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Posts Tagged ‘Food & Beverage’

Eight Things to Avoid for People With Dementia

August 8th, 2009

Proper nutrition is the building block for which our bodies fight disease. Therefore, it only stands to reason that knowing what NOT to eat as well as how NOT to prepare your food is the first step in fighting the affects of Dementia. These eight steps can assist you in deciding what you should and shouldn’t put in your mouth.

1) Say No to Milk - Anyone with Dementia should avoid dairy milk. Instead, they should seek out their dairy needs from other sources such as soy, rice, goats and almonds.

2) No Red Meat - All forms of red meat and processed meats such as hot dogs or sausages should be eliminated from the diet. Instead, seek protein from alternate sources such as soy, alfalfa sprouts or fish. The best fish includes salmon, cod, tuna and sardines are an excellent source for high quality Omega 3 Fatty Acids which are highly beneficial to the body.

3) No Fast Food - While we all enjoy fried chicken, French fries and other deep fried delectables, these should all be eliminated from the diet. Not only are they high in fat, the saturated oil they are fried in contains free radical agents that affect the body in a negative way.

4) Beer or Wine - All alcohol consumption should be limited. In France, a recent study showed that those partaking in one or two glasses of red wine per day were able to fight stress more diligently. The reason for this beneficial reaction is the antioxidant activity in theoligomeric proanthocyanidin substances found in the wine.

5) Ban Sugar - It is highly beneficial to eliminate all foods containing refined sugars. These foods include cookies, cakes donuts and brownies. In addition, foods containing Equal/NutraSweet/Saccharin and Aspartame are potentially harmful and should be eliminated as well.

6) No Licorice - Although the sweet taste of licorice is a very amongst most everyone, it should be eliminated from the diet. Unfortunately, this tasty treat potentiates cortisol which then leads to compromised potassium intake which can than lead to hypokalemia.

7) Be Happy - Stress can be harmful to the body in many ways including cortisol, which mentioned above compromises potassium intake. In addition, it is very important not to inflict undue stress on the body with things such as red meat, caffeine, refined sugar, processed foods and nicotine.
8) No Aluminum! - Don’t cook with any materials made from aluminum. That means no pots, pans or ladles made with aluminum. There has been significant speculation that an intake of aluminum from foods, antacids, cookware or antiperspirants may play a role in contracting Alzheimers disease, a cortical type of dementia.

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Food & Beverage

Fun Finger Food Recipes Made with Specialty Italian Meat

May 4th, 2009

Stop serving the same old finger food recipes. You know, the chips and salsas, veggie trays, and cheesballs. It’s time to have some fun in the kitchen during your next party and really wow your guests! Volpi Foods, one of U.S’s oldest and most prestigious manufacturer Italian meat products, wants to help you with some great ideas for finger food recipes - Italian style, so that your next get-together will be a sure hit.

Italian is among one of America’s most popular cuisines. Normally when people think of Italian dishes, they think of heavy pastas, pizza, and lasagna. But there are many wonderful ways to fix Italian cuisine - that don’t involve the heavy entrees that can make your guests sleepy. We’d like to suggest some creative Italian selections which involve delicious specialty meat products - served as finger food recipes or appetizers - to make any mouth water.

Even being short on time, theres no reason to rely on store bought dips and platters. How about serving an antipasto dish as a unique before the meal treat? Decadently arranged, these Italian meat dishes are one of a kind. For this recipe to wow your guests, we recommend mozzarella and provolone cheese with Volpis Milano Salami, pre-sliced prosciutto and coppa. Simply roll up the meats and cut cheeses into square bites, and arrange nicely on your dish. For an even quicker appetizer, try Volpis Rotola, which is made of thinly sliced prosciutto rolled in mozzarella cheese. Just slice and serve! Talk about a mouth-watering treat that is unique!

Another wonderful finger food recipe is Volpis antipasticks. These skewers make for a real classic and delicious pairing your guests will want to indulge in as soon as they come in the door. For this dish, use Volpini sliced salami, mozzarella cheese, green and black olives, grape tomatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. To prepare, place olives and tomatoes in a bowl and season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Cut cheese in cubes. Place (in this order) slice of salami, cheese, salami, tomato, salami and olive on the toothpick. And how about we recommend a great wine pairing? Try a crisp Pinot Grigio or a robust Chianti Classico.

Volpi invites you to take a deeper look into the finger food recipes you make for your next party. Often times, a really great and decadent appetizer is all that is needed! Not only are these suggested finger food ideas Italian meat delicacies, they are very easy to make. With dishes such as these, we recommend leaving pretzel and chip dips for the kids’ next sleepover.

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Food & Beverage

Taurine and Coffee - Strange Bedfellows

February 3rd, 2009

Artificial taurine and caffeine: a deadly mix. Why? Probably because of a coincidence 20 years ago. Someone at Red Bull, for whatever reason, added Taurine to their drink and over time, this became the Bull Standard. Close to 10 billion cans of energy drinks are produced every year (more than one for everyone of the planet!). Surprising when one considers the toxic mix of chemicals contained in this product. We definatley enjoy following the crowd!

Several studies indicate that taurine and caffeine together are a highly toxic mix (see Taurine and Caffeine). So taurine in energy drinks apparently is not only useless, several studies seem to indicate that it is actually damaging for your health, especially when it is synthetic (see Heart Problems with Synthetic Taurine).

Because of these and other studies, taurine is banned in energy drinks in many European countries. Other contries are examining this issue very cafefully.

Energy drinks are great stay alert longer and to get a mental boost. I like to drink them in the morning before my coffee. They help me start my day on a good foot.

The problem with most energy drinks is that, for marketing purposes, they include all kinds of other unnecessary and sometimes dangerous ingredients (artificial sweeteners, High Fructose, artificial vitamins). This increases the likelihood that at some time in the future, some health issues will develop. One could argue that many drugs currently being reviewed by the FDA also have potentially overwhelming side-effects. This is why the FDA reviews and rejects drugs where the negatives outweigh the postives. The FDA does not review energy drinks.

Some of the energy drinks I dislike are the usual culprits: Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar. They are basically carbon copies of each other. Some of the energy drinks I DO like are Guyaki Yerba Matte), GURU Energy Drink), and Sambason Energy. they all contain mostly what you need in an energy drink. A stimulant (natural caffeine, guaranine or yerba matte) plus a minimum of other ingredients, most of them organic.

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Food & Beverage

Vitamin E As An Antioxidant

January 31st, 2009

Vitamin E as an Antioxidant

Vitamin E is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in helping to eliminate free radicals that will damage and impair our immune system. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that attack molecules in our body while they’re destroying electron, which results in the chemical structures in our body being modified. Vitamin E is also very effective in protecting our skin from the damage it can get from ultraviolet rays from spending too much time in the sun. This is the main reason why so may skin care products are made with Vitamin E.

Sources of Vitamin E

Vitamin E has many other benefits for our body. It can help your bladder as well as help against developing prostate cancer and heart disease. Doctors are also linking Vitamin E with being able to slow down the process of Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin E is very easy to find as it is in almost all leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuces. Vitamin E is also in fish, nuts whole grains, wheat germs and many different vegetable oils. Most of us consume a certain amount of Vitamin in on a daily basis without realizing it just by the foods we consume. It’s important to remember, however, that just because we are consuming them daily doesn’t mean we’re getting the recommended dosage.

Vitamin E as a Supplement

Vitamin E can be taken as a supplement in pill form or as a liquid, although this should not be taken without the advice of your doctor first. It’s important with any kind of vitamin that you follow the recommended dietary allowances (RDA), which are usually right on the back of the bottle. Your doctor may also have his own recommended amount for you based on your health, age and sex. What’s the right dosage for one person may not be right for someone else.

Vitamin E is not very toxic so, fortunately, you see very few cases of overdosing with Vitamin E from the foods you eat. However, if you were taking Vitamin E supplements and took more than 3,000 IU, you could cause toxicity, which would result in certain symptoms such as diarrhea, intestinal cramps, double vision, muscle weakness and fatigue.

Before taking any vitamin supplements, it’s important to make sure they don’t contradict with any other vitamins or medications you’re taking. For instance, Vitamin E tends to deplete the supply of Vitamin you may be taking, which can interfere with blood clotting. For this reason, they recommend you keep the maximum dose of Vitamin E to 1,000 IU per day. In addition, Vitamin E should be taken with Vitamin C, B3, selenium and glutathione so Vitamin E will remain active. For these reasons, it may be best to take a multivitamin that has all the required supplements in one pill.

More resources about Swanson vitamins coupons and sport supplements available here at this web.

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Valentine’s Day Chocolates - Chocolates Delivered

January 31st, 2009

Women love chocolate! Show you care by sending some incredibly delicious, gourmet Valentine’s Day chocolates. You can even send a Valentine’s Day chocolate gift basket! Whether you want to send a traditional chocolate heart assortment or a Valentine’s Day chocolate gift basket, each choice will bring smiles to your loved one! When you give her chocolates, she knows you truly know the way to her heart and her sweet tooth too.

We are sure your perfect chocolate gift basket or box will get rave reviews! Our goal is your ultimate satisfaction! Want a gift dea for a thank-you? Need a birthday gift? Browse our selection of chocolate gifts and gourmet chocolate baskets. Your gourmet chocolate gift is wrapped and beautifully presented to make a delicious, mouthwatering treat. We are sure your perfect chocolate gift basket or box will get rave reviews!

At the Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe, you will find the finest in gourmet chocolate gifts. We offer a wide selection in dark, milk and even white chocolates! Indulge yourself of a friend with a gift of gourmet Belgium Chocolates, Belgian Chocolate Gifts and Chocolate Gift Baskets that met the highest of taste and quality standards that you deserve! Try some dark Belgian chocolates, truffles or delicious Belgium chocolate gift creations.

Find a wide selection of chocolate gifts, gourmet chocolate gift baskets, rich Belgium chocolates, truffles,gourmet sugar free and diabetic chocolates. All of our Vegan chocolate do not contain animal products of any kind. We can express ship your chocolates to! Find handmade, rich, gourmet Belgian chocolates, chocolate gifts and gift baskets that met the highest of taste and quality standards that you deserve! If you are looking for an assortment of dark Belgian chocolates, truffles or other delicious Belgium chocolate creations.

All of our gourmet chocolates are individually made and carefully crafted to meet even the most discerning of taste buds! We use only the finest of rich creamy chocolate and the best ingredients in each of our creations. Order your chocolate lover’s Valentine chocolates and have them beautifully delivered right to their door and just wait for the thank you! Whether you want the gift delivered or shipped to you so that you can deliver it in person, we will make sure that each gift is perfectly packaged and ready to be enjoyed. At the Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe you can buy chocolates online: for chocolate gifts: Valentine’s chocolates, Mother’s Day chocolate treats, Sweetest Day, and even delicious gourmet chocolate birthday gifts.

Whether you want to choose a milk or dark chocolate collection of assorted gourmet chocolates, buttercreams or a combination of both, you will be delighted with each bite! Have a teenager or kids that you want to buy chocolates for? We have a number of fun and delicious chocolate gift choices that are sure to bring a delighted smile. Whether is a delicious chocolate gift or boxed chocolates ready for delivery, you are sure to find something delicious!

American chocolates will please from kids to serious chocolate lovers. Enjoy classic American chocolates without the sugar!If you are looking for some classic sugar free chocolates, our American Chocolates are all handmade and carefully crafted to meet even the most discerning of taste buds! American Chocolates are rich creamy chocolate with only the best ingredients! Show your love of all things American and buy American Chocoloates!

Order your chocolate lover’s Valentine chocolates and have them beautifully delivered right to their door and just wait for the thank you! Whether you want the gift delivered or shipped to you so that you can deliver it in person, we will make sure that each gift is perfectly packaged and ready to be enjoyed. You can buy chocolates online: for chocolate gifts: Valentine’s chocolates, Mother’s Day chocolate treats, Sweetest Day, and even delicious gourmet chocolate birthday gifts.

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Food & Beverage

Valentine’s Day Chocolates - Send Chocolates

January 30th, 2009

Show you care by sending some incredibly delicious, gourmet Valentine’s Day chocolates and scrumptious Valentine’s Day chocolate gift baskets! Whether you want to send a traditional chocolate heart assortment or a Valentine’s Day chocolate gift basket, each choice will bring smiles to your loved one! Women love chocolate! When you give her chocolates, she knows you truly know the way to her heart and her sweet tooth too.

When you open a box of gourmet assorted chocolates, the scent of the rich, creamy chocolates is the first thing you notice. Our chocolate assortments offer a little bit of everything - all handmade, gourmet chocolates in beautifully presented in a ribbon laden box! Whether it’s an assortment of chocolates for yourself, or the perfect gift for loved ones, our boxes of assorted chocolates are sure to provide a solution you’ll love!

When you need to find some sugar free chocolates, it is hard to find a satisfying choice. Try our delicious sugar free chocolates and taste the difference! Since we use only the highest quality ingredients in each of our incredible sugarfree chocolates, you don’t even miss the sugar! Each on of our gourmet sugar free chocolate collection makes a delicious gift choice for diabetics or those seeking low carb sweet treats. We feature sugar free dark chocolates, sugar-free milk or white chocolates, and sugarfree specialty chocolate, such as some incredible Belgian chocolates. Whether it is for you, some friends or a diabetic loved one, each of them will enjoy our gourmet sugar free chocolate selection and variety!

When you need to send a chocolate gift in a hurry, we can express ship and send chocolates to have your gifts delivered right on time! If you are looking for an assortment of dark Belgian chocolates, truffles or other delicious Belgium chocolate creations, you are sure to find the perfect selection here. For something unique, we have added some incredible gourmet Vegan chocolates! All of our Vegan chocolate do not contain animal products of any kind.

The smell of rich chocolate is the first thing you notice. Our chocolate assortments offer a little bit of everything - all handmade, gourmet chocolates. Our boxes of assorted chocolates are sure to provide a solution you’ll love! Whether you want to choose a milk or dark chocolate collection of assorted gourmet chocolates, buttercreams or a combination of both, you will be delighted with each bite! Have a teenager or kids that you want to buy chocolates for? Whether is a delicious chocolate gift or boxed chocolates ready for delivery, you are sure to find something delicious!

We feature sugar free dark chocolates, sugar-free milk or white chocolates, and sugarfree specialty chocolate, such as some incredible Belgian chocolates. Whether it is for you, some friends or a diabetic loved one, each of them will enjoy our gourmet sugar free chocolate selection and variety!

Indulge yourself with Belgian Chocolates, rich gourmet Belgium Chocolates, Belgian Chocolate Gifts and Chocolate Gift Baskets that met the highest of taste and quality standards that you deserve! Try some dark Belgian chocolates, truffles or delicious Belgium chocolate gift creations. The Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe proudly features the best selection of chocolate gifts, gourmet chocolate gift baskets, rich Belgium chocolates, truffles and even that rare taste treat - gourmet sugar free and diabetic chocolates.

Order your chocolate lover’s Valentine chocolates and have them beautifully delivered right to their door and just wait for the thank you! Whether you want the gift delivered or shipped to you so that you can deliver it in person, we will make sure that each gift is perfectly packaged and arrives on time for your gift giving! You can buy chocolates online: for chocolate gifts: Valentine’s chocolates, Mother’s Day chocolate treats, Sweetest Day, and even delicious gourmet chocolate birthday gifts.

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Food & Beverage

Ordering Vegetarian at Restaurants

January 30th, 2009

Even in today’s health conscious world, mentioning you are a vegetarian quickly stops the conversation. If you are thinking of following vegetarian diet for certain causes - religious belief, health reason, economic reason, animal rights - you will often face a barrage of uninformed arguments from skeptical relatives and friends. You may want to consider a vegetarian diet for improving and maintaining your physical, mental and spiritual health. Your vegetarian diet may be very healthy for you but an lack certain elements that are only obtained from animals.

You will probably be aware that putting your child on a vegetarian diet can greatly improve his or her health and limit the exposure to animal products that are often linked to hormones and preservatives. You would be wise to carry out some research before placing your child on a vegetarian diet to ensure they receive a suitably nutritious intake.

A vegetarians diet with involves regular servings of fruit, vegetables and whole grains is known to be healthy. By adopting the vegetarian diet, many obese people could deal with the problem of too much protein and animal fat in their diet and increase the amount of fiber. Low amounts of Cholesterol and fat are two other advantages of a vegetarian diet.

Another benefit of a high fiber diet is that our systems digest it faster and of course it doesn’t take as long to grow as meat. Historically though, being a vegetarian goes back to the beginning of time, and indeed, most of our ancestors did not eat meat very often, if at all. Some vegetarians still eat dairy products and eggs so when you are in an Italian restaurant it is worth checking what the vegetarian meals contain.

Medical research into the vegetarian diet highlights some interesting statistics. Of late, increasing numbers of people have switched to vegetarian meals - as scientific research has shown the adverse effects of animal meat. There is also, for instance, a 50% less chance that a vegetarian will develop heart disease. A large number of the population has decided to start a vegetarian diet during their life.

Although more and more people are adopting a vegetarian diet, it is the West where the biggest health benefits would be seen. Like all things in life, something worth doing that will benefit your health in the long term, is not necessarily the easiest thing to do. For a successful change to occur though, you must not consider a vegetarian diet as just a replacement for a meat based diet.

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5 Reasons to Crave Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 30th, 2009

We crave Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies like no other cuisine. We hunger for it. We seek it out. It is our treasured comfort cuisine. Here are the arguments why Gourmet chocolate chip cookies make us wacky!

1. Social Habits

Approximately all, proclaimed chocolate cravings are women (sorry men, but it’s unquestionable). Various professionals indicate that may be due to the psychological connection between chocolate, extravagance, and love. We speak about chocolate “melting in your mouth,” and we’ve all heard of the impeccable present: “flowers and chocolate.”

And people marvel why we need chocolate??

2. Chemical Reactions

It is a undeniable fact: chocolate makes you feel good. Chocolate has native uppers. Anandamide, is a native flavor enhancer, that some equal to authentic drugs. Something about the mix of cocoa, fat, and sugar is positively the right evenness to cause every feel-good chemical in your brain to sing! Chocolate concurrently turns loose endorphins and serotonin (your brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter) and controls your hunger for fat.

But, hold-up, there are extra rationale to crave chocolate!

3. Chocolate has Theo-bromine and caffeine, providing a mental thrust. Chocolate combines sugar and caffeine…this has been said before, but this makes chocolate the totally perfect food!

4. Phenyl-ethylamine, which increases your nervous system could give reactions similar to — all joking aside — ranking next to your latest crush..it is that POWERFUL.

5. Last, but certainly, not least, chocolate is fabulous for your sex life! Chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac. Recent studies have shown that women who eat a small bit of chocolate a day have much more sex than women who don’t. This could be because of those brain-relaxing chemicals (serotonin and endorphins) that are found in chocolate, and that chocolate boosts the brain to release more of as it’s eaten.

Of course, we yearn for chocolate and not, say, luncheon meat, which also consists of phenyl-ethylamine and tryptophan. It implies that unmatched fusion chocolate nails that sends our brain into “la-la land”.

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Food & Beverage

Goji Berries not Chinese Wolfberries

January 29th, 2009

The issue of what is wild-crafted Tibetan Goji Berry (Lycum Eleagnus Barbarum) seems to plague marketers of this delicious fruit. There are blatant misrepresentations of its origins by sales efforts wanting to cash in on the fruits pristine regional origins while distancing themselves from the polluted background of the Chinese variety called Wolfberry (Chinese Lycee or Lycium Barbarum), which most provider’s source as Goji.

The wild-craft Tibetan variety has been harvested for thousands of years as a medicinal food by Tibetan doctors and eaten freely as a wild fruit. Many generations ago Goji seeds were taken to China , cultivated, and called Wolfberry. The Chinese Wolfberry is suspect if it does not possess organic certification because of the lack of regulation regarding pesticides, herbicides, and DDT over the years in Chinese farming practices. It is a botanical given that soils with a history of repeat planting often suffer from mineral depletion, which can affect the nutrient quality of the produce, even in somewhat, similar climatic conditions.

The Tibetan regions provide pristine conditions that have contributed to the amazing nutritional complex of the Goji Berry because of the natural soils, air, and multiplicity of plant life, resulting in natural growing conditions that make wild-crafted botanicals so nutritionally rich. The wild-crafted Tibetan Goji Berry is a botanical rarity. The extremely high levels of antioxidants contained in these Goji Berries, along with many vitamins, minerals and immune-stimulating polysaccharides, make this brand of Goji Berries one of the worlds most desired and beneficial whole natural foods available.

Berries grown in China are Wolfberries not Goji Berries. In terms of comparing the two, Goji Berries are much more nutritionally dense than Wolfberries. One major example in the differences between Goji Berries and Wolfberries is their make up in terms of amino acids and trace minerals. Goji Berries may cost a little more than Wolfberries, but there are good reasons for that price difference and Goji Berries represent the better nutrition and better value.

Goji Berries offer one of the highest antioxidant sources in the world. Certified USDA registered laboratory reports have confirmed nutritional density, antioxidant levels(ORAC units) and polysaccharides in Tibetan Goji Berries.

Are you sure you are buying Goji Berries and not Wolfberries? There are over 40 different varieties of Goji Berries and Wolfberries and they are not created equal.

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The Ins and Outs of Dinner Reservation

January 29th, 2009

People love to dine at restaurants. Some do it once a week, some once a month, some even every day. Restaurant meals are common at lunch for white collar workers. Eating out for supper is common in some industries where clients are frequently entertained. Often people can walk into an establishment and find a table. But sometimes a dinner reservation is needed in order to be seated. No reservation could mean no meal.

A lot of restaurants accept reservations, especially during peak times. Some high scale establishments require reservations months before a planned visit . Some are so special that even having a reservation is amazing. Is food that important that people will fight for coveted spots at the table? That’s for the individuals to decide.

When making a reservation only make it for the number of people you’re sure will attend, and make it in advance of the planned night out. As mentioned, some restaurants are in high demand. Waiting too long can mean missing out on a chance to enjoy a meal there on a particular day. It might also mean a small table can be had, so fewer people can join you. Keep in mind that making reservations too far in advance can result in a lot of no shows and wasted space at the table. Restaurants don’t like this. The result could be the restaurant not being willing to let you reserve next time.

Sometimes the customers do the wrong thing when it comes to reservations. However, sometimes it’s the restaurant doing the wrong thing. Someone makes a reservation for 7:30PM but isn’t given a table until 10PM. Restaurants that do this too often find themselves losing customers. It’s expected at some fancier locations. Those restaurants are expected to be discourteous. Some people like to pay to be treated like bums.

Some companies have sprung up that manage reservations for a number of restaurants. Many of these are on the Internet and have a lot of positive feedback. A man wrote that he booked a reservation online only to arrive to find it had not been received. The restaurant set up a special table for his group and let him eat for free.

Make a dinner reservation to ensure a spot at the table. Hopefully the restaurant honors it. If not, express your displeasure. Stop giving them your money and tell your friends to do the same.

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