Smart Lemon

"Nutritional Value"

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy           121 kJ (29 kcal)

Carbohydrates              9.32 g

Sugars                        2.50 g

Dietary fiber                  2.8 g

Fat                            0.30 g

Protein                       1.10 g

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"Add Lemon to Your Spinach Recipe"

Spinach is very rich in Calcium oxalate..

Studies and researches found that Calcium oxalate could hinder the absorption of iron.. On the other hand vitamin C will metabolize the oxalate which makes it an aide for iron absorption.

So, It's very simple, just add lemon your spinach recipe!

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"An idea for your digestive"

When lemon juice is taken with lukewarm water, it cleanse the digestive system!

And because of the digestive qualities of lemon juice, Symptoms of indigestion like heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently and then, controlling constipation and diarrhea which makes it a good medicine!

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"For Your Skin"

It keeps your skin glowing when applied with glycerin or

you can try masks like lemon facial masks, it's refreshing.

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"To Stay in a Good Shape"

Lemon juice is controling your carbohydrates level in the blood.

lemon juice is a good metabolism booster wheich means that your gonna lose weight just by adding it your diet.

I personally LOVE "ginger tea with lemon" especially in winter!

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Baby Eats a Sour Lemon

Soooo Cute :)

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US Congress Declares Pizza a Vegetable!

Pizza Is a Vegetable???!!!

This is not a joke! Pizza has been insulted, really!

I feel sad when I hear people saying that Pizza is a junk food..Now, they are calling it a  vegetable! so sorry for you Pizza!

 Believe it or not, the congress  pushes to classify pizza as a 'vegetable'! 
Anyway, I think Pizza could be healthy if we made it using fresh and healthy ingredients.
Pizza is really fantastic, healthy and delicious.. but that doesn't mean we should classify it as a 'vegetable'  :)
Here is an article about that vegetable classification says that the kind of pizza served in most school lunchrooms can hardly be considered a health food..

Source/ (NaturalNews)
    *read more here*

In an absurd attempt to fight back at federal regulations that greatly limit the amount of junk food that can be served as part of government-funded school lunch programs, Congress has proposed a new spending bill that classifies pizza as a "vegetable." Reports indicate that the bill would allow for just two tablespoons of tomato paste to be considered a serving of vegetables.

Recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine back in 2009 for reforming subsidized school lunch programs include reducing the use of starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn to just two days a week, cutting sodium use, and promoting the use of whole grains. But the new Congressional bill, which is alleged to be a product of the frozen food industry lobby, seeks to undo these changes.

Proponents of the bill in Congress say it will "prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals." But opponents insist that the legislation is a thinly-veiled attempt at satisfying the demands of special interest groups rather than promoting better nutrition for public school children.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a group that supports the Obama Administration's initial lunchroom reform measures, has expressed vehement opposition to the Congressional bill. CSPI's Nutrition Policy Director Margo G. Wootan recently wrote that the legislation, if passed, "may go down in nutritional history as a bigger blunder than when the Reagan Administration tried (but failed) to credit ketchup as a vegetable in the school lunch program."

First off, the kind of pizza served in most school lunchrooms can hardly be considered a health food in any way, shape, or form. From the refined, brominated white flour-based dough to the recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) laden cheese, this processed food product is a detriment to the health of school children. Even the sauce used on most processed pizzas contains chemical additives and preservatives, as well as potential pesticide residues from conventional tomatoes.
While the original Obama Administration proposal represents an attempt at improving lunchroom food quality, it is inadequate at promoting real nutrition. Once the genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), refined sugars, processed flours, unhealthy GM oils, chemical salt additives, and preservatives are removed from the menu, then we can truly begin a discussion on better health through nutrition.

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Falafel is the best

  The best sandwich for vegetarians!

Falafel

The word falafel can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them.

The origin of falafel is unknown and controversial A common theory is that the dish originates in Egypt, possibly eaten by Copts as a replacement for meat during Lent. Alexandria being a port city made it possible to export the dish and name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, where chickpeas replaced the fava.

Falafel grew to become a common form of street food or fast food in the Middle East. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's began to serve a "McFalafel" in some countries. It is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays.

Here are some of the nutritional benefits of Falafel...

When made with chick peas, falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Chickpeas are also low in fat and salt and contain no cholesterol. Key nutrients are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, Vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and folate. Phytochemicals include beta-carotene. Due to its nutrition profile, as well as being considered a hearty and satisfying dish, falafel is often recommended for use in weight control programs. Its also high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective at lowering blood cholesterol.

There are 57 calories in 1 patty of Falafel.

Calorie breakdown: 48% fat, 38% carbs, 14% protein.

How to make Falafel..

Ingredients:

 Kilo beans soaked for four hours.

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons flour

Salt

Pepper

Oil

Preparation:

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in these balls in oil until the becom golden brown.

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Falafel can be baked to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. Although baking alters the texture and flavor, its often a recommended preparation technique for people suffering from health issues like diabetes.
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Your Child's Health

Children and thier eating habits
Children differ from each other when it comes to eating behavior. Some of them eat (food) fast and greedily and others eat very few food, and they are both wrong.
Eating balanced food is the correct way, and I'm giving the responsibility here to mums to watch out thier children's health.
I know it is difficult to control the appetite of your child but at least try to lure them and make for them a desirable dish like fruit Salad with cream or Spaghetti.
Remember when you eat healthy food your kids will imitate you. so you have to avoid junk foods and drinks as much as you can. So, be a role model for your kid's sake.



Some examples of bad habits
# Watching TV while eating  food without any awareness of that bad habit which causes obesity  among those children.
# Laziness and not doing any exercise or any activities.
# Eating lots of sweets, Chips and Chocolate.
# Relying on fast food as a main meal for kids.
# Drinking soda during the meal.







Here are some tips for you child


1) Put up a poster on the wall shows the food pyramid and encourage the child to follow the guidelines.
or give the kid a coloring book so he can enjoy more the food pyramid.


2) Let your child learn all about food requirements and what to eat from each food group.
3) Let your child be involved in making the meal.
4) Focus on how much you kid eat and watch his/her intake calories.
5) Let your kid be involved in fiscal activity to keep him/her in a healthier weight.
6) Make a worksheet for your kids so they can track their food choices that match up to dietary recommendations.
7) Follow the whole progress by tracking your kid's food intake and physical activity.



Nutrition education games


I have some fun fun nutrition education games here
http://handntips.blogspot.com/p/healthy-kids.html



Vist this site
http://www.nourishinteractive.com/






Posters and  coloring books
For posters and  coloring books you can see more on
http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/






Here is the poster.






The coloring book

Here is the worksheet

click on the image to make it bigger.

    

  Search these links for more information:

• Blast Off Game
• http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/ 
• http://www.foodtimeline.org/
• http://kidshealth.org/kid/
• http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/kids/main.asp
• http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/educators/main.asp
• http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov/
• http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/
• http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/body/foodsmarts/

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™ Pizza

There is nothing more beautiful than a homemade Pizza!


Let me introduce to you the ™ Pizza

 
The dough ingredients: 



> 1 1/2 cup of water.
> 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast.
> 3 1/2 cups of bread flour.
> 2 teaspoons salt.
> 1 teaspoon sugar.
> 1/2 cup of olive oil.

On the top,

> Tomato sauce.
> Mozzarella cheese.
> Mushrooms.
> Olives.
> Sliced bell pepper.
> Sliced onion.






[I don't use eggs]...what do you think?

Hope you like it =)

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LDL and HDL Cholesterol: What's Bad and What's Good?

Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins.
LDL or what is called low-density lipoprotein is a bad cholesterol actually, and the HDL "the high-density lipoprotein" is the good one.


LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible which causes heart attack.




HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
 and because that the high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack so that's why HDL cholesterol is called the good cholesterol.
Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body.


 Cholesterol Levels

Risk Category	Bad Cholesterol Target Level
Lower Risk	<160 mg/dL
Moderate Risk	<130 mg/dL
High Risk	<100 mg/dL
Very High Risk	<70 mg/dL

LDL CHOLESTEROL IS FOUND IN THESE FOODS


Dairy Foods
Some dairy foods contain LDL cholesterol in the form of saturated fats.  Dairy foods containing LDL include milk, mayonnaise, butter, eggnog, cream, hard and soft cheeses, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream and yogurt.
Red Meats
LDL cholesterol is found in a variety of red meats such as lamb, beef, pork and veal.
Processed Meats
Like some processed meats such as sausage, cold cuts, pepperoni, bologna and hot dogs.
Foods That Contain Trans Fats.
like baked goods such as cakes, pies, cookies or snack foods like potato chips.


Here are some videos

                      Understanding Cholesterol

                3 Paths  to Lower Cholesterol

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