Category: Healthy Living

What Are The Kitchen Essential Tools Foodies Swear By?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 10, 2016

A lot of food bloggers talk about being healthy and the best foods to eat. But what they fail to talk about is the essential tools you need to cook nutritious food. The truth is if you want to be able to cook lots of delicious, healthy meals at home, you need to have the correct tools to do so. There are so many fantastic meals that you can make from scratch at home. However, when it comes to cooking these meals, many of us struggle. The truth is, the reason many of us find making certain recipes tricky is simply because we don’t have the right tools.

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If you invest in the right tools for your kitchen, you’ll find cooking easier and more enjoyable. That’s why I thought I would put together this guide to all the essential tools foodies swear by for cooking. Have a read and let me know if I’ve missed anything out that you would recommend. Happy cooking!

Strainer

A strainer is useful for so many things, from washing salad to draining pasta, it’s a crucial tool. If your kitchen doesn’t have a strainer, you need to invest in one. When it comes to cooking pasta bakes, roasts and salads, a strainer really is your best friend. If you can’t strain your veggies or pasta in a strainer, you run the risk of pouring them into the sink or of scalding yourself. This isn’t just a tool that makes cooking easier, it also improves kitchen safety. If you have a browse online, you can find plenty of articles about the best strainers to invest in. Some strainers even fold up to save space, so there are plenty of options to choose from.

Pots and pans

This one might seem pretty obvious, but you would be surprised by how many cooks don’t have a selection of pots and pans in their kitchen. If you want to make cooking easier and more enjoyable for yourself, it’s crucial to have a good range of pots and pans to use. There are so many different ranges to choose from that knowing what the best style and brands are can be tricky. To get an idea of the best pots and pans, check out these cookware reviews and have a read.

Wok and frying pan

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One or the other won’t do; you need both. Far too many people only have a wok or a frying pan, not both. However, different recipes call for different pans, so having one of each on hand is crucial. While technically, both these tools do similar things, they’re not the same in any way. The main difference being the depth of them. While frying pans are good for frying meat, fish, eggs, pancakes and vegetables, they’re not any good for cooking bulkier things. For instance, risotto and stir fries both need to be made on the hob, but a frying pan is too small to hold them, that’s where a wok comes in handy.

Spatula

Out of all the kitchen essentials, a spatula is one of the most crucial and most basic. The most important thing to get right when picking a spatula is what type you need – rubber or metal, wide or slim. It’s important to think about the types of pans you have when deciding this, as if you have a Teflon coated pan, a metal spatula will ruin it. Instead, it’s best to opt for a rubber design. However, if you have metal or ceramic pots and pans, you can go for whatever spatula you want. Just make sure to opt for a sturdy design, else you’ll find it tricky to use for certain tasks.

Tongs

For times when a spatula just won’t do it, having a pair of tongs on hand is crucial. Some foods need to be flipped but are just too flimsy to be turned using a spatula; that ’s where cooking tongs come in handy. If you’re someone who likes to BBQ as well as cook inside, then tongs are definitely a must. The best ones to opt for are rubber coated ones, as these prevent you from burning your hands on them.

Knives

Last but not least, the last essential that every cook needs is a range of knives. Far too many of us presume that having just one knife to cook with will work just as well as a selection of them, but that’s not the case. Different knives are for different things, some are for cutting meat, others are for slicing cake. If you want to enjoy cooking, it’s crucial to treat yourself to a selection of different knives.

There you have it, all the essentials that foodies swear by.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

Why Coconut Oil Is So Popular

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 29, 2016

Coconut oil is a plant-based saturated fat that is very healthy for you inside and out. It promotes clear, wrinkle-free skin and protects against sunburn and skin cancer. Originally lumped together with animal-based saturated fats and avoided, it actually has none of their bad properties. Instead, it is gaining in reputation and popularity extremely fast.

A functional food, coconut is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. The coconut palm tree is referred to as the “tree of life” because, besides its food value, so many things are made from it and it can be used on the human body with many benefits. Coconut oil is squeezed from the “meat” of the coconut and the best type is organic cold pressed extra virgin.

Coconut Oil Is Easily Digested

Coconut oil is an easily digested fat. It is composed of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which go straight to the liver and are turned into energy. This is great news for people who have had their gallbladder removed, since it is needed to digest long chain fatty acids found in animal fats but not the MCFAs in coconut oil.

Benefits of Lauric Acid

Coconut oil contains high amounts of lauric acid, which is used in the treatment of viral infections such as the flu, the cold and even cold sores.

Coconut oil is actually 50% lauric acid. Lauric acid is transformed by the body into monolaurin. That, along with the capric and caprylic acids also in coconut oil, has antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-protozoal properties. It is a highly effective treatment for candida albicans (a yeast infection) and targets bacterial infections and many other diseases. Researchers are eyeing it for treatment in HIV/Aids.

Incorporating Coconut Oil Into Your Diet

You can get a small amount of lauric acid from dried coconut meat and coconut milk, but the oil contains almost four times that amount. You can take about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. You can just eat it off a spoon, use it when frying your meals, or put it in smoothies. I like it on toast, instead of butter. That amount will protect you from viruses and bacteria as well as help your skin from the inside. It will also boost your metabolism and help you burn body fat.

Side Effects

If you have been on a low-fat diet, and you start incorporating this oil into your diet, you may experience diarrhea. This should go away once you become used to taking it. To reduce this side effect, take smaller doses spread out over the course of the day.

Previous Articles in the Healthy Fats Series

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High Fat Foods That Are Actually Good for You

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 25, 2016

After all this talk about healthy fats, you may wonder, “what are some actual whole foods that contain healthy fats already in them.” It is unlikely that you’ll a healthy fat by itself, and I’m sure you would like to be able to grab a healthy high fat food that will contain your hunger and be quick and easy to eat.

Eggs are a great, quick food to eat. While some may be thinking about a raw egg in a smoothie, you may want to rethink that unless they are organic eggs from your own chicken coop. And we’re not talking about egg whites here, either. They are rather tasteless and you are missing the yolk that has nutrients you need. What is meant is that whole eggs can be cooked quickly and make a great meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They contain choline, a B vitamin that helps regulate the nervous system, the brain, and the cardiovascular system. Eating eggs occasionally will help improve your heart.

I like to keep hard-boiled eggs handy in the frig. One can make a tasty, quick snack that gives you the protein and fats you need to make it to your next meal. I also love tossing them into a salad. Yum!

An egg sandwich is a quick meal, cooking 2 fried eggs (in one of the healthy fats) takes less than 5 minutes, put it on a sandwich with some organic ketchup or salsa and you are good to go. On the other hand, what about an avocado spread on two slices of bread with slices of turkey for a fast sandwich and healthier than using mayonnaise.

Nut butter on a sandwich with sliced banana or strawberries is not only healthy but a comfort food many remember. Whether you use the familiar peanut butter or the more exotic almond or cashew butter, you’ll be eating a protein- and fiber-packed meal. Just be sure to pick all natural nut butter with as few ingredients on the label as possible to avoid added sugar or saturated oils. Speaking of nuts, you can also eat some almonds for vitamin E, some walnuts for Omega 3 fatty acids, or pistachios for lutien that are good for your eyes.

And, lastly, oily fish is another whole food full of Omega 3 fatty acids. Tuna salad anyone? Or a sardine sandwich, or how about salmon salad for lunch? When you want a healthy meal, and one that will see you through until dinner, think healthy high fat foods.

If you are trying to lose weight adding healthy fats to your diet is one way to get your body to start dropping those pounds. Try adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to each meal and see what happens!

Previous Articles in the Healthy Fats Series

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Healthy Living

What Omega 3 and 6 Are and How They are Different

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 22, 2016

As I mentioned in my last post in this series, essential fatty acids, Omega 3 and 6, are not produced by the body and must be obtained through our diet. Omega 3 and 6 are used for growth and repair in our bodies as well as for making other fatty acids needed such as DHA.

Omega 3 sources developed in the sea. Omega 6 sources are from plant seeds, meat and dairy foods. By eating seed oils, oily fish such as salmon, and meat, eggs and dairy foods, we can support our bodies’ needs for these raw materials.

Omega fatty acids 3 and 6 are two building blocks of our cells’ membranes, as well as components in regulating blood pressure and the anti-inflammatory response.

Omega 3 is especially import in the prevention of fatal heart attacks and heart disease. It may also be important in diabetes and cancer research.

Omega fatty acids are used to make EPA and DHA. They are used by your eyes, brain and heart, as well as by your nervous and immune systems.

The Importance of the Omega 3 vs. Omega 6 Ratio

There is a ratio of one to one of Omega 3 to Omega 6 needed for the body and brain to function properly. That ratio is skewed to 20 times higher Omega 6 to Omega 3 in the US diet and it is one of the reasons for the heart disease rates in this country. Our national diet has too much Omega 6 and we must find Omega 3 foods to eat to obtain a balance. Ratios in Omega 3 and 6 vary around the world by country because of the indigenous foods they eat. This ratio disparity is also a cause for our brains to degrade as we grow older.

Other differences in Omega 3 and 6 are in their chemical makeup. The difference is in how this makes them behave. Omega 3 helps prevent heart disease and is anti-inflammatory, whereas Omega 6 lowers blood cholesterol and supports healthy skin.

A good, healthy diet provides you with sufficient Omega 6. However, you can get too much Omega 6 in your diet if you eat larger quantities of certain foods, like red meat. Then you might need to take Omega 3 as a supplement. Just by adding two meals of oily fish each week to your diet can take care of your Omega 3 needs, and can be supplemented by eating flaxseed, which you can add to foods we make, or by eating nuts and fresh fruits for snacks.

When choosing an Omega 3 supplement look for a quality brand. Traditionally fish oil supplements would produce unpleasant tasting “fish burps,” however newer formulas are reducing this side effect, making the supplement more pleasant to take.

Previous Articles in the Healthy Fats Series

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Healthy Living

Why Adding Healthy Fats to Your Diet is a Good Thing

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 18, 2016

Public domain image via Pixabay

Early this week I provided an overview of healthy fats. Now I’d like to talk about why being mindful of using healthy fats in your diet is a good idea.

You need to eat healthy fats to have a healthy functioning body. Dietary fat takes a predominant role in many bodily processes. Fats are integral in the production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that regulate many body functions and directly regulate the production of the sex hormones. That is why you might have heard about very thin or malnourished women losing their menstrual cycles. Their bodies can’t produce the correct hormones needed for this important body function.

Healthy fats form the cell walls throughout our bodies. Healthy cell walls keep out invaders like viruses and bacteria. The nerves themselves are shielded with fat, called myelin, to speed up and contain the signals. Without this fat insulation, the signals dissipate, the electrical signals shooting out erratically, and you would behave like a jumpy, nervous person.

Two-thirds of the brain is of fat, specifically omega 3 and 6. We must obtain these essential fatty acids through food since we cannot manufacture them. The signals and memory function rely on fats for their very existence. This is one reason that low fat diets don’t work for more than a little while. Your body will develop functional problems because of the need for healthy fats. Your brain and body regulators become starved for healthy fats. Research is being done on this to see a connection in Alzheimer’s disease.

Healthy fats also insulate our bodies with a thin layer just under the skin called subcutaneous fat. This gives our skin a soft, youthful appearance and the fatty acids keep our skin moist and supple. Many vitamins are fat soluble, so we need fats in our body to absorb A, D, E and K. Many of our organs are cushioned with fat and it helps hold our heart, kidneys and intestines in place and protects them. This protective fat is the last to be burned for fuel by the body. When we overeat and build up this visceral fat beyond what is needed, it is very hard to lose.

We need to eat fat to maintain the functioning of the body systems. While adding healthy fats to your diet, don’t forget that you must eat all fats in moderation. Fats have 9 calories as opposed to proteins and carbohydrates that have 4 calories. Too much fat can make you fat, so choosing healthy fats is not enough. Balance in your diet is still important to remain healthy overall.

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What are Healthy Fats?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 15, 2016

With all the talk about low-fat diets you see in magazines, book stores and TV, you may wonder if there are good things about fats at all. But there are. In fact, your body needs fats to be healthy. So let me share some facts about fats.

Unhealthy Fats Overview

Unhealthy animal-based saturated fats, transfats and hydrogenated vegetable oils cause increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity.
Animal-based fats must also take into account the health of the animal, whether it is a genetically engineered animal, what it was given to eat and more. You can substitute healthy fats to prevent disease and lower your calorie intake, too.

Beneficial plant-based fats from healthy sources

Coconut oil is a plant-based saturated fat that works in and on your body to promote health. It has so many good qualities and has no harmful side effects. You can fry with it, add it to smoothies and just eat it as is. I enjoy having it on toast instead of butter. I also use it to saute vegetables.

Avocados are made of plant-based monosaturated fat. This is good for your heart and lowers bad cholesterol. It has a buttery taste and creamy consistency and can be used in place of mayonnaise and spread on your sandwiches for example.

Another plant-based monosaturated fat is olive oil. It is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and contains polyphenols that are antioxidants. These polyphenols found only in extra virgin olive oil and nowhere else. It is what gives olives there bitter taste.

Healthy polyunsaturated fats include walnuts and sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds; Omega 3 fatty acids, rich flaxseed and fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel herring, and trout); soymilk and tofu.

Other healthy plant-based monosaturated fats are nuts and nut butters (almond, macadamia and cashew), peanut butter, peanut oil, sesame oil and sunflower oils.

Animal-based fats from healthy sources

Why would you even consider using healthy animal-based fats? Some people feel that most plant-based oils, if not used quickly will become rancid and taste off soon after opening. They would recommend buying smaller bottles. Animal-based fats have a longer, more stable, shelf life and give a more familiar taste for people switching over to healthy fats.

Healthy fats from organic healthy animals include: butter, ghee, tallow and lard, and chicken fat — also known as “schmaltz” in kosher cooking. These animal fats are traditional foods eaten mainly by people who did not have major illnesses caused by the food they ate. The animal-based fats are only considered healthy if consumed at the rate of under 10% of total calories. In short, if only 2-3 tablespoons are consumed daily, you can use these animal fats and still be OK health-wise.

Handmade butter, made from organic grass fed cream, is very healthy. It contains vitamins D, K and K2, all depending on the source cow’s health.

Ghee is a variation on clarified butter (also known as drawn butter) because it is cooked to further eliminate water and allowing the proteins to be removed. What remains is a light yellow oil that contain about 25% medium and short chain fatty acids. Tallow is rendered saturated fat from beef. Lard is rendered saturated fat from pork. Chicken fat is rendered from chicken. All of these rendered fat products can be made at home or purchased online from reputable dealers in organic non-GE animals.

Stay tuned for further posts about healthy fats.

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Healthy Living

Super Quick Guide To Healthy Snacking

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date January 25, 2016

source - flic.kr/p/iBy5na

One of the biggest problems I hear about from many households is their inability to avoid snacks. Many believe that in an ideal world we would never snack — and stick to our three meals a day. However, things are never that simple — and for many people, a little snack can help them get through a long day. In fact, for some, between-meal snacks are actually what they need to eat for their health! With this in mind, I thought I would go through a few ways you can snack in a healthier way. Let’s get started with some of the basics you need to know.

source – flic.kr/p/x4MH8

Snack more often

The first thing to say is that snacks aren’t inherently bad in themselves. However, the problems begin with the type of snacks you eat, and the amount of food you eat during your meals. In days gone by, when food was a lot less available, humans would snack all the time. In fact, that’s all they ever did; rarely having the luxuries of three-course dinners. So, there is an argument that if you snack all the time, you will help feed your body with the right nutrients, and burn off some calories as you go. If, of course, you always choose the healthier options. (And are exercising!)

Snack healthier

When most of us think about snacks, what springs to mind? In most cases, it’s candy bars, sweets, cakes, and delicious stuff that does little to our nutrition intake but adds a lot of weight. So, if you are going to take snacks between meals, make sure you are always (or at least most of the time) choosing the healthy option. There are some wonderful ideas out there — check out these sugar free recipes for some inspiration. Or, you could just go down the route of taking some fruit, raw veggies, or nuts into work. They will help keep you healthy and stop you from having so many sugar-crashes in the afternoon.

Better planning

If you aren’t planning your snacks and meals in advance, you are going to suffer from more temptation. Sketch out your meal plans for the week, buy your ingredients, and do a little cooking, chopping, and slicing. You can store plenty of healthy snacks in the fridge, and grab them as and when you need them. Not only will you avoid unhealthy foods, but you can also use your snacks to fill in any nutritional gaps from your meals.

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Eat a better breakfast

Have you seen the astonishing amount of sugar in cereals these days? Even the ones that you think are healthy tend to have enormous piles of the stuff in there. Your best bet is some simple porridge oats, without any sugar at all. Your body will digest it slowly, meaning you should last until lunchtime without getting hunger pangs. And, of course, it gives you a lovely warm glow for many hours.

Keep a calorie diary

This could change your life in so many ways, so why not give it a go? If you keep track of your calorie intake, it won’t be long until you identify where your problem areas are. Let’s say you are eating healthy meals, but every other day you eat a large cream cake during your afternoon break. It’s going to add anything up to 500 calories to your daily intake. That’s almost a third of a small person’s recommended allowance! But, you won’t know until you have the evidence in front of you.

I hope this has helped you get some ideas for healthier snacking. We all do it, of course — but how you do it is more important than how often. Let me know if you have any great recipes to share!

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