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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Important Fiber Facts


Research has shown fiber to be powerful toward a healthy diet and lifestyle, but many people aren't taking this nutrient seriously.

Here are 9 important facts about fiber:

1. Fiber can actually help with overeating. All high
fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,
making you feel satisfied longer.

2. Fiber fights diseases. A diet high in fiber can
help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease. High
fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract.

3. More fiber needs more water. In order to keep
fiber moving through your digestive tract, you'll
need to consume a lot of water. With your fiber, you'll
need eight or more glasses of water every day.

4. Grains offer the most fiber. Dietary fiber is
actually plant matter that we cannot digest. The best
sources are whole grains and concentrated grain
products.

5. Kids need fiber as well. Children that are older
than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of
fiber. Kids are most receptive to fiber found in
fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast
cereals.

6. Most popular foods don't have enough fiber. If
you like the more popular foods, you probably need
to increase your intake of fiber.

7. You can get enough fiber. If you eat more than
50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea
and bloating, which can interfere with your body's
absorption of other key minerals.

8. Fiber cannot be cooked out. When you cook
your fruits and vegetables, don't worry about cooking
the fiber out, as it stays. The fiber found in
fruits and vegetables aren't just in the skin or
in the peel.

9. Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet
doesn't have to be hard. Even though you may think
so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn't very
hard to do. All you have to do is eat the right
foods and you'll be well on your way to a fiber
rich lifestyle.

Fiber is something you don't want to skip, as it is one of the key components to eating healthy.

Fiber can serve many different purposes, which are listed above. If you aren't getting enough fiber in your diet you should do something about it now instead of waiting until it is too late.

Charles

4th of July Cookout- Vegetarian Style


Fourth of July is quickly approaching. This is a time when many enjoy a holiday cookout. Whether you’re expecting vegetarian guests, you’ve just became vegetarian yourself, or you’d just like to add more meatless recipes to give some variety to your cookout menu, there are all kind of ways to prepare meatless options.

A clean and well lubricated grill is important for vegetarian style cookouts. This is because vegetarian foods are more fragile than meat and do not contain as much fat. You would not want your veggies sticking to the grill.

Traditionally, vegetables have been considered a side dish in most meals, but at a cookout they can take center stage as the entrée. Almost any kind of vegetable is great for grilling.

Complement your meal by serving them over pasta, rice or polenta. You can also make them into extraordinary sandwiches with a soy-based cheese and some freshly baked rolls or bread.

Cut the vegetables lengthwise into thin slices in the case of zucchini and eggplant, or into thick rings, in the case of onions, tomatoes and peppers. If you'd rather have your veggies in handy bite-size pieces for serving with pasta and the like, try using a special pan for the grill with small holes that keep the veggies from falling through the grill and being lost. And probably the easiest way to grill vegetables on the grill is shish-ka-bob style!

A veggie shish-ka-bob recipe that I came up with is arranged by putting a slice of yellow bell pepper, mushroom, chunk of potato, slice of onion, slice of carrot, slice of red bell pepper, slice of jalapeno, chunk of pineapple, chunk of potato, mushroom, slice of onion, slice of carrot, chuck of pineapple, slice of green bell pepper, slice of jalapeno. I then brush on a thin coat of honey, sprinkle on pepper spices and roast on the grill.

Don’t forget to balance out those grilled vegetables with some fresh fruit salads, perfectly chilled and juicy. Watermelon, strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits all complement one another well in a delightful fruit salad prepared with non-dairy whipped cream.

Also use fruits to experiment with some fun smoothies and slushies for the kids – they’re fun and better for them than sugary sodas.

Charles

Monday, June 14, 2010

Homemade Organic Fungicides and Bug Repellants


If you are growing your own herbs for teas or spices or for natural home remedies, it is important to keep your plants healthy and protected from those little pests that like to destroy your hard work.

Since we are working toward keeping everything eco-friendly and healthy, that last thing we want to use on our plants are chemical sprays.

If you are going to use a commercial pesticide for your plants, ensure that it is organic in composition. If you want to stick to the format of home remedies and making things yourself, below are a few popular home concotions that will get the job done.

The following ingredients should be mixed in a spray bottle so that the solutions can be sprayed directly onto your plants to control fungus and disease:

Hydrogen Peroxide Spray: Mix 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

Oil and Baking Soda Spray: 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of cooking oil mixed in a quart of warm water.

Listerine Spray: 1 teaspoon of Listerine mixed into a quart of warm water.

The above sprays should be applied to your plants every ten days. It will help with the disease and fungus problems.

To help control insects, use the following recipes:

Insects can be controlled with a solution of soap and cooking oil. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a 1/4 teaspoon of cooking oil into a quart of warm water. Spray the underside and top of all the leaves. This will help stop most of the common pests that love to destroy your plants.

The spray should be applied every 10 days.

Insecticide Garlic Spray:

Ingredients: 1 Garlic Bulb, 2 Cups Water, 1 Gallon Water

To make take an entire garlic bulb and two cups of water and blend in blender. Mix at high speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour mixture into a container and set it aside for up to one day. Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth. Mix the liquid with one gallon of water. Apply liberally on top and bottom of leaves.

Tomato Leaf Insecticide:

Ingredients: 1 oz. tomato leaves; 1 quart water

Take one ounce of tomato leaves and add to one quart of water and blend thoroughly. Strain the resulting liquid and use to repel insects. This works well on white cabbage butterflies too.

There are hundreds of natural insecticides and fungicides that work just as well as their toxic chemical counterparts. So why use chemicals?


Charles