Some Food Pairings That You Need To Avoid

Can Fruits be eaten with or after a meal? which proteins can be combined with starchy foods? DO some food decrease your digestive rate? Are there some food combinations to avoid?

These are a few questions that I will attempt to address in this article. I have also described the reasons why a few food combinations are beneficial and why some of them must be strictly avoided.

Before understanding the rules regarding the best and worst food combinations, let us define every food category:

Starchy foods: Pasta, bread, cereals, grains, potatoes/ sweet potatoes, winter squashes or pumpkin
Non-Starchy foods: Asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, onions, brussels sprouts, artichokes, broccoli, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, leafy greens, peppers or zucchini
Proteins: Chicken, beef, eggs, fish, seeds, nuts, beans, legumes or soy products like tofu.
Fruits: Includes all the acidic, less acidic, sweet fruits and melons

Continue reading “Some Food Pairings That You Need To Avoid”

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review – Pros and Cons

This Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review is inspired by the fact that the said product has now managed to become one of the bestselling pet provisions in the industry. It boasts a recipe that is completely free of artificial preservatives and additives. It uses rosemary to preserve the product. Another quality of the product is how it has evolved into an all organic food.

Review on Evolution

The Blue Buffalo Company has first formulated its brand of dog food based on American Nutrition standards. It used several artificial chemicals to preserve its product. But soon after, it was placed in a dire situation when one of its products tested positive for melamine contamination. Studies showed that the chemical preservatives were major contributors in the contamination. The event prompted the Continue reading “Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review – Pros and Cons”

10 Utensils Common In Food Preparation In Africa

There are utensils in food preparation and in cooking that are unique to Africa. Here are a few!

1. Cooking Pot

In modern Africa, many families have switched to using cooking utensils made of metallic, ceramic and other materials, especially when using modern cooking fires such as electric or gas fires. However, the traditional earthenware cooking pot still remains a favourite for many.

The traditional cooking pot is made of clay, and then fired in a kiln. The processes involved in producing a cooking pot and a water pot are different, since a water pot only needs to keep water cool and not withstand the fire.

The traditional cooking pot is often used over an open fire, such as a wood fire, or at a hearth, or over a charcoal burner. The earthy smell of the cooking pot lends a unique flavour to the food. Fresh beans or meat simmered in a pot have quite a different flavour to when cooked in a metallic saucepan.

Continue reading “10 Utensils Common In Food Preparation In Africa”

Dishing Out The Best of Korean Food in New York

Korean food has always been synonymous with Kimchi, Bibimbap and barbecues at the table. Over the last few years Korean culture has been building steam all over New York City. Many Korean restaurants in New York have set up shop in a tiny slice of the city called Koreatown. This jam-packed neighborhood boasts of the best spas, delicious Korean barbecues and mouth watering Korean food in NY.

Here you will find authentic Korean food options ranging from fine dine, fast food, casual dining and the best Korean delivery in NY. Restaurants in K-town have definitely gone and put Korea on the map with their take on traditional food as well as a modern approach, showcasing their culture on the plate.

Continue reading “Dishing Out The Best of Korean Food in New York”

Pollen Allergy and Food Sensitivity: The Oral Allergy Syndrome and Food Intolerance

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is a well-recognized but little known condition. It is characterized by a burning sensation or mouth pain and swelling when you eat specific foods that cross react to pollens to which you are allergic. Interestingly, the specific foods causing this reaction are well established to cross react with certain trees, grass, or weed pollens, house dust mite or latex. There are common groups of foods that cluster with certain nasal allergies. For example, ragweed allergy commonly causes an oral or gut reaction after eating melons or bananas but usually not other foods. Birch tree pollen is commonly associated with reactions to numerous foods as is latex allergy. The explanation for these reactions include similarities in protein structures as well as some chemicals in the foods.

Though this reaction is well documented in the allergy literature it is not commonly recognized or diagnosed by most doctors including some allergy specialists and many stomach specialists. Various allergy web sites include lists of the common foods associated with certain pollens, dust mite or latex. However, a comprehensive list that is easy to read or interpret can be difficult to find. Also, the names of some pollens or the common links between a group of pollens and a group of foods can be confusing.

Continue reading “Pollen Allergy and Food Sensitivity: The Oral Allergy Syndrome and Food Intolerance”

The Importance of Proper Food Storage

Appropriately stored food is important and though, it is an easy task if the amount of food is less, but how exactly do you store food in larger quantities? Understanding proper storage techniques will not only aid in retaining freshness, but can also eliminate wastefulness, reduce the risk of contamination and unnecessary spending.

Before you can think about how to properly store your food, it is vital to ascertain that is in good condition. This is especially true, if you intend on storing foods for a long period of time. Packaging can be a great help in maintaining quality and freshness. Purchase canned or vacuum sealed goods when you can. For meats such as beef, chicken, seafood, turkey, poultry and game, use or freeze it before the specified date on the packaging.

Continue reading “The Importance of Proper Food Storage”

Foods for Strengthening The Sphincter Muscle

The sphincter muscle is a circular band of muscle that surrounds an opening or passage in the body, and is located above the stomach opening. It is also responsible for allowing food to keep in the stomach for proper breakdown and also for keeping of the acid in the stomach which helps in the digestion of food. A weakened stomach valve can cause many stomach disorders like acid reflux, indigestion, soar throat and damage the tissues of the food pipe. Before you can cure any of these diseases, the best thing to do is to cure it from the root by strengthening it. Unfortunately, conventional medicine doesn’t have a complete solution to this. Antacids and other conventional medicine only relieve heartburn pain temporarily.

To strengthen the stomach valve, it is advisable to subscribe to the use of natural remedies.

The following foods and drinks have been found to be very potent in strengthening the stomach valve.

Continue reading “Foods for Strengthening The Sphincter Muscle”

Caribbean Food – A Little History

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Continue reading “Caribbean Food – A Little History”

Advantages Of Acid Foods And Alkaline Foods

What You Need To Know About Acid Foods And Alkaline Foods

There are acid foods and alkaline foods present in your everyday diet. Both these types of food affect your body, its pH and the metabolism rate differently. You eat what you want to eat but you don’t know how it will affect your body. A balanced and good diet should be taken by you so that your body stays healthy and in a proper condition.

The food you eat is either acidic or alkaline depending on its pH value. pH value tells us whether anything is acidic or alkaline. pH below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. You have to maintain a pH of approximately between 7.35 and 7.45, which is mildly acidic, if you want your body system to work most efficiently. pH above or below this value will result in diseases and illness. This pH can be maintained by taking proper type of food. Highly acidic, example, pH1 to 5, or highly alkaline, i.e., pH 11 to 14, are all bad for your health and internal body system. Because it is the pH of your body that lets the enzymes work most efficiently.

Continue reading “Advantages Of Acid Foods And Alkaline Foods”

How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?

A common misconception is that it is expensive, electricity wise, to operate a food dehydrator. This is not true, even though dehydrators use electricity to operate their heating system and fans for longer periods of time, sometimes up to twelve and eighteen hours.

Food dehydrators are used to dry various foods by eliminating the water within the food. The water content of food is very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. In order to minimize dehydration time, best dehydration practices to follow include slicing food into 1/4 inch or less strips and evenly spreading the food throughout the unit’s trays in order to maximize the amount of the food’s surface that is exposed to the unit’s heat and air flow.

Continue reading “How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?”