Healthy Living

Sunday, 30 May 2010

How To Choose Milk

I always just buy full-cream milk. We like cream so we don't mind. But what do we really need to know when buying milk? The experts talk:

Calcium
The recommended daily intake (RDI) for calcium for most adults is 1000mg, but for women over 50 and for men over 70 that increases to 1300mg.

That’s not easy to achieve without milk and dairy foods. A serving equals one 250ml glass of milk, a 150g pottle of yoghurt or two slices of cheese (40g). A cup of milk can provide from around 280mg up to 500mg of calcium.

Fat
Full-cream and standard milks contain around 2.4% saturated fat (that's 2.4g per 100ml).

That equates to 6g saturated fat in a glass. Because most of us are getting too much saturated fat, we’re advised to go for milks with less of it.

The lower-fat milks will taste a little different. If you’re not so keen at first, think of it in the same way as when you’re offering a new food to a child: we often just need to taste something a number of times to become accustomed to that new taste. Given you could be saving your arteries from clogging and it could help with weight control, it’s worth doing.

source
So yeah, don't worry if you have checked out lipo 6 hers, drink milk for goodness purposes.

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I'm talking of the term that we usually see in food label. So the experts classify that products that are called "something juice" actually contains that "something" while those called "flavoured something juice" don't actually contain the actual "something". It's easy to get confused when buying products especially if the term flavoured is printed so fine or the packaging really attractive.

So yeah, always read the labels and fine print (also in life insurance quotes).

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Coffee
Coffee sometimes gets a bad rap. But drinking coffee increases alertness and coffee contains a good dose of antioxidants. Moderate consumption has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

However, too much coffee can give you the ‘jitters’ and could have negative long-term health effects. Most people can tolerate the equivalent of 2-3 espresso shots or 4-5 cups of instant coffee each day, but listen to your body and avoid overdoing it.

If you want roasted coffee, choose fresh local products. Well-known roasters now available in supermarkets include Allpress, Atlas, Gravity, Caffe L’Affare and Robert Harris.

As far as instant coffees go, freeze-dried coffee has the truest coffee flavour, followed by granulated and then powdered. These are all cheaper than ground or whole beans.

There are several decaffeinated instant coffees. These still contain a very small amount of caffeine. If you really want a caffeine-free drink there is a range of ‘coffee substitutes’ made from barley, rye and chicory. Brands include Caro, Ecco, Inka and Aromalt.

Tea
Black tea is still the one we drink most often. It’s worth trying some different brands and varieties for the distinct flavours they all offer. Bell Tea blends its teas in New Zealand; Dilmah is a popular brand from Sri Lanka; and Chai Tea is a younger New Zealand company.

Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea but instead of fermenting the leaves, they are steamed quickly to retain their colour.

Both green and black teas have good nutrition credentials. They contain potent antioxidants called flavonoids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and may even help reduce cancer risk. They also contain fluoride, which is important for bones and teeth. Leave the tea to brew for at least three minutes to enable the flavour to develop. You’ll also get more antioxidants in your tea by leaving it longer.

Remember that it’s best not to drink tea with meals as it inhibits the absorption of iron from the food you eat. Leave it an hour and then enjoy your cuppa.

Herbal teas and fruit infusions
Herbal teas bear no relationship to black tea. They’re made from other plant leaves, flowers, roots, spices and fruit flavours, so they don’t have the same properties. Some herbal teas do claim other benefits: they’re caffeine-free; and there’s bound to be a flavour you’ll love. Check the pack for any cautions on herbal teas, for example liquorice teas are generally not advised during pregnancy or if you have high blood pressure. Healtheries and Red Seal both have extensive ranges.

Drinking chocolate and coffee blends
The products with a high amount of cocoa in them – like Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate – could claim some nutrition credentials thanks to the specific antioxidants in the cocoa, but the high sugar content tends to override any health benefits.

The Jarrah range of coffee blends contain milk and sweetener, so all you need to do is add hot water. These are low in kilojoules. There’s a flavour here for everyone. The Nescafé Café Menu range is super convenient for the office with individual sachets.

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Cold months are here and sipping a hot cuppa while sitting on your modern furniture is always nice. I only have the ordinary brand of coffee but I promised myself that if I got time, I will try to give myself and Mcj real coffee. Lol.

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Drinking Tea

According the recent research, older people drinking more tea retain their mental functions more than those who drink less tea. The tea with most effective result are black and oolong.

I suppose because of this research, I have to start drinking tea now? I'm never a tea person. I just did drink when I was preggy because I can't have coffee. I just don't like the taste. I suppose it is worth trying. I might try cammomile tea sometimes for a start. As tea is also anti-oxidant, it could be the best acne treatment.

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Drinking During Meal

It's been an old myth going around that drinking during meal is bad for you. Well, some experts say that it is not. And I believe so. It's up to a person if she feels drinking. I myself avoid doing so because I have very small tummy and doing so will fill me up quickly and will not be able to finish my food. I do the same for my kiddo. If he asks for a drink in the middle of a meal, I don't give him any or sometimes, just water but a little bit just in case he is choking.

I do drink more water when I'm taking my natural joint pain relief vitamins because it is so huge, it clogged my throat. The reason why I don't like taking it.

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Eye Opener

for the sushi lovers.

Testing has shown four out of five sushi samples bought in certain areas are crawling with bacteria which can cause serious illness.

Melbourne's Glen Hall says he regrets the day he bought sashimi for lunch - it made him violently ill.

"I was vomiting continuously for 20 minutes, half an hour," Glen said. "I felt shocking, hit the wall, had to lie down and yeah, shortly after that started vomiting and yeah was pretty crook."

"In hindsight I shouldn't have gone near it," he said.

Anita Tibitsma found herself in a world of pain after eating a salmon sushi roll.

"It really knocked me around," Anita said. "I was just feeling nauseous and vomiting then had to stop car because I couldn't drive."

The westernised form of sushi has exploded and businesses are cashing in. Thousands of outlets sell sushi all over Australia.

And we eat a hep of it thinking it's the healthy alternative to takeaway. The truth is, it can be a health hazard.

Source

I should not be worried because none in my family likes sushi but still this is very concerning. The food that you think to be healthy is the most thing that you would be scared about. It's not as simple as worrying about acne treatment, but more alarming as most shops that are tested in our city didn't meet the standards. It leaves us people to again be vigilant and just stay off sushi for sometime.

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Made in Nz or China?

In the news recently...

It's all because foreign produce is making its way to factories in New Zealand where it is processed, re-packaged and exported carrying the 'Made in New Zealand' label.

The fruit, vegetables, meat and fish is then given a green light into Australia as part of the New Zealand-Australia free trade agreement.

Chinese products are the main offenders and they're awarded free passage into New Zealand courtesy of a free trade agreement between the two countries.

It's an agreement Australia doesn't adhere to - Chinese goods must pass rigorous checks by Australian customs.

Tests have revealed many Chinese products contain dangerous pesticides, banned cancer causing chemicals, lead and bacteria from Chinese farmers using human and animal faeces as fertilisers.

Recent random testing of foreign produce in New Zealand uncovered shocking results. New Zealand Greens MP Sue Kegdely says Australians should be worried.

"Vietnamese catfish contained a substance, gentian violet, which has been linked with cancer. I think they [the tests] raise questions about the safety of imported produce," Sue said.

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After seeing this news, I realised that until I read the fine labels, I wouldn't know if I'm eating toxic or not. I suppose not because we're all still alive and healthy. But, this news is really an opener for everyone to be vigilant and aware of the food that they are buying especially the fresh produce. I think, the best thing to do is just don't buy if the fruit or veggies really look old and have seen better days. There's no gold coins assurance that we're buying product these days and it is always up to us consumers to be mindful.

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What's the Fuss

With Masterchef that is. I had only a glimpsed of it when we were channel surfing. I can't get or give a good impression. I am not a telly person more so not a cooking show person unless the cooking are done by chefs themselves. I like to cook simple but tasty and filling food so it's most likely that I won't get much information on shows like this one. Entertaining? Maybe. I know some people who watched it. It could act like sleep aid for me as even those shows that I like, I can sleep through. Lol.

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Weird but True

Your Feet Say You're Flexible

You are pretty average in your expressiveness. You can express yourself well, but you don't always want to.

You are a very passionate person. You are highly charged and easily inspired.

You are an assertive and aggressive person. You are determined and not likely to ever give up.

You fall in love easily and develop strong bonds. You are attached to many people.

You are not afraid of anything. You are brave and courageous, even when most people would be terrified.

You are very practical and down to earth. You're more concerned with action than thoughts.

You are very spoiled. You don't work unless you have to, and you love to be waited on.

You are easily influenced by other people. You're quite impressionable, so you should only be around people who are a good influence.

What Do Your Feet Say About You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Especially the spoiled part. Lol. I mean, Mcj reminds me most of the times to take my vitamins that he bought himself because I was complaining for some joint pain.

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These are my first choc-chip cookies ever. Yeah, they are choc-chips but because the consistensy was too light, all the chips had gone down the bottom. It's a bit burnt too. We thought, they taste like macaroons. Lol. I seldom bake but I promise to do something new every month. I have a box of ready to mix mud-cake that I might bake tomorrow. But I'm not positive on that - will be very busy.

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Healthy Living

Sunday, 30 May 2010

How To Choose Milk

Flavoured

Hot Drinks

Saturday, 29 May 2010

Drinking Tea

Drinking During Meal

Eye Opener

Made in Nz or China?

What's the Fuss

Weird but True

Choc-chip Cookies

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