Red Wine: The Good, The Bad And The Ulgy

1 serving of red wine is 5 fl.oz.

The Good:
⌼ Red wine may reduce one's risk of death by heart disease by 35%. (1) (2)
⌼ Red wine is an excellent source of heart-boosting compounds (antioxidants) such      
     as resveratrol, procyanidins, and quercetin.
⌼ Red wine can serve as a blood thinner due to the resveratrol content.
⌼ Red wine can improve one's cholesterol profile. 


The Bad:
⌼ Red wine is not a calorie-free beverage. 4-fluid ounces (1/2 cup) of red wine contains about 100-120 kilocalories (100-200 calories).
Taking into consideration, the average person consumes 2 or 3 full glasses of wine per sitting, it can certainly be a hidden source of calories, whether, it is consumed with a meal or not.

The Ugly:
⌼ Excessive consumption of wine or any alcohol:
      ⌦ harms the liver (liver cirrhosis)
      ⌦ can lead to addiction
      ⌦ can lead to high blood pressure
      ⌦ can shorten one's life span (death)

Note: Excessive consumption of wine is defined as: 
     ⌦ For men: Consuming  at least 15 drinks per week (2 or more per day). 
     ⌦ For women: Consuming at least 8 drinks per week. (CDC)

What to do:
Stick to the Dietary Guidelines of having:
    ⌦ No more than 1 drink a day for females- (1 drink=  5 fl oz)
    ⌦ No more than 2 drinks a day for males
**Aaron Berdofe recommends persons have red wine with food or a meal, to help them stay within the daily limit. 

Keep in mind:
❐ One standard drink is defined as 5 fl. oz (150 mL)
❐ A standard 25 fl.oz  (750 mL) bottle of wine has about 5 glasses worth  of wine 
❐ One standard drink  contains 100-120 kilocalories.
❐ A standard bottle (25 fl.oz) contains 500 -600 kilocalories

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Read More:
Schaeffer, Juliann. 2011. To Good Wine … and Better Health — The Case for Moderate Wine Consumption. Today's Dietitian. 13:8; p32 - 37 http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/9d2fca7d#/9d2fca7d/32
or http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/080111p32.shtml

Calories in Cocktails, Hard Liquor & Wine

Did you overindulge a little bit last night by throwing back one too many cocktails? #Alcoholcalories

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The Secret to Radiant Skin.

TROPICAL FRUIT: Guava, Five Finger, Orange and Watermelon
Just think how great your skin and bowels will feel after eating this throughout the day.
source

Having a bowl of tasty tropical fruit each day is a great way to achieve radiant, glowing and healthy skin.

Tropical fruit are sun-ripen and most are loaded with vitamin C, A, lycopene and potassium. These compounds play a vital role in the general appearance of the skin.

Vitamin C is needed for collagen synthesis. Collagen makes up 70% of the human skin, however, it is the protein that forms the basis of the skin. During a vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), the skin tends to be very wrinkly.

Vitamin A helps to make the skin appear smooth and even-toned.

Lycopene is a strong antioxidant that helps reduce premature ageing of the skin by reducing the amount of UV rays the skin absorbs. 

Potassium helps keep the skin moist and pimple free. This mineral is one of the major minerals needed by the body. It is essential to regulating blood pressure and blood flow within the body. 

Nevertheless have a read of the following article summary for more.
1) Fresh faced: Looking younger for longer. 2014.  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140110103526.htm
2) Vitamin A Helps Reduce Wrinkles Associated With Natural Skin Ageing.2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070521162324.htm
3) Good Food, Good Skin. 2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071109201438.htm

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Grain Confusion Part 1: Gluten-Free Grains

The Grain Series:

 Refined Grains, Whole Grains, Gluten-Free Grains, Ancient Grains and Grains with Gluten

Thinking about going gluten-free? 

Regardless the reason for going gluten-free, the first place to start is by knowing the grains that naturally (or via contamination) contain this protein.

Below are two posters illustrating the grains commonly consumed that contain gluten (poster 1: Avoid) and those without gluten (poster 2: Safe to eat, unless contaminated with gluten).

Grains Containing Gluten (Avoid their by-products as well)

These gluten containing grains can be found in pastas (macaroni, elbows, spaghetti etc.), cous cous, bread, crackers, pastries, cookies, breakfast cereals, biscuits, cake mixes, instant sauces, frozen foods etc. Always read the food label and ingredient list of all packaged products.

Grains without Gluten (Safer to eat, unless contaminated with gluten)

It should be noted, these grains are free of gluten but many of them cannot be used as a direct replacement for wheat in many recipes.

Here are some meal ideas using these gluten free grains: Pinterest Board: Grain-Free Haven and Porridge Ideas

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Lose Weight Now! Get Jogging!

Thirty minutes of jogging can burn 300 calories. Do that five days every week and you could lose almost two extra pounds per month (Source:How Many Calories? ‏@HowManyCaloriee )

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Fibre, Fibre, Fibre. Oh Yes!

LET'S LEARN ABOUT DIETARY FIBRE

1. What Is Dietary Fibre?

 Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate, that is not digested or absorbed. For this reason, it is a non-nutrient.

2. Where Is Dietary Fibre Found?

Dietary fibre is found in only plant-based foods due to plant cells containing a rigid cell wall. Humans, unlike certain animals (ruminants), lack the enzymes required to fully breakdown the cell wall of plants. For this reason, chewing our food and cooking helps the body breakdown the rigid cell wall. 
Side-note: Foods from animals do not contain any fibre.

3. Which Foods Have Dietary?
Foods rich in Dietary fibre include (see poster below):

4. Tell Me More!
The fibre in food comes in two forms; soluble fibre and insoluble fibre.
Both forms are not digested by the body but contribute to good health, nonetheless.

Insoluble fibre is also commonly referred to as 'roughage'. Once consumed, insoluble fibre moves through the stomach, small intestines and large intestines intact and untouched. e.g. Think about when cooked or raw spinach is consumed.  This type of fibre, helps add bulk to stools and improve the strength of the muscles lining the intestines.

Soluble fibre is a type of fibre moves from the stomach to the small intestines and then into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream, this type of fibre helps remove waste and excess fat (cholesterol). 

5. Why Should I Eat Fibre?

Despite, dietary fibre not being digested by the body. It still makes a positive impact on health when at least 20 grams of fibre is consumed on a daily basis. Some of the health benefits of fibre include reducing risk of heart disease, lowering cholesterol, reducing risk of colon cancer, insulin resistance and aiding in weight management.

✑ Related article: How To Know If You're Fat

However, it should be noted, consuming too much fibre in a sitting or day can cause digestive problems such as bloating and constipation (hard to move stools), especially in persons who do not accustom to eating large amounts of fibre. 

Recommendations:
(1) Increase fibre intake slowly but gradually, this gives the colon time to adjust to influx of fibre.
 and increase the amount of water consumed in the day. 
(2) Water, is absorbed by the colon as such make stools softer and easier to move; thus reducing risk of constipation.

6.Beware Of Fibre Supplements 

Beware of fibre supplements , they are a great option for those who have difficulty meeting fibre intake from foods but in excess, they can reduce the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. It is best to use these with caution.

Check out the video.

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❹ Unhealthy Food Safety Practices

Over 30% of food poisoning cases occur within the home environment due to risky food handling, storage and preparation practices.  In fact, food safety in the home is one of the issues many individuals take lightly and as much as 90 % of home cooks and home chefs unknowingly contaminate food. (1) 
Poor food safety practices not only compromise food but leads to contamination all around the kitchen, including on handles, counter-tops, faucets and trash cans. (1)

However, research shows that getting individuals to change poor food safety habits can take longer than simply exposing them to food safety messages before cooking. (2) 
Habits are often hard to break especially when they have been passed on from generation to generation or done out of convenience. This does not mean educators should stop trying to get the message of food safety out there but should seek out innovative ways to  present the message. (3)
Nevertheless,  listed below are ❹ unhealthy food safety practices. Accompanying each point is a video from USDAfoodsafety.com explaining how to these practices can be improved. 

①  Washing meat and poultry before cooking -70 %of consumers rinse or wash raw poultry before cooking it (1)

② Relying on the colour of meat/poultry/seafood to indicate when it is fully cooked- Less than 10 % of food thermometer owners actually use it to check for done-ness of all types of poultry (1)

③ Putting raw meat/poultry on the top shelf in the refrigerator - only 18 % of consumers correctly store raw poultry products in the refrigerator (1)

④  Defrosting frozen meat/poultry at room temperature- only 11 % of consumers who thaw raw poultry in cold water do it correctly (1)

Bottom-line, habits are hard to break but that should not stop anyone from at least trying their best every day to practice good food safety practices (see poster below). 

Be Food Safe!

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References:
1) Kansas State University. "Food safety fumble: Research finds 90 percent of home chefs contaminate food." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2015. .

2) Katherine M. Kosa, Sheryl C. Cates, Samantha Bradley, Edgar Chambers IV, Sandria Godwin. Consumer-Reported Handling of Raw Poultry Products at Home: Results from a National Survey. Journal of Food Protection, 2015; 78 (1): 180 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-14-231

3) North Carolina State University. "Food safety social media guide developed by researchers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 August 2014.

Healthy Food Hacks I Dislike

1) Frozen Banana "ice cream" for dessert
Bananas is one of those fruits, you either like it or not. I prefer my bananas fresh, whole and ripe. I am not a fan of banana chips, banana bread/muffins/cakes/fritters, banana punch or banana in oatmeal. 

Tasty Banana Treat

When I first heard about this and the many positive reviews, I was amazed. I attempted making the frozen banana "ice cream" 3 times and
❶ it does not taste like ice cream, 
❷ it does not have the same texture as ice -cream, 
❸ it does not give me the same satisfaction as ice-cream and
❹ the texture when it melts is just weird

Bottom-lime: I will stick to eating my bananas fresh, whole and ripe; plain or with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

For the record, here were my "banana ice-cream" experiences:

Frozen Banana "ice cream"

✦ The first attempt: I added too much liquid because I was unsure it would blend. 
✦ The second attempt: It came out smooth, thick and creamy. However, it tasted just like cold puréed bananas. 
✦ The third attempt: I added frozen strawberries for some added flavour, it came out pink and was tasty.


2)  Do-It-Yourself  Microwave Popcorn
I love popcorn. I have always made my popcorn the old-fashioned way, using a deep pot, oil and popcorn kernels. However, upon hearing that I could skip the use of oil, I was intrigued. I attempted popping popcorn kernels using the microwave at least 3 times but this method is not for me.
❶ Microwave Bowl method:
It takes forever to pop, if you use the wrong bowl. On my first attempt, I used a ceramic bowl and the kernels took forever to pop. I re-tried it with a glass bowl, using the popcorn setting and it was tasty but dry.
❷  Microwave Bag Method: 
I attempted this method without adding oil, it came out good but dry. However, when I tried coating the kernels with oil first, a number of kernels got burnt without popping...wastage!.

It should be noted, 
✦ The bag method  encourages portion control, seeing that only so much popcorn can fit in the bag without making a mess during the popping phase.
✦Seasoning & flavourings such as salt, black pepper, garlic powder, grated parmesan or cinnamon do not stick to the popcorn if no oil is used during the popping. They just coat the bottom of the bowl.

Bottom-lime: I will stick to the old-fashioned way of making popcorn.

3)  Plain Yoghurt instead of Mayonnaise in Salads (tuna, chicken. potato salad)
While plain yoghurt and mayonnaise both have a creamy and thick texture, they are not interchangeable.  Plain yoghurt has a tart flavour that changes the flavour profile of the food item. Depending on your taste buds, you may enjoy this flavour change but I do not. Adding more flavourings or seasoning make a slight difference.

Bottom-lime: I will stick to regular mayonnaise in those type of salads (tuna, chicken. potato salad) or go without it.

4) Coconut Milk as a Milk Substitute

Breakfast: 1 spoonful of coconut milk in my oatmeal

Being from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and consuming coconut milk only within dishes such as callaloo and pelau. I never, considered using coconut milk as a milk substitute or a as a non-dairy creamer. Nevertheless, after trying it out in my oatmeal, eggless pancake batter, black coffee, green tea and Indian chai tea, it is not for me. Coconut milk enhances the creaminess of these items but the flavour of the food item also changes; not in a good way, with the exception of the pancakes.  In the pancakes, the coconut milk positively enhanced the flavour but in the beverages and oatmeal, the flavour profile is weird.

Bottom-lime: I will stick to adding coconut milk to meal items such as callaloo and pelau. 

5) Linseed Wraps (high-fibre; low-carb wrap)
I attempted this after reading an article about cholesterol on DailyMail Uk. These wraps serve as an alternative to wheat based or corn tortillas. However, it is quite tricky to make. 
To clarify: 
❶ Sometimes the batter will stick to the plate and you will end up with a broken tortilla
❷ One tortilla is made at a time; hence it is inefficient
❸ Whole egg or egg whites are essential to get the wraps to bind; when made without the egg,  the batter  does not cook or bind
❹ The linseed flavour is strong. If you do not like the taste of linseed then this recipe is not for you.

Bottom-line: I will stick to regular wheat or corn tortillas

Video demo of the linseed wrap from Youtube user 'that'sveryjerry' 

6) Cauliflower Pizza (low-carb pizza alternative)
I enjoy cauliflower; steamed, baked or even as cauliflower rice but cauliflower pizza is a no, no. I first heard about this on Blogilates. I will admit I did not add the egg to the crust and this is probably was the reason for the pizza coming out soft, mushy and weird. After, viewing Chef John from Foodwishes recipe, I may one day try it again. 

There you go folks, these are the 6 healthy food hacks I do not enjoy. 

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Say YES to Eat Your Vegetables Day.

Today, June 17 th is #EatYourVegetablesDay.
Despite the general public being constantly told of the many benefits of consuming vegetables every day. 90.8% of the Trinidad and Tobago population consume less than 3 servings of vegetables a day. Bear in mind, 1 serving of vegetables is not that much (see photo below, each vegetable illustrates 1 serving).

Image Source 

To know how many servings of vegetables you need based on your age group (see poster above). Then aim to increase the amounts eaten of the vegetables you enjoy. However, if the vegetables eaten are restricted to only 2 or 3 different vegetables, it is recommended you experiment by adding new vegetables in your diet weekly and work up to consuming it daily.

Nevertheless, there are many ways to sneak this nutritive food group into ones diet, such as:
1) Consuming it raw as a smoothie or well seasoned, low-sodium chow.
2) Seeking out recipes that use the vegetables in savoury items e.g. muffins, quick breads or breads.
3) Seeking out recipes that utilise herbs and spices as flavourings in cooked vegetable dishes.
4) Consuming the vegetables raw or dehydrated, with a dip e.g. dried beet root with salsa, jicama sticks with ranch dressing, radish with hummus etc.
5) Add grated or shredded vegetables to sandwich fillings or spreads e.g. grated carrot to cheese paste, grated zucchini to tuna paste etc.
Experiment until you find at least 6 vegetables you can consume on a daily basis in ample amounts.

The following collage shares 7 ways vegetables can be used as snacks, best part they are low-calorie.

Say yes! to Veggie Snacks

However, to vegetable newbies, try selecting vegetables with a high-water content (Click here for a qualitative list). Vegetables with a high-water content often have a mild taste that is tolerable and can be consumed raw or cooked. They also tend to be fibre-rich despite being low in calories and packed with variable amounts of minerals and vitamins.

Aim to consume two servings  a day, working your way up to at least 4 vegetable servings per day.  Once this is achieved,  slowly add vegetables with stronger flavours e.g dark green leafy vegetables- spinach, watercress, patchoi (bac choi) and purple vegetables- purple cabbage, eggplant etc.

Here are some great starter vegetables:

1) Christophene or Chayote

132grams (g) uncooked christophene conatins about 93% of its weight in water. It is a.member of the squash family, and is classed as a vegetable-fruit (because of the seed). It is oblong and  pear shaped, with a rough skin that is mild to dark green. The flesh is pale green to colourless and has a mild taste that is comparable to zucchini  or cucumber. There is a single seed and the flesh can be consumed in many ways -raw or cooked. 

Christophene can be stir-fried and served with brown rice or whole grain pasta or served as a simple salad .

For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw and cooked

2) Tomatoes 

The water content in tomatoes range from 80- 93% or even higher per 100g of edible flesh. The water content does diminish depending on how it is prepared and how much salt is added. Taste-wise, the darker the shade of red, the more intense the flavour appears to be. Yellow and orange tomatoes, tend to have a mild taste. Regardless, tomatoes are best served raw, but studies have shown that the anti-carcinogenic properties are activated when the vegetable-fruit is cooked. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw, cooked and dried

3) Cucumbers

Cucumbers eaten without the skin is more tolerable to persons on therapeutic diets e.g. renal diet. Outside of that cucumbers have a strong odour but the taste is very mild. They are best consumed raw for the nutritive properties (low-calorie, rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium,   and fibre) but can be consumed cooked or pickled. Sliced cucumbers sprinkled with a pinch or salt and black pepper can be a great side dish to most rice based dishes. Cucumbers have been known to aid in lowering blood pressure due to its potassium content along with containing a number of disease-fighting antioxidant compounds, like tannins and flavonoids, says   Michelle Dudash,  Registered Dietitian and Chef Consultant. In the homoeopathy lifestyle, cucumbers are a coolant or an alkaline food,  "their moist flesh makes them cool to the touch and they contain ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, two natural compounds that can help prevent water retention" says Dr Andrew Weil M.D, Health Advisor. For more nutrition information  go to nutritiondata.com: raw.  

source

4) Lettuce- Iceberg

Iceberg lettuce is most commonly consumed because the price attached and crisp texture. It is no surprise that iceberg lettuce is cheap compared to romaine and arugula.  The pale green hue, comes off non threatening to many non-veggie lovers along with the low calorie and minimal vitamins and fibre contents.  Regardless, iceberg lettuce has a mild and slight 'leafy' taste compared to other salad greens. One bonus of iceberg, lacking from other lettuce varieties is the high water content. This component allows iceberg to mix well with other food items without contributing an overpowering flavour, for this reason adding iceberg lettuce to salads can help eliminate the bitterness of the leaf lettuce, e.g romaine, watercress etc.  Bear in mind, iceberg lettuce can have a pale to dark green hue.  For more nutrition information visit nutritiondata.com: raw.  

Other vegetables with high water contents that could be included into the diet easily are:
Cabbage- green (93% water) & purple (92% water)
Cauliflower (92% water)
Broccoli (91% water)
Carrots (87% water)
Sweet peppers (92% water)

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NOTE: To the botanist cucumbers, tomatoes & christophene are classified as fruits because they contain seeds but in the culinary sense they are vegetables because of their low-sugar content compared to traditional fruits.

What's New with Australia's Food Pyramid

Photo credit: The Australian Nutrition Foundation Inc, 3rd edition, 2015
click for a larger view

Australia has 5 official food groups however, the new food pyramid (released May 19 th 2015)  aims to promote a more plant-based diet among the population hence the reason it has 4 layers, which are:
Layer 1: Vegetables, Legumes & Fruit
Layer 2: Grains
Layer 3: Protein Foods e.g. Dairy, Alternatives, Lean Meat, Eggs, Fish, Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
Layer 4: Healthy Fats- Unrefined Oils; Cold pressed oils

✪ Key Aspects: Layer 1 is termed the foundation layer and represents the foods that should form 70% of the diet. This translates into:

Examples of 2 servings of fruit (Image: Popsugar)

    ✔ 2 servings of fruit daily
    ✔ 5 servings of vegetables daily  or
     ✔ 5 servings of  legumes daily

Examples of 5 servings of  legumes and vegetables (food Image: Healthedco)

✪ Key Aspects: Layer 2 is also apart of the  foundation layer but it focusses on whole-some grains and grain-products such as: plain oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat flour, whole-grain ready to eat cereals, whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pasta amongst others. These foods should also form 70% of the diet.

✪ Key Aspects: Layer 3 is filled with the foods that are promoted as great sources of protein, calcium, zinc, iodine and vitamin B12 but should be eaten‘moderately.’  These foods include  dairy, dairy alternatives, lean meat, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Most noticeable: Legumes are placed in two layers. In layer 1, legumes are classed as a type of vegetables but in layer 3 it serves as vegetarian source of protein.

✪ Key Aspects: Layer 4 or the apex of the pyramid contain sources of fat that provide heart healthy benefits as they are rich in unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat); examples foods in this layer are olives, avocado, olive oil, safflower oil etc.  It is recommended, foods in this layer be included in the diet daily but in small and controlled amounts.

Most noticeable: Margarine and butter have been removed from the new pyramid due margarine being a source of trans-fats and butter being rich in saturated fat.

✪ Miscellaneous Aspects about the new food pyramid:
1) It recommends water as the primary beverage of choice.
2) It places restrictions on salt and added sugars ( e.g. table sugar, honey, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, molasses, syrup etc.). All the while, recommending the use of fresh, dried and ground spices and herbs to enhance the flavour and colour of meals and add health benefits.

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Further reading:

1) Nutrition Australia: http://nutritionaustralia.org/national/healthy-eating-pyramid/frequently-asked-questions

2) Ea For Health: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups

5 Facts About The Caribbean Food Groups You Should Know [updated]

6 Caribbean Food Groups (Image credit: The health-nut corner)

❶ The Number of Food Groups & Their Names
While, Canada has 4 food groups, the USA and UK both have 5 food groups, there are 6 official food groups used in the English speaking Caribbean. These are:
        ① Staples        ② Legumes & Nuts (Legumes)     ③ Foods from animals   ④ Fruits  
        ⑤ Vegetables  ⑥ Fats and Oils (Fats and Substitutes)
 Please note, sugar and sweeteners are not an official food group due to their calorie dense nature and poor micro-nutrient profiles, but are included in many dietary guidelines used throughout the region. 

❷ The Staple Diversity 

Unlike the USA and Canada, starchy vegetables and starchy fruits such as corn, white potato (Russet), plantain and breadfruit are found in the same food group as bread, rice and pasta; the staples group. Reason being, when compared with other food groups, these items just like bread, rice and pasta are excellent sources of carbohydrates, fibre and most B-vitamins but are naturally poor sources of fat and protein. 

Learn more about staples in the video

❸ The Exclusivity of Plant-Protein 
There is an entire food group dedicated only to plant-based sources of protein. This is the legumes and nuts group. This group contains all beans, dried peas, nuts, seeds and non-dairy alternatives ( e.g. tofu, soy cheese, soy milk, almond milk and hemp milk).  This makes meal planning for strict vegetarians and meatless Monday a lot easier, since one does not have to think about where they will get their protein from.

In addition, judging from the size of the segment (see poster above), it is safe to say this group should be the second most important food group in the diet of people within this region. A 2002 food consumption survey performed in Guyana, revealed the consumption of legumes ranked higher than the consumption of items from the food from animals group (Ramsammy, L 2005). 

❹ The  Restriction on Fats & Oils 

Like most food guides around the world, the Caribbean foods guide tells the general public, foods in the fats and oils groups should be consumed in small and controlled amounts. It is interesting to note, the sources of fats and oils are quite varied as it includes fatty fruits (avocados, coconut, coconut milk, ackee and olives), refined and unrefined oils, animal fats (streaky bacon,  cream cheese, pork/chicken fat) and others.

❺ The Meal Planning Tool
The 6 food groups aid in the planning of nutritionally balanced meals when the multi-mix principle is used. The Multi-Mix principle is a food combining method  whereby at least two complementary food groups are paired to make a  nutritious meal. This principle could be used to prepare weaning meals as a well as meals for older children and adults. The principle consist of 3 -mixes which are 2-Mix, 3-Mix and 4-Mix. Read More here.

With that said, now you know a little more about the 6 food groups used in the English Speaking Caribbean.

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