign to start circulating about your establishment. The media reports cases of food poisoning on a daily basis in spite of the fact that the fast food business is flourishing.

It seems fast food has become the American way and the public will go blindly forth ordering with the expectation that the food has been prepared in sanitary conditions. From bug problems to breeding bacteria, fast food restaurants especially have countless issues behind their counters. The rules are put into place and enforced by management, inspectors, the Food and Drug Administration, and so forth, are there as the minimum defense, and just the beginning. If you are the manager, awareness on your part isn’t enough; you have to be vigilant in ensuring that every employee knows and follows the rules to the letter.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is bacteria transfer, which is due to food not being properly cooked or kept at the proper temperature. With such a demand for fast food, it is often all too easy for the employees to compromise their duties for the sake of saving time, and before they know it, they’ve served a meal that carries a nasty risk of food poisoning. The rules should be followed every time, not some of the time, as is unfortunately sometimes the case.

It is up to the management to see that the employees are properly doing their job, and, of course, effective management makes all of the difference in this endeavor. Close supervision is a necessity to help ensure that the work is being performed properly. Employees must care about their job and in return feel valued so that they will be more willing to perform their responsibilities correctly. Too often, factors like low pay, long hours, and little recognition makes employees more likely to burn out and do less than what is expected of them. Also, improper training of staff leads to improper fulfillment of job duties.

Unclean areas like counters or tables where food has been prepared can also spread bacteria and cause food poisoning. That is why it is important for employees to clean up after themselves and make sure that their work space is kept fastidiously clean. Also, food containers that haven’t been properly washed and stock that hasn’t been properly rotated are havens for bacteria.

Employees who don’t wash their hands before returning to their work station can unknowingly spread bacteria and other diseases. That is why it is of the utmost importance that employees wash their hands and also why every fast food restaurant should have at least one sink designated for hand washing only, with properly posted instructions, and including the necessary soap, paper towels. Wearing gloves when in contact with food helps as added protection, but even gloves can touch unclean surfaces just like hands can, so they need to be changed after coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces and items.

Even pests can present a challenge to cleanliness in fast food working environments, so it is important that restaurants are regularly inspected and treated for pests. No one wants an unwelcome visitor in their food, but it does happen more than we’d like to think. If an employee witnesses any pest making contact with the food, the entire amount of food in the container should be discarded.

Hair nets are a good idea for keeping stray hairs and dander out of food. Hats are more often the rule, but less effective in preventing hairs and dander from getting into the food. Wearing long hair tied back in a ponytail or braid is a must. And while we’re at it, today’s generation does need to be made aware that the extreme fashion statements are out of place in a professional kitchen. There are many work environments where dreadlocks, mohawks, and afros present no problem, but the kitchen is not one of them.

A fast food kitchen is set up to be convenient, but not always easy to clean. Every establishment should go above and beyond the norm to ensure that food is properly handled. Customers, before ordering their next meal at your restaurant, are these days taking a close look at the employees and the environment if they can. They may not be able to spot what goes on behind the scenes, but they trust their instincts for what they are able to observe.

This is one more reason why it’s better not to understaff. Ensure that your expectations of your employees are reasonable, and hold regular training programs. Even taking a few hours out of a day between meal times to conduct a food safety drill, involving the whole team, will go a long way to promoting healthy practices in your kitchen. Dropping in for a spot check every now and then will also be effective. To prevent your employees from resenting your surprise inspection, show up ready to help out for an hour or so during the shift. You will have an opportunity to set a good example, as well as boost morale by showing the staff that you can work beside them as equals.
Freelance writer for over eleven years. Restaurant Training Videos Restaurant Uniforms Nurse Uniform Scrubs

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How Cooling Water Devices Work

Friday, April 25th, 2008


What are water coolers? They are quite simply, a device for cooling and dispensing drinking water. However, different types of coolers have evolved depending on various factors such as where to position it, whether it is for domestic or commercial use, and the differing quality of water required amongst other things.

In the 20th century, when the Western world professes to have perfectly drinkable tap water the question is asked, where did the idea of water coolers come from? The whole idea started during the 1920’s and 1930’s in America when the skyscraper building began. It was difficult in those days to pipe water to the upper floors so the unit with a bottle on top was the viable alternative and the issues of delivery, storing and carrying bottles was not so important as it solved a problem. Today, it is still an option for some companies, depending on their requirements.

In the latter part of the 20th century, advanced filter technology saw the introduction of the plumbed in unit with a carbon filter installed. This meant that the system could be plumbed into the main water supply in commercial buildings, negating the need for carrying heavy bottles, the risk of running out after demanding usage, not to mention the storage, which in major cities can be calculated in square footage. The unit incorporates a carbon filter, which is useful in that it removes approximately 10% of contaminants from the drinking water, namely chlorine and fluoride.

Now there is more advanced technology available and at a competitive price. The latest technology for commercial and domestic use giving the best quality drinking water is using the reverse osmosis process. The water coolers have installed in the unit, a reverse osmosis membrane that works alongside the carbon filter and a sediment filter, removing approximately 96% of contaminants from the municipal water supply.

As with any of the options, there are advantages and disadvantages but generally, the choice would be made depending on costs, maintenance, options for the building where the unit is to be installed and general feeling towards quality of water. Plumbed in water coolers is now the more popular choice for businesses as they involve less maintenance, are more cost effective and require less administration and storage. Companies refurbishing their offices now include the installation of them in their plans. This shows that their placement in the business environment is as essential as the positioning of the desks and computer stations.

The image of the water cooler became synonymous in the 1980’s with ‘cool’ advertising and was used as a prop in many Hollywood films. It was supposed to signify aspiration and affluence in a successful environment. In the present day, its image is synonymous with purity, hydration and health with advertising cashing in on images of snowcapped mountains, rivers running through fjords, clear blue skies and images of the sea with crashing waves on deserted beaches.

With health and hydration regularly featuring in the news, the business of water coolers is a growing one and as the marketing gets more creative and people demand better quality water, the industry will continue to grow.
Anna Stenning is an expert on water coolers and plans to by her own cooling unit. For more on water filtration and cooling units visit http://www.pure-eau.co.uk/

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Your Guide to Discovering Hollywood Restaurants

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008


Hollywood is a popular tourist attraction, and Hollywood restaurants are popular with the steady influx of tourists who come to view celebrity homes, visit historic sites, and take photos of the landmark Hollywood sign. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which restaurant to choose. This article will focus on some of the best takeout restaurants in the area. After a long day of site-seeing, or a long day of work, it as easy to fall into the pattern of ordering from the same take-out restaurants again and again. The good news is that there are many takeout restaurant options available.

If you are looking for a Thai restaurant in the Hollywood area, look no further than Pink Pepper. Since 1989, this moderately priced dining option has been serving traditional Thai food with a California twist. The menu includes a full assortment of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and offers the option of takeout for those on the go. The Green Curry Fried Rice and the signature Pink Pepper Rolls are popular menu choices.

For a healthy, Vegan twist on traditional Thai and Chinese dishes, California Vegan serves dishes like Fried Soy Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce, and Pad Thai served with a choice of Tofu, Soy, Chicken, Soy Fish, Seitan, Pepper Steak, or Soy Shrimp. For dessert, Vegan Carrot Cake with Soy Ice Cream and other health conscious options provide an appealing alternative to regular restaurant fare.

Anyone who is in the mood for a traditional Italian dinner will want to try the cuisine offered by Vivoli Cafe, located at 7994 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. With authentic dishes like Zuppa di Mare, (soup with clams, mussels, calamari, salmon and shrimp in tomato broth) and Involitini di Melanzane (Eggplant filled with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce) and a wide assortment of pizzas, it is easy to see why Vivoli is a local favorite.

For an authentic Italian breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Marcos Trattoria is also a popular Hollywood area choice. For breakfast, Marcos offers an assortment of egg dishes cooked to order, as well as Frittatas and Omelets. For bigger appetites, Gyorgys Breakfast, a three egg omelet with Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach served with diced potatoes and two Chocolate Chip pancakes with homemade strawberry topping is a customer favorite. Lunch and dinner options include an assortment of salads and appetizers, pizzas, pasta, and entrees.

These are just some of the many takeout dining options available in the Hollywood area.
Click here to find local Hollywod Restaurants

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Cooking Tips Everyone Needs

Saturday, April 19th, 2008


There is not a single chef in the world that does not have some sort of special cooking tips to offer up to the budding cook. Anyone who has stepped in front of a stove has, at one time or another, needed a little bit of advice.

It may not be an entire lecture on how to cook but just some helpful ideas to make it a little bit easier and help ensure a culinary success. Here are some great tips that anyone can use.

30 minute meals are not impossible and are a great answer to the hectic pace set in our lives by work, family and other obligations. Great food does not have to take a long time to prepare.

Cooking tips to help achieve great meals quickly are to use pre-sliced vegetables from the salad bar or already washed and bagged. You would be surprised at how much time this saves.

Another tip is to use thinner slices of meat. The thinner cuts will cook in far less time. The key is to find high-quality cuts that are tender.

One tip when making food that is invaluable is to know thy audience. For example: you make a wonderful shell fish dinner for a friend. You have spent hours slaving away over a hot stove preparing this culinary masterpiece.

The guest arrives and you suddenly remember that he or she is allergic to shell fish. This might seem humorous if it were happening to someone else but unfortunately you are left with a steaming seafood dinner only to wind up serving hamburgers at the last minute. Know who is going to be eating the meal if at all possible.

Food and cooking can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it. A sure recipe for disaster is to attempt a new recipe while under time constraints or feeling pressured.

Knowing useful tips when making food mean nothing if there is not a desire to create. Making food is an art and one that takes time and practice in order to master. The greatest tips anyone can give are ones that let you know that mistakes are inevitable but nothing is impossible.

All recipes come from one of two things: a need or a desire for that dish. Tips when making food can come from a variety of places. They can be found within the recipe, on the internet or come from family or friends.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation, ask for some advice. Chances are that you were not the only person to fumble over that particular attempt. Have fun with it and enjoy yourself because in the end what matters most is the experience.
Mike Selvon portal offers free cooking information. Find out more about some useful cooking tips, and leave a comment at the healthy cooking blog.

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Simple Romantic French Dinner for Valentines Day

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008


When you cook for Valentine’s Day, love radiates from your heart, seeps into the food and gives it the mystical quality that ignites the soul. When you serve your Valentine an elegant meal do it with some candles, good wine or champagne if you like, and a loving smile. The real aphrodisiac is you!

Cream of Courgette soup with tarragon

Ingredients:
500 g small courgettes (zucchini) firm and a shiny green
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large tablespoon creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon of crushed peppercorns
2 sprigs of tarragon washed and drained
salt to taste

Wash trim and slice the courgettes. Fill a pan with 1 1/2 cups water, add the bouillon cube and bring to the boil. Add the sliced courgette. Cook for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the creme fraiche, peppercorns and salt and then blend. Pour into soup bowls and add the sprigs of tarragon as a garnish.

Tagliatelle with sage and pasta

Ingredients:
1/2 bunch fresh sage washed and drained
4 slices pancetta ham
200 grams fresh tagliatelle pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons butter
60 grams of grated parmesan cheese

Saute the slices of pancetta and drain on paper towel. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan and add the sage leaves and saute for 1 minute. Drain. Cook the pasta according to the directions with 1 tablespoon of oil added to the water to keep the strands of pasta separate during cooking. Drain and add the ricotta and butter. Stir together. Heap the pasta on two plates and top each pile with the pancetta, sage leaves, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Heart with Raspberries

Ingredients:

3 eggs
100 grams bitter chocolate
100 grams unsalted butter
100 grams of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon raspberry liqueur
1 tablespoon plain flour
150 grams fresh raspberries
Icing sugar to decorate

Preheat oven to 300F or 150C
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks, butter, sugar, raspberry liqueur, and flour. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the chocolate mixture. Butter a heart-shaped or round cake tin. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes. The cake should be slightly runny in the centre. If using a round cake tin then cut a piece of cardboard into a heart-shaped pattern approximately the same size as the cake. Remove the cake from the tin and place the heart shaped template on top and use a sharp knife to cut out a heart. Cool. Wash and drain the raspberries. Just before serving, arrange the raspberries evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with icing sugar (use a tea strainer) and serve immediately.
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All You Wanted To Know About Discount Toasters

Monday, April 14th, 2008


Have you ever imagined over the morning breakfast that the toast you really enjoy comes from a toaster which seems a lesser complex device but indeed a small box of wonders. An electric toaster is not very much a complex machine, but there’s more going on in that little
slotted box then you probably think of.

The basic principle of bread getting into the slot,slot gets hot, toast pops out is easy enough to follow, but what’s really going on beneath the toaster cover is a bit more complex and quite interesting to understand. Here’s how it works. A rider present in the slot holds the bread. When the handle is depressed the rider carries the bread down into the slot.

Grates close around the bread to center it and an electromagnet holds the rider down until the timer goes off.

At the same time a pair of contacts are forced together, sending current through nichrome wire that is crisscrossed over a mica sheet. This causes the highly resistant nichrome to produce a great deal of heat very quickly.

The bread is toasted (i.e. lightly charred) by infrared radiation produced by these heated coils. When the timer, i.e. the toaster’s Darkness Setting, goes off the electromagnet is deactivated, causing the spring-loaded tray to pop up and disengage the contacts, which in turn breaks the circuit and stops the current from flowing through the heating element.

Now the next time you go to buy a toaster you don’t really need to keep this in mind but in reality what you have to consider is the other functional aspects of the toaster.

Here are some features to look for when deciding which toaster is the best choice for you.
* Slice #: 2 slice toaster or 4 slice toaster.
* Slot Size: Standard size slot or extra wide slots.
* Removable Crumb Tray: Handy for cleaning.
* Defrost Function: To unfreeze frozen bread.
* Bagel Setting: To perfectly toast bagels.
* Reheat Option: Warms without browning.
* Browning Controls: For precise browning.
* Cancel Button: Stops toasting immediately.
* Self-Centering Bread Racks: For even toasting
* Extra High Rack Lift: For easy removal of small items
* Toaster Cover: Keeps unit clean/protected when it’s not in use.

On the second hand find out more about the toasters which suit the criteria. Short list the toasters and read their reviews. Also compare them on their prices before you make your decision.

A good toaster is the open which is functional, easy to clean, fits in your budget and comes with a warranty.
Discount toasters are also available in many stores and online portals wherein you can find the best toaster within the reach of your pocket. You can find the best of discount toasters online at toaster-oven.net, amazon.com, smartbargains.com, cheaptoasters.com etc.

The recommended toaster brands are Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Krups, KitchenAid, Braun, Toaster, Cuisinart etc. So the next time you buy a toaster review the product carefully, compare the prices and get yourself the best bargain with discount toasters.
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All Water Is Not Created Equally

Friday, April 11th, 2008


Water is water right? Whether you get it from a faucet or a garden hose, or grab one from the cooler at the convenience store, it’s just water and all water is just that, right? Not true at all. All water is not created equally. I hope that after reading this article you will have a better understanding about the differences that exist in this refreshment that nature has kindly provided for us since the beginning of time.

Of course, way-way back when, the water provided by nature was in its purest form. It was free from the pollutants of today, caused by a number of factors in the air and soil, and which then makes its way into oceans, rivers, lakes and streams.

In many communities it isn’t really advisable to drink water straight from the tap, because tiny microbial organisms can find their way into the water that comes out of our faucets. These microbial teeny-weenies don’t usually cause people with healthy immune systems any problems. But those with immune systems weakened by chronic disease, poor nutrition, lack of adequate exercise, and other ailments, could become sick from drinking unfiltered water. Children can also become sick through drinking unfiltered water because a child’s immune system isn’t fully developed yet and may not be strong enough to combat these microbial organisms.

To prevent these micro organisms from making their way into your cup of water install a filter on your faucet to trap and kill them. You can find filters for the faucets in your home at your local hardware, home and chain stores. The internet offers a wealth of selections in filters for the faucets in your home and good deals on pricing, and reasonable shipping costs aren’t hard to find either!

How about bottled water? Here too, not all water is the same. Next time you’re grocery shopping, check out the beverage aisles, they are jam packed with enough choices to make a person dizzy! Plain, distilled, from spring-fed waters, with flavoring (made either with pure sugar or sugar substitutes) added to them, or loaded with electrolytes, minerals and now even with appetite suppressants and energy boosters!

Don’t be fooled by the clever packaging used by manufacturers to encourage consumer purchasing. Just as you are carefully reading food labels to ensure you’re making the healthiest food choices, the same applies when buying bottled water and bottled water combined with other ingredients.

Bottled water that is advertised as: made from fresh, spring-fed waters may not be as accurate as their packaging suggests at first glance. Check the label and look for the % of spring-fed water the product actually contains. Some brands that look as if they came straight out of the purest of waters, only contain a small amount of this so-called pure water (beavers and other animals do the doo in these waters) and the remaining water content is most likely no different than the tap water from home.

Stay away from flavored water made with high-fructose corn syrup. Sure, it makes the water taste really good; high-fructose corn syrup is just a fancy name for sugar, but it also adds needless calories and absolutely no nutritional value to your water. So is it really worth it when the purpose of drinking more water per day, is for the betterment of our health?

Remember- not all water is created equal. For good health, consider installing filters on the faucets in your home to keep the microbial organisms that can make you sick out of your drinking water. Be diligent in reading the labels on the various types of bottled water so you know exactly what you’re drinking.
Scott White is a certifiedpersonal trainer and nutritionist located in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about nutrition and fitness, reach Scott at Personal Trainer | Personal Training.

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Protein In Vegetarian Diets

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008


Vegetarian food is often accused of providing a less than adequate source of nutrition. The human body is dependent on a great number of vitamins and other minerals and each of these can be attained in a vegetarian diet as well as any other.

In fact it may well be that a vegetarian diet is better equipped to provide for our protein requirements than any other.

Protein is any one of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that form the structural components of body tissues. Often described as the building block of life Protein is the second most abundant substance in the human body, after water.

Proteins play a crucial role in the biological processes of the body and are essential for growth and repair. The immune system, the transmissions of nerve and muscle impulses are all dependent on proteins. Proteins also provide the structural support needed for our skin and bones.

During digestion, the human body breaks proteins down into smaller components, called amino acids. Once absorbed they are use to make new proteins as the body requires.

There are approximately 20 different amino acid types in proteins and the human body is able to make all but 9 of them itself. The 9 it cannot produce are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Histidine is essential for the healthy growth of children.

Unlike meat products, vegetables do not contain all the amino acids we need individually, so a varied intake of vegetables is necessary to ensure sufficient protein replenishment.

Good sources of protein for vegetarians include most beans and pulses, nuts, seeds, tofu, soya milk and textured soya protein, wheat, oats, rice, milk and cheese. Egg is also an excellent source of protein and is considered to contain the ideal composition of amino acids. Some of the poorer sources of protein are carrots, apples, sugar and butter.

The recommended daily intake of protein for men is 42 to 56 grams and for women 41 to 47 grams. As a general rule the older the person the more protein is required. Pregnant women require 51 grams and women who are breast-feeding require 53 to 56 grams. Also as a general rule, we are recommended to consume 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh.

Our protein needs do not alter with activity levels, although protein intake needs to increase for the repair of tissues and during periods of rapid growth such as pregnancy or in children.

Almost all plants contain protein, so it is unlikely for a vegetarian to develop a protein deficiency while practicing a balanced vegetarian diet. Excessive protein can also causes adverse effects to the human body and may increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart and kidney disease and cancer. However it is now believed a vegetarian diet contains adequate yet not overly excessive levels of protein.

So vegetarians need not be overly concerned with their protein intake, simply practising a varied and balanced diet is more than adequate.

A vegan diet may need to be planned a little more carefully than a vegetarian, to ensure adequate protein levels are met. A good variety of grains, pulses, nuts and starchy vegetables are recommended.
Colin Didcott is a life long vegetarian and collector of authentic vegetarian recipes from around the world. Visit Vegetarian Recipes Realm To see his collection of low calorie vegetarian recipes and join in the friendly vegetarian community.

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Choosing Fruits and Vegetables For A Healthy Diet

Sunday, April 6th, 2008


The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat about nine servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables each and every day. This is important to provide your body with the minimal levels of essential nutrients and antioxidants needed by each and every cell in your body to support optimal health. When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your healthy diet plan. Shelves of the grocery stores are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. Uncooked, these provide essential nutrients, fiber and even a portion of the water you need every day of your life. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

Adding nine servings of fruits and vegetables to your healthy diet plan is not as difficult as it sounds. Seek a variety of foods; choose foods with different colors because those colors are indicators of different nutrients inside the cells of the food. As a general guideline, the nine servings come out to two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. Most people who add this to their diet quickly find that they no longer have cravings during the day and save money on other snack foods which typically provide no nourishment of any kind. So not only do you improve your diet, you can save money and experience the health benefits of a diet, high in whole foods and low in sodium, fat, simple carbs and preservatives.

As your wean yourself from a life of snack foods to better foods, you may experience some changes as your body uses the improved fiber and higher levels of nutrients to deal with your biological “to do list.” This is normal so keep at it and eventually you should experience more energy, better sleep and a variety of other benefits reported by people who share a better diet.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely aesthetic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. Be sure that you’re cooking things lightly to preserve as many of the essential nutrients as possible. Try to avoid putting any of your food through the microwave because the penetrating radiation heats water, sugar and fat molecules inside the food as well as on the surface and will damage even more of the essential nutrients than conventional cooking practices.

Many people mistakenly believe they do not need to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Nothing could be further from the truth. Supplementation should be a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain far more than micronutrients. They also contain the more complex phytochemicals, phytosterols and essential fiber that you need to support proper cell function and optimal health.

While fresh fruits and vegetables are not the only component of a health diet, they are an essential one and are typically left out of the Standard American Diet (which is S.A.D.). Choose optimal health and choose a healthy diet. By adding fresh, raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet, you too will discover the benefits that others do when they choose a healthy diet.
Dave Saunders is a professional lecturer, and certified nutritional educator. He enjoys creating interconnections through his writings and lectures to help others create context and see new discoveries and technologies in more a practical light. You can find out more about new discoveries how to benefit from a Healthy Diet at www.glycoboy.com

Now You Can Make Exquisite, Perfectly Crafted, Gourmet Cupcakes All From Your Own Kitchen! Over 30 Gourmet Cupcake Recipes In One E-Book with this great little ebook available at www.cupcake-recipes.com