Food Security In Nigeria

What is food security? Well, in attempting to answer this question, there are two key words that stand out here – food and security.

Food, according to the dictionary is any substance that people or animals eat or drink to stay alive.

Rice, beans, millet, fish, meat, water, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, alcohol, wine and soft drinks are some of the foods and drinks we know.

Security, on the other hand is about protection and freedom from threats, violence, danger, worries, bloodbath or even death. So, in my own words, food security is basically about having food to eat with your family.

Let us zero in on Nigeria and look at some statistics on agricultural transformation. Nigeria, as you know has an estimated population of about 150 million people from 774 local government areas and 36 states and Abuja. Good market, if you ask me. Continue reading “Food Security In Nigeria”

Three Keys to Help Get You Motivated in Getting Healthy and Fit

For years now the fitness industry, government and others have told the public that they need to start working out and eating healthy. They told of the consequences of what would happen if they didn’t. What is the result of all of this? We got fatter. We have more fitness facilities, weight loss programs, weight loss foods, diets, fitness equipment, and more than ever before. We got fatter.

The Baby Boomer generation was supposed to be the one that was going to get and stay fit and healthy. They were going to stay young. They got fatter. As a fellow Boomer, it’s crazy that my generation (the one that was going to make a difference in society and focus on youthfulness) is now unhealthy, fat and old.

The younger generation is even worse, because they started early on in being unhealthy. So many young people are simply sitting at home and either watching TV, playing computer games or engaged in their smart devices. They are not motivated as I and many others were during our youth. We wanted to play outdoors and had to be dragged back in by our mothers. Continue reading “Three Keys to Help Get You Motivated in Getting Healthy and Fit”

Cooking For Children Who Are Reluctant Eaters

Often adults enthusiastically introduce a new food, just to have a child turn up their nose at it. Perhaps the adult will offer it a second time. But if a child refuses to eat an unfamiliar food the third time, most adults will quit and assume they just don’t like it and won’t eat it. The truth is, that after three tries, the process of building a preference or like for a new food is just beginning! Many children (from infants to teenagers) are reluctant to try new foods. It’s a phenomenon called neophobia and literally means a fear of new foods. I know firsthand about this as I struggled miserably with it as a child and some of it has carried over to my adult life. New foods, even as an adult, bring on a feeling of anxiety as well as embarrassment if I am in a public place or at someone’s home. Studies tell us that food preferences can be developed and the earlier children experience this the better. Under the right circumstances, negative initial responses to new foods can be shifted to positive ones. The key is to give children repeated opportunities to touch, smell and sample the new food. Food preferences develop slowly with repeated exposures, like wading slowly into the water until you feel comfortable with it.

Continue reading “Cooking For Children Who Are Reluctant Eaters”

How to Prevent Disease With Healing Gourmet

The Healing Gourmet seven book series is a product that is based on the theory that you are what you eat and modern day food and eating habits are making many of us seriously ill or at least contributing to it. Read on for a review of this product.

There are five damaging aspects of modern day diets outlined in the series as follows:

1. Inflammation: known as the quiet killer and the cornerstone of degenerative disease and physical aging.

2. Glycation: over consumption of carbohydrates or foods prepared in a certain way.

3. Oxidation: it happens naturally but if left unchecked can cause rapid physical aging and chronic disease.

4. Depletion: a deficiency of key nutrients that can damage human DNA in a similar way to exposure to radiation. Continue reading “How to Prevent Disease With Healing Gourmet”

You’re Not A Dog, Don’t Reward Yourself With Food

Those of you concerned with losing weight and getting in shape need to remember this important key point – you’re not a dog so don’t reward yourself with food. The reason I bring this topic up is because often when folks are trying to improve their daily nutrition, many times when they are able to make it through most of the day in a healthy manner they feel as though they earned an edible reward. For some odd reason they convince themselves they “earned” a treat so they unfortunately stuff their mouths with their old favorite treats.

Do you frequently participate in this type of reward system too?

When someone does this, they essentially trade a few euphoric munching minutes for their weight loss goal. Achieving weight loss comes down to calories. If you take in (or burn off) less calories than your body needs you will lose weight. If you eat or drink too many calories then your weight will increase. Continue reading “You’re Not A Dog, Don’t Reward Yourself With Food”

How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed bell peppers are a southern treat that goes back a few decades. There are many varieties of stuffed bell peppers. In this recipe, I am going to describe how to make the traditional stuffed bell peppers. There are some key ingredients in this recipe that must be done right. The shrimp, crabmeat, and crab boil are all seasonings that can be googled. It’s something about fresh Louisiana gulf shrimp that makes food taste a lot better. The tasso and ham cajun smoked is another added bonus. I also ensure that I add the Tony chachere’s cajun seasonings. If you want this to be a meal to remember, please make sure that these key ingredients are sacrificed. Ok, let’s begin.

Ingredients

5 bell peppers (Green or Yellow)

1 Large yellow onion Continue reading “How to Make Stuffed Bell Peppers”

Doing a Wedding Cookout

A great idea for a casual, less-expensive wedding reception is a barbecue. In fact, the wedding barbecue is now becoming a popular option for smaller weddings. If you are thinking of a barbecue for you wedding reception, remember, the entire affair can be a lot of fun if only you plan beforehand and assign specific duties to people.

Pick your barbecue location well ahead of time. Consider how far it’s going to be from the wedding ceremony itself.

Plan the menu carefully. You need something everyone will enjoy but is relatively easy and less time consuming. Also, you will need food that can be prepared partially beforehand so that not much time is lost at the grill itself. Pick thinner or smaller cuts that will take less time to cook. Try gourmet sausages, thin cuts of steak, or chicken cutlets. The key is that the food should be fancier than your average hot dog barbecue dinner, but easy to handle and faster to cook. Keep appetizers and side dishes simple too. Make at least one or two of your side dishes ahead of time. Continue reading “Doing a Wedding Cookout”

Important Weight Loss Foods for Proper Dieting

So what are weight loss foods? We have all heard the expression, “you are what you eat”. Whether it’s pork chops, fried chicken, potatoes, cheese cake or chocolate, your body will respond based on how you are feeding it. It’s not a bad thing to enjoy the foods you eat, but moderation is the key. You can still enjoy food on a diet, you just need to know there are some foods that when eaten help you lose weight and others that you want to avoid as they will cause you to gain unnecessary pounds.

Cold or chilled soups are great alternatives for low calorie dishes. They can include gazpacho or cucumber-dill, which are typically rich with plenty of vitamin rich vegetables. Consuming low-calorie soups prior to a meal is an excellent method to reduce overeating foods that tend to cause you to put on extra pounds. Also several health researchers confirm that having a type of low-calorie broth-based soup can actually provide you with a sense of fullness. Continue reading “Important Weight Loss Foods for Proper Dieting”

Weight Loss – What is the Real Key to Losing Weight?

When you come to the decision that it is time to lose weight and get healthier, too many people mistakenly believe that the weight should come off as fast as it takes to go through a drive-through window. The truth is, it will take a little longer than that. So, what is the real key to losing weight?

Many people will answer this question with something along the lines of eating less food every day. Perhaps skip a meal and you will lose weight. If that actually worked we would all be able to shed some extra pounds. Unfortunately, your body will compensate for the lack of food. It has a built-in feature that stores more fat during these times and slows down your metabolism. Continue reading “Weight Loss – What is the Real Key to Losing Weight?”

An Avocado a Day – Three Amazing Anti Aging Health Benefits of Avocados

Technically a large berry from Central and South America, the avocado is our number one anti aging fruit, packed full of powerful antioxidants which help fight against unnecessary mind and body aging. Listed below are the top three anti aging health benefits of avocados:

1) VITAMIN E

Vitamin E is the most important vitamin against the effects of aging and to keep you young. Vitamin E is a powerful fat soluble antioxidant that blocks fat oxidation, rejuvenates our immune systems, helps keep arteries clear and slows down brain and blood aging. It can be found in a wide range of food sources but fatty foods are the best sources, such as oils, nuts, seeds and wheat germs.

2) VITAMIN B6 Continue reading “An Avocado a Day – Three Amazing Anti Aging Health Benefits of Avocados”