Grilling – Tips For Cooking Steak on a Grill

It took me many trips to different butcher shops and several iterations in the kitchen, till I reached a satisfaction level with my grilled steak; a level that would be compared to when I was visiting famous steakhouses.

The formula to grilling your perfect steak involves three parameters: Steak cut, seasoning and cooking process.

Knowing your Steak Cut

There are many criteria that should be considering while choosing your steak cut; one of them is the origin of the steak (e.g. Brazilian beef, Australian beef, or the so called “Local” beef here in UAE). Again, choosing a steak of a certain origin is subject to personal taste.

The type of steak cut is the main contributor to achieve a satisfactory experience wen grilling steak at home. Depending on the amount of fat and the way it is distributed, the steak cut will have a varying tenderness and special flavor. There are four common types of steak cut in any steakhouse menu Continue reading “Grilling – Tips For Cooking Steak on a Grill”

Type 2 Diabetes – Five Simple Dietary Changes You Can Make to Improve Your Blood Sugar

Making changes to your diet can be hard, and it can be intimidating. You may not know where to start, and all of the recommendations you find online can make things super confusing. The good news is improving your Type 2 diabetes can be done with just a handful of simple yet very effective dietary changes.

Let us take the confusion out of which foods you should and should not enjoy by talking about five simple yet effective dietary changes you can make to improve your blood sugar levels…

1. Eliminate Fruit Juice. Fruit juice often contains lots of added sugar. Pair added sugar with the sugar naturally found in fruit, and you are bound to experience a spike in blood sugar. Avoid fruit juice, and choose water, unsweetened sparkling water, or sweeten the water with freshly squeezed fruit juice. Continue reading “Type 2 Diabetes – Five Simple Dietary Changes You Can Make to Improve Your Blood Sugar”

Choosing The Best Grill Brush For Porcelain Enamel Coated Grill Grates

One typical issue when purchasing a barbecue grill brush is whether or not it will damage your cooking grid. The last thing you want is to scratch the grates of your expensive Weber BBQ. Thankfully, with just a bit of study it is really simple to ensure you purchase the best grill brush for your BBQ.

How delicate your grate is, and how susceptible it may be to damage and scratching, is based upon the material the grate is made from. The most tough material that is frequently used is stainless steel. These grates are really strong and resistant to rust and corrosion. Porcelain coated grill grates, on the other hand, are much more delicate. The porcelain coat is relatively brittle and can chip and crack. No only does this minimize the non stick capability of the grate, it also exposes the metal underneath the enamel to moisture. Cast iron grill grates are really tough, however must be kept oiled to stop rusting. Continue reading “Choosing The Best Grill Brush For Porcelain Enamel Coated Grill Grates”

How Many Calories Can I Have And Still Lose Weight?

To figure out how many calories you should have, first start with where you are. In other words, figure out how many calories it takes to maintain your present size and then reduce from there. You can go about this in many ways. Most people simply choose an arbitrary number like 1200 calories and that’s what they eat, but in nearly every case that’s not nearly enough calories to ensure adequate nutrition, not to mention the deprivation that sets up.

While losing weight and to this day, I eat over 2000 calories a day on average and I’ve maintained a good weight for my height for over 17 years. Remember, your body requires calories to maintain itself.

Basic Calorie Requirements Calculation Based on Activity Level:

Continue reading “How Many Calories Can I Have And Still Lose Weight?”

Feline Nutrition: Should You Feed Your Cat Dry or Wet Food?

Any animal needs the right diet and proper nutrition to ensure longevity. Being a responsible cat owner, the duty falls on your shoulders to select the right food for your lovely little tigers. But should you feed your cat dry or wet food? We will answer this question to provide you proper guidance in taking care of your cats.

Admittedly, there are many issues about dry food and the top three and most significant are protein type, carbohydrate content, and water content. Studies have also shown that there are many diseases associated with eating kibble or dry food such as diabetes, hairballs, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, asthma, and dental health. To understand further, let us discuss the three main problems with dry food one by one.

Protein Type Continue reading “Feline Nutrition: Should You Feed Your Cat Dry or Wet Food?”

10 Foods to Eat to Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an important fat-like substance used to create hormones (such as vitamin D), build healthy cells, and digest your food. The cholesterol your body uses can come from two different sources: your own body or the food you eat. Dietary cholesterol, meaning the cholesterol from food, is only found in animal-based products (i.e. meat, dairy milk, eggs, etc.). Dietary cholesterol is not essential to your health because your liver makes all of the cholesterol it needs on its own. So, if you are vegan there’s no need to worry!

Traditionally, LDL cholesterol is referred to as “bad” cholesterol and HDL cholesterol is referred to as “good” cholesterol. A total cholesterol level of less than or equal to 200 mg/dL and LDL level of less than or equal to 100 mg/dL is considered optimal. If you consume animal-based foods, it’s a good idea to have no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.

Sometimes cholesterol levels can become so high they become problematic for your health. Generally a total cholesterol level above 240 mg/dL is considered high. High cholesterol can lead to the development of heart disease. If you have high cholesterol or simply want to prevent it from becoming too high, include the following foods in your menus. Continue reading “10 Foods to Eat to Lower Your Cholesterol”

What Does Your Cookware Say About The Health Of Your Food?

The health of your food is determined by a). its nutritional value, and b). the absence of metals and chemical toxins in it. Would you have ever thought your cookware plays a major part in both these aspects? Let’s see how the choice of cookware determines the health of your food:

1. The health of your food is determined by how pure or contaminated the food is

Conventional cookware made from metals, ceramics, glazes, and enamels are full of toxins that react to food while cooking and contaminates it. Lead, Arsenic, Nickel, Molybdenum, Cadmium and other metals & chemicals are commonly found in most cookware, which start accumulating in your body when you eat food cooked in them. Over time they start taking a toll on your body functions and compromise the immune system – this causes health problems ranging from minor illnesses to chronic diseases. Continue reading “What Does Your Cookware Say About The Health Of Your Food?”

Your Dog a Finicky Eater? 10 Suggestions to Beat That Loss of Appetite

Nearly all dogs look forward to mealtime, more than anything else. Don’t panic right away, if your dog isn’t showing their normal delight at feeding time. Commonly, a healthy dog can go for 3-4 days before you should be concerned.

There are a number of reasons why your dog may not care to eat their food, other than a health problem. Some dogs eat less during summer months. Sometimes we feed them too much…and they know it! Are you leaving the food down too long? Maybe they have an upset tummy? Has there been a drastic change in their environment? Has there been the loss of a loved one…human or canine? New home? Is there a new baby in the house? Perhaps they have been spoiled with too many table scraps!

Whatever the reason, for a healthy dog there are a number of tricks to stimulate their appetites. Here are suggestions to help regain your pet’s attention at mealtime.

1. Don’t leave the food down for more than 20 minutes. If your dog has not finished in that amount of time, you are most likely feeding them too much, or they have become “grazers.” It may just appear, they are not eating as much as usual.

2. Add something new and interesting, such as a spoonful or two of plain yogurt or cottage cheese.

3. Add warm water to their dry food to make a doggie gravy.

4. Warm up canned dog food that has been refrigerated. You can also add a little water to it to make a yummy doggie stew.

5. Add a soft-boiled egg. Coating their food with something different often gets their attention.

6. Soak their food in a little low-fat, reduced salt chicken or beef broth…or if you feel ambitious, you can make your own!

7. Change or reduce feeding time. Maybe once a day is enough. Older dogs tend to eat less.

8. Add a spoonful or two of a fishy cat food. Most dogs love stinky food and/or fish…nothing stinks more than fishy cat food!

9. Speaking of stinky food, crush a little garlic, soak it in water, and then add the garlic and water to their food.

10. If all else fails, try a new brand. The general rule of thumb; the worse it smells to you, odds are the more they will like it!

Bottom line: If your dog is not eating for more than 4 days, and you’ve tried to motivate them by making mealtime more interesting, it’s time to see your veterinarian. Even if they are not eating, always make sure they have plenty of fresh water…a dog can dangerously dehydrate in less than 24 hours!

Source by Karen Soukiasian

Comparing Apples to Apples – Hydrated Weight Vs Dehydrated Weight – Home-Dried Vs Store-Bought

In the interest of scientific research into what happens with apples when they are dehydrated, I conducted an experiment.

Actually, it was sheer curiosity that prompted the study–the apples needed drying anyway.

To proceed: 4 apples were cored and weighed before dehydration. Weights ranged from 7 ounces to 7.5 ounces. The apple slices were soaked for about 5-10 minutes in a mixture of lemon juice and water. This pretreatment helped to maintain texture and nutrients, and to prevent oxidation (the discoloration that occurs during the drying process).

Four dehydrator trays were used, with one apple per tray. This ensured a more accurate post-dehydrating apple weight. The trays were placed in the dehydrator according to the order in which the apples were weighed. Continue reading “Comparing Apples to Apples – Hydrated Weight Vs Dehydrated Weight – Home-Dried Vs Store-Bought”

Having Fun With Aphrodisiac Foods!

When your sex life needs to be supercharged with new life try some Aphrodisiac foods and have fun with the experience. So, you’re wondering what are these foods? Well since the days of Montezuma one that has withstood the test of time is chocolate. In fact, Montezuma was known to have drunk something like 50-goblets of hot chocolate before facing his harem of around 600 women. And Napoleon Bonaparte sure may have had “a complex”, but he took seriously eating chocolate truffles as a sex-aid before a night of romance.

Whether or not there is scientific evidence to support the many claims to aphrodisiac foods, believers are there. And aphrodisiac foods run the gamut beyond chocolate. Honey, saffron, asparagus, avocados, basil, grapes, strawberries are on many a person’s short list. It’s hard to believe that anyone would claim garlic or onions to be aphrodisiac foods, but they do make it on the occasional list. The caveat here is a warning that the seriously bad breath that follows; might kill the mood. Continue reading “Having Fun With Aphrodisiac Foods!”