Saturday, April 25, 2015

3 Hidden Facts About Your Cast Iron Pot

Cast-iron cookware are second to none when it comes to durability, safety and ease of use. Don't be so quick to trade in your cast-iron pots and pans.

Three hidden facts that are overlooked when using cast-iron cookware are:

❶ Cast-iron cookware does not heat evenly

In fact, the part of the pot/pan that is directly above the flame or heating element develops a hot spot. Depending on what you are cooking, this may not be an issue. For stocks and stews, the prolonged cooking-time provides enough time for the hot spot to even out and thus not hinder the final product.

See for yourself the hot spots: Cooking Issues

To prevent this place the cast-iron cookware evenly over a burner with moderately-low flame and allow to heat up for 5 minutes, rotate pan/pot and heat for another 5 minutes, before starting the cooking process.

❷ Cast-iron cookware are excellent at retaining heat

By nature, cast-iron cookware may be slow to heat up but once heated, it remains hot without a heating element for a good while. This feature is beneficial when searing meats, simmering stocks or stews, braising vegetables and baking.

❸ Cooking in cast-iron cookware increases the iron content of food

While, cast-iron cookware is a chemical-free alternative to the PFCs (perfluorocarbons) lined non-stick pots and pans. Cooking acidic food such as tomato sauce or citrus juices in a cast-iron skillet has shown to increase the iron content of food by as much as 20 percent. The organic acids in food causes iron molecules in the cookware to become free. The free iron, is leached into the food item being prepared; when consumed, this iron is absorbed and utilised by the body. Although, this increase in the iron content of food is harmless for most persons (e.g. menstruating females, pregnant women and iron based anaemia), this may pose a health issue for persons (e.g. haemochromatosis, adult males, post-menopausal women ) who do not require excess iron in the diet.

Options if you fall into the later: Do not use cast-iron cookware to cook acidic foods that have a long cooking time. This not only reduces the amount of iron leached into food but it also preserves the quality of the cast-iron. Consistent exposure to acidic foods can increase the rate at which cast-iron cookware begin to rust.

HealthiNation: How To Clean Cast Iron in 4 Easy Steps

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Further Reading:Iron Leached Food: 2008 [Abstract],2006 [Abstract], 2003 [Abstract], 1999 [Abstract]

Saturday, April 18, 2015

How Much Oatmeal You Need to Lower Your Cholesterol?

For full infographic

click image to enlarge

Take the quiz above to find out just what sort of snacker you are and how to change your bad habits. Knowing the type of snacker you are can help you determine what are your triggers and possibly seek help or advice on controlling or modifying it.

Types of snackers:

Snack amnesiacs are mindless munchers who subconsciously snack
Situational snackers have busy schedules and are often stressed out
Super snackers plan ahead and nibble only when their body tells them to

NOTE: Snacker in this context, refers to a person that enjoys eating at snacks.

Original Article:

DailyMail Online:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3041864/Take-quiz-just-kind-snacker-are.html?ito=social-facebook

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Granola: Smaller Portions Please!

click to enlarge

Granola can be a fibre-rich treat or calorie-bomb, depending on the ingredients used and the portion consumed.
Granola's basic ingredients are oats, sweetener (sugar, honey, artificial sweetener etc.), added oil or fat and wheat/rice flakes.
Optional Add-ins include: dried fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips. chia seeds, flaxseeds etc.

Nevertheless, the suggested serving of granola is 1/4 cup or roughly 1 oz (28 g). Due to portion distortion, the average person consumes around 1 cup or more of granola per sitting. Whether this is good or bad, depends on the other components in the diet and physical activity pattern.
Persons who have a sedentary lifestyle and consume granola by the bowlful at least twice in the day may want to consider downsizing their portions.

click to enlarge

Nutrition Breakdown:
➲ 1/4 cup (28 g) granola with nuts contains:
137 kcals
7 g fat
15g carbs (3 g fibre, 6 g sugars)
4 g protein

➲ 1 cup (122 g) granola with nuts contains:
567 kcals
29 g fat
65 g carbs (11g fibre, 24 g sugars)
18 g protein

Downsizing your Portion:
How to stick to 1 serving of granola per sitting:
① Add a handful to plain yoghurt or cottage cheese
② Add a handful to a fruit salad (for added texture)
③ Add a handful to your favourite green salad; as a replacement for croutons
④ Add a tablespoon to regular pancake batter while it is cooking
⑤ Add a handful to some plain popcorn
⑥ Add a tablespoon to porridge (e.g. cream of wheat; barley; oat bran)

Downsizing your granola portion with food examples
(NOTE:All images are credited in blue)

Take a look at what a 30 g serving and 100 g portion of granola looks like:

Image Credit: Fooducate Ant-and-Anise

♪ Happy Eating! ♬

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The Purpose Behind Eating

Monday, April 6, 2015

Snacking!! Oh H**K Yeah!

Snacking often gets a bad reputation. Truth be told, snacking can actually serve a purpose in one's diet. Snacks are meant to bridge the gap between the main meals of the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Healthy snacks can keep energy levels up during the day and keep you from binging or over indulging at the next meal. The best snacks contain a combination protein, fibre and healthy fat. The trick is to pack in nutrients without packing in a lot calories.

✒Related Article: Snacks vs Treats

Try these tips for healthy snacking:

1) Fruit or vegetables with peanut butter

PopSugar: Hummus & Cucumber slices

PopSugar: Apple & Nuts

2) Whole-grain crackers with sliced avocados

eatfresh4life: Cracker and Avocado

3) Whole-grain crackers with peanut butter or avocado or hummus

wecanbegintofeed: Crackers & Peanut butter

4) Low-fat cottage cheese or plain yoghurt with fruit bowl

Omnomally: Cottage Cheese with Fruit

realsimple: Watermelon "Fries" with a yoghurt dip

5) Vegetables with Tuna Salad

Clean & Delicious: Tuna Salad in Cucumber Boast

6) A handful of lightly salted nuts or roasted legumes -e.g almonds, peanuts, roasted channa.

CaribbeanPot: Roasted Channa

SuperHealthyKids: Roasted Green Peas

With that said, go forth and have fun adding wholesome snacks into your diet.

Keep in mind:"There’s a big difference between a snack and a treat. Always snack smart!” Kelly Whalen, RD @BalanproPortion

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Read More on Smart Snacks:
Eat Right Ontario
Snacks vs Treats

Excess Water is Bad: Drink Just Enough!

Water is an essential nutrient the body needs in varying amounts.

You learned in biology class that water makes up 60% of the human body. This fact is true; every cell in the body depends on water. Hence, the reason it is a nutrient you do not want to overlook.

Functions of Water:
✔ Water carries nutrients to our cells
✔ Helps to flush out waste products from the organs

Drinking water restores fluid lost from:
✔ Breathing
✔ Sweating
✔ Metabolism and
✔ Excretion (via kidneys)

It is recommended to drink water before you feel thirsty. In most cases, thirst is the first sign of dehydration. Being dehydrated comes with a host of unwanted issues.

The fact that, daily water consumption varies from person to person. It is challenging to estimate the amount a person actually needs daily. As it stands, not everyone requires 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. Research shows, the amount of water needed every day truly depends on a number of factors, such as:

✔ Age
✔ Daily physical activity level
e.g. Intense exercise sessions increases water needs
✔ The temperature/weather of the environment you are in
       e.g. Hot weather   increases water needs due to sweating
✔ The type of diet consumed
       e.g. a diet high in fruits and vegetables would reduce the amount of
       water one needs to consume. Fruits and vegetables are hydrating foods. Contrary, a diet high in protein increases the amount of water the body needs.

✔ Whether you are ill or not
e.g. Certain disease/conditions increases the body's water needs for example persons with kidney stones are required to increase fluid intake

Nevertheless, drinking too much water can lead to over hydration, though this is pretty uncommon. Compared with dehydration, over-hydration can result in the sodium content of blood being diluted to abnormally low levels. Resulting in a fluid imbalance that causes cells to absorb excess water, which can cause swelling in many parts of the body-- most dangerously in the brain. (hyponatremia).

Variety and Moderation to Water Consumption

The key to effective hydration is to focus on a variety of foods and consume them in moderation.

80% of people meet their daily water from liquids (plain water, soups or beverages). While, 20% meet their daily needs from their food.

Foods that have a high water content include:

(click image for a larger view)

Iceberg lettuce
Cucumbers
Melons (watermelon; cantaloupe etc.)
Citrus fruits
Broccoli
Boiled or steamed vegetables
Plain yoghurt
Pomerac
Young coconuts

Liquids such as milk, unsweetened juice, and herbal teas can contribute to your daily water needs.

Nevertheless, if plain water is your preferred calorie-free beverage of choice, when it comes to meeting your water needs. Try giving it a boost of nutrition by

1) Adding a squeeze of lime or lemon

2) Adding a few drops of unsweetened fruit juice

Other Tips:

1) Sip water throughout the day. To reduce the chance of overloading your blood stream with water. Drinking too much water in any one sitting does not give your body enough time to absorb it. Hence the frequent urge to urinate.

2) Sip a small amount of water with your meals. Remember this rule: fill your stomach 50% with food, 25% with water, and leave 25% empty for the digestive juices and process.

Whether you enjoy your water hot, cold, filtered or straight from the tap, be mindful of how much water you consume every day. [This does not mean, not to drink water, it means to include a variety of hydrating foods and beverages in the diet]

Additional Resources:
☑ European Hydration Institute: The Importance of Variety For Hydration