A CURE FOR POST-CHRISTMAS LET-DOWNBy Eliza BloomNo matter how majestic and enchanting your celebration, thepost-Christmas let-down is a very real phenomenon. We allarrive back to reality a little shaken from all the excess.On Christmas Day, my home was filled with neighbors and niecesand friends who dropped by. My kitchen countertop was filledto overflowing with walnuts, tiny pink peppermint meringues,spicy sausages, smoky cheeses, a strange collection of mustards,and Aunt Bernice's Atkins-approved sugar-free chocolates.This countertop display was a community effort. Each guestbrought way more than was needed, which is a natural thingto do in this season when we celebrate abundance-when wecelebrate the torrential downpour of good things in this life,and so bring some of our favorites to share on our friends'crowded countertop.For a day or so, we set aside any notion of scarcity. Wegive our children new and shiny things. We slather them withtime and energy. For a day or so, we do not scrape and hoardand say this is mine and not yours. For a day or so, we donot say that we don't have enough. We do not say there's noroom in our heart, no room at our table, no room in our inn.For a day or so, we are full to bursting, and not just fromprime rib and peppermint candies.It feels good to know, over the holidays, that anyone wholeaves my house does so with full hands. So I take someTime on this holiday-hangover day to identify those thingsthat are naturally and eternally abundant in this world.Things I can give my guests even after the last Godivatruffle is long gone.What are those things? Today I can think of three. Thereis peace. There is love. There is joy. And it is up to usto recognize that the only thing that can stand in the wayof their dispersal is our own forgetting that we are theones charged with the task.And so we cure the post-Christmas let-down only with adeliberate and conscious lifting up, of ourselves and ofanyone else who comes knocking at our door. Let thatbe our task today.Copyright 2003 by Eliza BloomEliza Bloom is a frequent contributor to many award-winningonline publications, including http://www.momscape.com andhttp://www.BestSelfHelp.comEliza invites you to join her private mailing list,where you'll receive an uplifting message each week.To join, send any mailto:ebloomweekly@...
Intermittent Fasting Tips: 7 Ways to Combat Hunger
Intermittent fasting - not eating for 16-36 hours a few times a week - is a safe, effective way to lose fat and improve health overall.
The wonderful thing is that after fasting several times, hunger greatly diminishes on your fasting days, often disappearing completely.
But if hunger is ever bothersome for you, particularly if you're new to intermittent fasting and going through the adaptation period, here are 7 tips that can help:
1. Try to avoid eating a high carbohydrate meal or snack right before you start your fast. Some people find that a high carb meal/snack stimulates hunger shortly afterward making it more challenging to continue with the fast. A meal/snack that emphasizes protein is a better choice.
2. Keep busy. The more you do things that distract you from thinking about food, the better. Many people eat when they are bored or because they are conditioned to eat based on what time it is, so if that describes you, be aware of it and try to do something that interests you so you won't be swayed by old habits and conditioning.
3. Remind yourself that your body doesn't actually NEED food to function during a short-term fast. You are not in danger. Energy will be drawn from food that is still digesting during the the first part of your fast. When that runs out, energy will come from the fat stores on your body. No matter what size you are, you usually have enough fat reserves to safely draw from during a short-term fast.
4. Remind yourself that your body has been trained to expect food at certain times and in certain situations, so hunger may rev up at those times during the fast. Again, you don't NEED to eat, your body is just telling you that it 'expects' food. This will change the more you do intermittent fasting - the body will stop it's non-emergency grumbling.
5. Keep hydrated. Have your favorite non-calorie drinks on hand (water, black coffee, green tea, herbal tea, sugar free soda, etc)
6. Sip on drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, sugar free cola) because caffeine helps to suppress appetite. It's important to consume the drinks slowly, over the course of the day, because if you take in too much caffeine in a short period you will probably have a dramatic energy drop later on which can stimulate appetite.
7. Exercise. It's very safe to exercise on a fasting day. If it's intense exercise (a sprint, for example) it will usually kill appetite for a while.
Sometimes people feel light-headed or get headaches when they're trying intermittent fasting the first few times. This isn't due to blood sugar dropping too low - that's a myth that studies and intermittent fasting enthusiasts have disproven countless times.
The feeling is likely because the body is burning it's own fat for fuel, which it rarely has to do when you're eating frequently and drawing on food for fuel. You may find that a brief burst of exercise works very well to combat this, giving you a nice boost in energy - the opposite of what you'd expect!
------
For more FREE helpful fasting tips to get you started with intermittent fasting, visit http://www.intermittentfastingreview.com
The wonderful thing is that after fasting several times, hunger greatly diminishes on your fasting days, often disappearing completely.
But if hunger is ever bothersome for you, particularly if you're new to intermittent fasting and going through the adaptation period, here are 7 tips that can help:
1. Try to avoid eating a high carbohydrate meal or snack right before you start your fast. Some people find that a high carb meal/snack stimulates hunger shortly afterward making it more challenging to continue with the fast. A meal/snack that emphasizes protein is a better choice.
2. Keep busy. The more you do things that distract you from thinking about food, the better. Many people eat when they are bored or because they are conditioned to eat based on what time it is, so if that describes you, be aware of it and try to do something that interests you so you won't be swayed by old habits and conditioning.
3. Remind yourself that your body doesn't actually NEED food to function during a short-term fast. You are not in danger. Energy will be drawn from food that is still digesting during the the first part of your fast. When that runs out, energy will come from the fat stores on your body. No matter what size you are, you usually have enough fat reserves to safely draw from during a short-term fast.
4. Remind yourself that your body has been trained to expect food at certain times and in certain situations, so hunger may rev up at those times during the fast. Again, you don't NEED to eat, your body is just telling you that it 'expects' food. This will change the more you do intermittent fasting - the body will stop it's non-emergency grumbling.
5. Keep hydrated. Have your favorite non-calorie drinks on hand (water, black coffee, green tea, herbal tea, sugar free soda, etc)
6. Sip on drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea, sugar free cola) because caffeine helps to suppress appetite. It's important to consume the drinks slowly, over the course of the day, because if you take in too much caffeine in a short period you will probably have a dramatic energy drop later on which can stimulate appetite.
7. Exercise. It's very safe to exercise on a fasting day. If it's intense exercise (a sprint, for example) it will usually kill appetite for a while.
Sometimes people feel light-headed or get headaches when they're trying intermittent fasting the first few times. This isn't due to blood sugar dropping too low - that's a myth that studies and intermittent fasting enthusiasts have disproven countless times.
The feeling is likely because the body is burning it's own fat for fuel, which it rarely has to do when you're eating frequently and drawing on food for fuel. You may find that a brief burst of exercise works very well to combat this, giving you a nice boost in energy - the opposite of what you'd expect!
------
For more FREE helpful fasting tips to get you started with intermittent fasting, visit http://www.intermittentfastingreview.com
Thai Food: Mee Ka Ti and Choo Chee Pla Recipe
Mee Ka Ti (Rice Vermicelli with Coconut Cream)
........
Ingredients Weight
Mee Ka Ti sauce 1250 g
Soaked rice vermicelli 750 g
Bean sprouts 200 g
Chinese chives cut 1.5 inches 40 g
Coconut milk 200 g
Note: This portion is for 6-8 servings.
.......
1. Pour coconut milk into a frying pan. When boiled, put the rice vermicelli and stir-fry it for a while.
2. Pour in half of Mee Ka Ti sauce and stir-fry until the water has reduced away.
3. Sprinkle bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Stir-fry for a while and then remove from the heat.
4. Top Mee Ka Ti with the rest of sauce.
5. Sprinkle with sliced omelet and sliced chili spur pepper (option).
6. Serve with vegetables such as banana blossom, Chinese chives and bean sprouts etc.
......
Sauce Ingredient
Ingredients Weight
Chili Paste
Sliced shallots 100 g
White fermented 100 g
Chopped cilantro root 10 g
Pepper 3 g
Dried chilies 2 g
Others
Minced pork 100 g
Minced prawn 150 g
Sliced tofu 100 g
Palm sugar 140 g
Tamarind juice 80 g
Salt 13 g
Coconut milk 350 g
Water 250 g
Note: The sauce portion will be 1250 grams
.......
1. Blend the mixture of chili paste ingredients and some coconut cream until smooth.
2. Stir-fry the paste at a low heat. Then add prawn, pork and tofu. Stir-fry until the ingredients are cooked.
3. Add sugar, salt and tamarind juice.
4. Pour water, and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer the sauce for a while and then remove from the heat.
____________________________________________________________
Choo Chee Pla (Curry Cooked Fish)
..........
Ingredients Weight
Choo Chee sauce 200 g
Sliced fish fillets 150 g
Shredded red spur chilies 2 g
Shredded kaffir lime leaves 1 g
...........
1. Heat Choo Chee sauce until boiled in a pan. Add fish fillets and bring to boil.
2. Turn the fish over. Wait until the fish is cooked and looks soaked.
3. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with shredded red chilies and kaffir lime
leaves.
............
Choo Chee Pla Sauce Ingredients
Chili Paste
Sliced shallots 35 g
Garlic 30 g
Dried chilies 10 g
Dried hot chilies 2 g
Lemon grass 10 g
Galangal 4 g
Cilantro root 5 g
Kaffir lime rind 2 g
Salt 4 g
Pepper 1 g
Shrimp paste 8 g
Others
Coconut milk 550 g
Water 380 g
Fish sauce 25 g
Palm sugar 20 g
Shredded kaffir lime leaves 4 g
Note: This recipe makes 830 grams of sauce.
............
1. Pound the chili paste ingredients finely.
2. Stir-fry the chili paste with some of the coconut milk until fragrant. Gradually add 2/3 of coconut milk.
3. Add fish sauce and palm sugar, allow to melt.
4. Add the rest of the coconut milk and water. Bring to the boil and then sprinkle the shredded kaffir lime leaves. Remove from the heat.
For more information click here
........
Ingredients Weight
Mee Ka Ti sauce 1250 g
Soaked rice vermicelli 750 g
Bean sprouts 200 g
Chinese chives cut 1.5 inches 40 g
Coconut milk 200 g
Note: This portion is for 6-8 servings.
.......
1. Pour coconut milk into a frying pan. When boiled, put the rice vermicelli and stir-fry it for a while.
2. Pour in half of Mee Ka Ti sauce and stir-fry until the water has reduced away.
3. Sprinkle bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Stir-fry for a while and then remove from the heat.
4. Top Mee Ka Ti with the rest of sauce.
5. Sprinkle with sliced omelet and sliced chili spur pepper (option).
6. Serve with vegetables such as banana blossom, Chinese chives and bean sprouts etc.
......
Sauce Ingredient
Ingredients Weight
Chili Paste
Sliced shallots 100 g
White fermented 100 g
Chopped cilantro root 10 g
Pepper 3 g
Dried chilies 2 g
Others
Minced pork 100 g
Minced prawn 150 g
Sliced tofu 100 g
Palm sugar 140 g
Tamarind juice 80 g
Salt 13 g
Coconut milk 350 g
Water 250 g
Note: The sauce portion will be 1250 grams
.......
1. Blend the mixture of chili paste ingredients and some coconut cream until smooth.
2. Stir-fry the paste at a low heat. Then add prawn, pork and tofu. Stir-fry until the ingredients are cooked.
3. Add sugar, salt and tamarind juice.
4. Pour water, and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer the sauce for a while and then remove from the heat.
____________________________________________________________
Choo Chee Pla (Curry Cooked Fish)
..........
Ingredients Weight
Choo Chee sauce 200 g
Sliced fish fillets 150 g
Shredded red spur chilies 2 g
Shredded kaffir lime leaves 1 g
...........
1. Heat Choo Chee sauce until boiled in a pan. Add fish fillets and bring to boil.
2. Turn the fish over. Wait until the fish is cooked and looks soaked.
3. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with shredded red chilies and kaffir lime
leaves.
............
Choo Chee Pla Sauce Ingredients
Chili Paste
Sliced shallots 35 g
Garlic 30 g
Dried chilies 10 g
Dried hot chilies 2 g
Lemon grass 10 g
Galangal 4 g
Cilantro root 5 g
Kaffir lime rind 2 g
Salt 4 g
Pepper 1 g
Shrimp paste 8 g
Others
Coconut milk 550 g
Water 380 g
Fish sauce 25 g
Palm sugar 20 g
Shredded kaffir lime leaves 4 g
Note: This recipe makes 830 grams of sauce.
............
1. Pound the chili paste ingredients finely.
2. Stir-fry the chili paste with some of the coconut milk until fragrant. Gradually add 2/3 of coconut milk.
3. Add fish sauce and palm sugar, allow to melt.
4. Add the rest of the coconut milk and water. Bring to the boil and then sprinkle the shredded kaffir lime leaves. Remove from the heat.
For more information click here
Health Benefits of Eating Oranges
Copyright (c) 2009 Barry Lycka
Oranges have been a source of nutrition for many years. With the many people interested in improving their health, oranges have moved to the front of the line of health. There are many health benefits of oranges that are interesting to a lot of people these days.
Oranges are a big source of many nutrients that can help you to stay healthy. Some health benefits of oranges that help out our bodies whenever we eat one are:
1. Vitamin C- Oranges have a lot of vitamin C that helps prevent a wide variety of conditions. From the common cold to indigestion, the vitamin C helps with lowering a lot of chances to catching them. Oranges help with that mostly through the amounts of vitamin C levels. When you are conscience of your health and take vitamin C, you can prevent a lot of harmful things that can happen to your body.
2. Fiber- This is one of the most important aspect to the contents of the orange. Having the right amounts of fibers in your diet can help you with reducing your blood pressure. When you have lower blood pressure, you can prevent harmful diseases like diabetes. Fiber in your diet is very important if you are going to stay healthy for most of your life. If you are not thinking of eating oranges often, you are in danger of getting a lot of diseases.
3. Nutrients- Along with the vitamin C and fiber added to your diet, nutrients are important to have as well. Since vitamin C and fiber are considered nutrients, that is the first step to getting the nutrients you need. But there are others that are not seen. Micro-nutrients are in every bite and offer your body the strength it needs for the duties of the day. When you have nutrients in your body, you can do a lot more during the day than you would without the energy that you get from eating oranges.
There are some people who cannot eat oranges at certain times. For asthmatic people, eating an orange during an asthma attack is not a good source of Vitamin C to calm you down. There are many health benefits of oranges that will benefit you later in your life. Having oranges is a healthy treat if you are looking for something to snack on. When you eat oranges, you benefit from the many nutrients and vitamins that are found in every bite. Thinking of your health is the number one priority that needs to be of interest to you. Be sure to check with your primary care physician before eating any oranges to be sure that you are not allergic to anything.
------
On the internet, you drown in information but starve for knowledge. That's why I created LesTout.com, the number #1 source of Daily Life Advice. Hi, I'm Dr. Barry Lycka the president and founder of LesTout.com - and I encourage you to come and enjoy my site. It changes daily and is like a disneyland for the mind, a cornucopia of marvelous things. Let us help you live your life to the fullest. Feel free to use this article on your website, blog or newsletter (but please give us credit. It's copyright protected. And visit out the Health Channel for up to date advice
Oranges have been a source of nutrition for many years. With the many people interested in improving their health, oranges have moved to the front of the line of health. There are many health benefits of oranges that are interesting to a lot of people these days.
Oranges are a big source of many nutrients that can help you to stay healthy. Some health benefits of oranges that help out our bodies whenever we eat one are:
1. Vitamin C- Oranges have a lot of vitamin C that helps prevent a wide variety of conditions. From the common cold to indigestion, the vitamin C helps with lowering a lot of chances to catching them. Oranges help with that mostly through the amounts of vitamin C levels. When you are conscience of your health and take vitamin C, you can prevent a lot of harmful things that can happen to your body.
2. Fiber- This is one of the most important aspect to the contents of the orange. Having the right amounts of fibers in your diet can help you with reducing your blood pressure. When you have lower blood pressure, you can prevent harmful diseases like diabetes. Fiber in your diet is very important if you are going to stay healthy for most of your life. If you are not thinking of eating oranges often, you are in danger of getting a lot of diseases.
3. Nutrients- Along with the vitamin C and fiber added to your diet, nutrients are important to have as well. Since vitamin C and fiber are considered nutrients, that is the first step to getting the nutrients you need. But there are others that are not seen. Micro-nutrients are in every bite and offer your body the strength it needs for the duties of the day. When you have nutrients in your body, you can do a lot more during the day than you would without the energy that you get from eating oranges.
There are some people who cannot eat oranges at certain times. For asthmatic people, eating an orange during an asthma attack is not a good source of Vitamin C to calm you down. There are many health benefits of oranges that will benefit you later in your life. Having oranges is a healthy treat if you are looking for something to snack on. When you eat oranges, you benefit from the many nutrients and vitamins that are found in every bite. Thinking of your health is the number one priority that needs to be of interest to you. Be sure to check with your primary care physician before eating any oranges to be sure that you are not allergic to anything.
------
On the internet, you drown in information but starve for knowledge. That's why I created LesTout.com, the number #1 source of Daily Life Advice. Hi, I'm Dr. Barry Lycka the president and founder of LesTout.com - and I encourage you to come and enjoy my site. It changes daily and is like a disneyland for the mind, a cornucopia of marvelous things. Let us help you live your life to the fullest. Feel free to use this article on your website, blog or newsletter (but please give us credit. It's copyright protected. And visit out the Health Channel for up to date advice
The Art of the Food Essay
This article is available for use online and in print as long as thebyline and bio at the end are intact. I would love to know if andwhere this is used.The Art of the Food Essayby Pam WhiteThe muddy earth is spotted red and green. No perfect, waxedapples will do. I take a brown paper bag and pick up thesmall, often pitted, apples with their matte finish anduneven sides. The scent of Empire, McIntosh and North Spiessweep over me; I am transported to the backyard of the housemy mother lived, and died, in.The final year of her life, I traveled cross-country manytimes, with two babies as my constant companions. I cookedfor her, but only the simple meals she could eat. The firsttwo weeks of September were so draining and sad that itwasn't until the day she died that I saw the trees weredropping their apples.Needing some comfort and a way to comfort others, I put onan apron and lifted the skirt for carrying the apples backto the kitchen. I remember standing at the sink, too wearyto feel tired, looking into the back yard at those twistedtrunks, peeling apples, measuring flour, sugar, cinnamon,rolling pie crust and crimping edges.And so a food essay is born.Think of an essay as an article turned personal. Instead ofwriting objectively about events, people and news, an essayrequires the writer's emotional involvement. The individualvoice, and the writer's passion, are what make the essay socompelling to read, and to write. I find weaving together astory, written with the immediacy of the experience, is oneof the most honest and rewarding ways to write about food.Writing an article provides the writer with the opportunityfor detaching from the material. Reviewing a restaurantrequires an analytical objectivity that still allows thewriter to pen the piece from a distance.The essayist writes from emotions, ordinary or raw, takingthe reader along with her. Writing the food essay goes onebetter; we provide entertainment, memories and enlightenmentabout food history, cuisines, recipes and ingredients.Essays tell stories but they differ from journalism orcritical writing. Essays are narratives, with distinctive,intelligent and individual voices. Essays are born of rawmaterial available to each of us, and refined in thewriting. An advantages of writing food essays is that youcan write them where you are. No thriving metropolitanbackdrop is required; no whirlwind tour of other continentsis needed for the foundation of your essay. Write what youlike, make, bake and dream about.In the essay we tell the truth about the world we know butthe essay combines the factual and the literary. In _EndlessFeasts_, "Down East Breakfast" by Robert P. Coffin openswith "Weather, mother of good poetry, is also mother of goodbreakfasts." With one sentence he lets the reader know wherehe is going. A second essay, "Two for the Road: Havana,North Dakota," by Jane and Michael Stern, paints thefollowing scene, "As dawn's mist lifts away from the blackearth west of the Bois de Sioux River and rows of sunflowerscoil up to face the daybreak like solders coming toattention, a pot of coffee is put on to brew at the Farmer'sInn." I love it, don't you? It is clear what's important tothe writer, that the story they are spinning is just wakingup. Like these essayists, you will write from yourparticular point of view.Experiment with inventive devices to hook the reader orillustrate your story. Write love poems to your favoritesweets or a limerick about Irish stew. Turn yourself into acharacter in the story. Exaggerate, create a funny endingthat never took place, be playful. Take your reality and becreative. Share recipes to illustrate your family's bestcookies. Write of epiphanies when you realized thatcombining mango with chipotle chili powder made your cornmuffins award-winning.While there are as many variations on food essays as thereare food writers, here are some categories to get youreflecting on what you have to offer as an essayist.Writing food memories can take you back to birthday dinners,eating fresh picked corn, baking cookies with your children,Thanksgiving cranberry dishes. Magazines from Women's Day to
Saveur publish food memoirs. The writer shares a moment intime symbolized by the food cooked or eaten. Share a part ofyour family's culinary history, or new things you've learnedthat changed the way you share cooking with your friends andfamily. The articles can vary between a first experiencewith pistachios to a family recipe for milk-soaked bread.The food doesn't have to be gourmet, or even edible.Make the story you are telling filled with suspense, orlaugh out loud funny. Tell the story, filling it withsuspense, building up to the laugh when the reader realizesthe punchline, that the guest from England actually crunchedher way through the shell of the unfamiliar pistachio nuts.Or tell the tale of a family tradition of eating plumpudding on Christmas day through the eyes of a child.Compare how it was to share the pudding when young to how itfeels to be the parent, passing on traditions.Write nostalgic pieces on the processed foods of yesteryear,TV dinners, road houses that faded away with theencroachment of the Interstate. Write about penny candiesincluding those before your time; let the reader relive joysof childhood. Interpret your life stories, family mythologyor future dreams through food.Humor sells. Face it, food is fun. Celebrate it. Make youressays funny as well as fun to read. Cooking with children,eating fair food, scrambling pancakes and burning throughpans may be more messy, nauseating, embarrassing andfrustrating than it is laughable when you are in the middleof it. The humor often comes from how closely readers relateto the writing. You aren't the only one who's lost threefoot-longs from the top of a ferris wheel, or caughtpancakes on fire.Jeffrey Steingarten's witty personality shines in thisopening paragraph from "Pain Without Gain," in _The Man WhoAte Everything_, and he lets his wife join in on the fun:"Last night I played the neatest trick on my wife. I grilleda slice of my best homemade French country bread, spread itthick with Promise Ultra Fat-Free nonfat margarine, set iton the counter, sat back and waited. Soon the toasty aromadrew my wife into the kitchen. Seeing the bread, she smiledbroadly and took a bite. I'll never forget the way her smilefroze, as she gagged, stumbled over to the kitchen sink, andgave up her mouthful of bread covered with Promise UltraFat-Free nonfat margarine. What fun we have together!"Write where you are. Essays allow you to enjoy food writingsuccess wherever you are. You don't have to reviewrestaurants in a specific location, nor do you have totravel to exotic locales to write up national cuisines. Walkaround your neighborhood. What is unique to your town orregion, can be unique to your writing. Church dinners,birthday parties, local diners, ethnic neighborhoods are allopen to each writer's individual interpretation.Get out there and use who you are. Your daily life is filledwith usable material. Look for the food in movies you watch,dinners you make (or just eat), your life as a chef, catereror food stylist. Do research to authenticate and enhanceyour essay.Include recipes when appropriate. Have fun. Your readerswill have fun too.Pamela White, author of "Become a Food Writer," publishes anewsletter on food writing and teaches online courses on the topic.Visit her and subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.food-writing.com
Saveur publish food memoirs. The writer shares a moment intime symbolized by the food cooked or eaten. Share a part ofyour family's culinary history, or new things you've learnedthat changed the way you share cooking with your friends andfamily. The articles can vary between a first experiencewith pistachios to a family recipe for milk-soaked bread.The food doesn't have to be gourmet, or even edible.Make the story you are telling filled with suspense, orlaugh out loud funny. Tell the story, filling it withsuspense, building up to the laugh when the reader realizesthe punchline, that the guest from England actually crunchedher way through the shell of the unfamiliar pistachio nuts.Or tell the tale of a family tradition of eating plumpudding on Christmas day through the eyes of a child.Compare how it was to share the pudding when young to how itfeels to be the parent, passing on traditions.Write nostalgic pieces on the processed foods of yesteryear,TV dinners, road houses that faded away with theencroachment of the Interstate. Write about penny candiesincluding those before your time; let the reader relive joysof childhood. Interpret your life stories, family mythologyor future dreams through food.Humor sells. Face it, food is fun. Celebrate it. Make youressays funny as well as fun to read. Cooking with children,eating fair food, scrambling pancakes and burning throughpans may be more messy, nauseating, embarrassing andfrustrating than it is laughable when you are in the middleof it. The humor often comes from how closely readers relateto the writing. You aren't the only one who's lost threefoot-longs from the top of a ferris wheel, or caughtpancakes on fire.Jeffrey Steingarten's witty personality shines in thisopening paragraph from "Pain Without Gain," in _The Man WhoAte Everything_, and he lets his wife join in on the fun:"Last night I played the neatest trick on my wife. I grilleda slice of my best homemade French country bread, spread itthick with Promise Ultra Fat-Free nonfat margarine, set iton the counter, sat back and waited. Soon the toasty aromadrew my wife into the kitchen. Seeing the bread, she smiledbroadly and took a bite. I'll never forget the way her smilefroze, as she gagged, stumbled over to the kitchen sink, andgave up her mouthful of bread covered with Promise UltraFat-Free nonfat margarine. What fun we have together!"Write where you are. Essays allow you to enjoy food writingsuccess wherever you are. You don't have to reviewrestaurants in a specific location, nor do you have totravel to exotic locales to write up national cuisines. Walkaround your neighborhood. What is unique to your town orregion, can be unique to your writing. Church dinners,birthday parties, local diners, ethnic neighborhoods are allopen to each writer's individual interpretation.Get out there and use who you are. Your daily life is filledwith usable material. Look for the food in movies you watch,dinners you make (or just eat), your life as a chef, catereror food stylist. Do research to authenticate and enhanceyour essay.Include recipes when appropriate. Have fun. Your readerswill have fun too.Pamela White, author of "Become a Food Writer," publishes anewsletter on food writing and teaches online courses on the topic.Visit her and subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.food-writing.com
6 Reasons Why You Should Have Small, Frequent Meals
Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Smith
Many people believe that having 5 or 6 small meals a day will make them put on weight but in actual fact it will help them lose weight!
Most people eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. The problem with only having three meals a day, or even fewer meals, is that there is a large gap (greater than 3 hours) between meals. This large gap between meals results in a substantial decrease in the body's blood glucose level. This causes the body to invoke its 'Anti-Starvation Response'.
Consuming 5 or 6 small meals a day is enormously beneficial from a weight loss point of view and cannot be over-emphasised. It keeps your body's metabolism elevated, which means you burn up more calories and therefore more fat during the day.
Having 5 or 6 small meals a day (ideally every 2-3 hours) means your body is constantly supplied with the energy it requires to function, as well as the amino acids it needs to maintain and build body tissues.
The feeling of hunger is also dramatically reduced, as is the tendency to over-eat at each meal. People who only eat three or fewer meals a day have a greater tendency to over-eat at each meal because they feel hungrier than people who tend to 'graze' (eat more often) throughout the day.
This tendency to over-eat is even more pronounced in people who skip meals to lose weight. Skipping meals results in uncontrollable urges to binge eat, especially during the evening - the worst time of the day to be consuming a large amount of food.
Following is a summary of the advantages of consuming 5 or 6 meals a day:
Increased metabolic rate.
This increase in metabolism occurs because the body is being constantly supplied with energy (food) every few hours. Through the process of digestion, the body is forced to expend more energy.
Also, since the blood glucose level remains more stable, the body's metabolism doesn't have to slow down as it would if only three meals were consumed.
Positive nitrogen balance.
Nitrogen balance is a measurement of how much nitrogen is lost (through sweat and urine) against how much nitrogen (from protein) is gained through dietary intake (food). Nitrogen balance determines whether the body is breaking down body tissue (negative nitrogen balance) or building up body tissue (positive nitrogen balance).
Ideally it is best to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance at all times. Maintaining or building tissue (particularly muscle) means your body's metabolism will remain elevated, making it easier to burn off body fat and lose weight.
Having protein in each of the 5 or 6 small meals a day means there is a constant supply of tissue-building amino acids to assist in the maintenance and building of lean body tissue, which includes muscle.
When you eat only three meals a day your body will be in a negative nitrogen balance at some times during the day because of the delay between meals, even if you eat protein at each of these meals.
Reduced hunger.
Feelings of hunger are reduced when there is a constant supply of glucose to the brain. This can be easily achieved by consuming 5 or 6 small meals a day and by ensuring there is a slow influx of glucose into the bloodstream.
Sustained energy.
By having 5 or 6 small meals a day there is a constant supply of glucose in the bloodstream, sustaining energy levels. This is in direct contrast to having three meals a day, which results in large fluctuations in blood glucose and therefore, energy levels as well.
Reduced fat storage.
Another reason why having 5 or 6 small meals a day is so effective for losing weight is because smaller meals don't affect the blood glucose level and in turn, insulin levels, as dramatically as three larger meals do. A lower insulin level means there is less opportunity to convert carbohydrate into fat.
Eating more frequently also means the body is constantly using up energy digesting food. This is why eating breakfast is so important - it gives your metabolism a 'kick-start'. If breakfast is skipped, your metabolism and therefore your body's fat-burning ability stays sluggish until your first meal.
Increased fat mobilisation.
Your body's tendency to mobilise fat for fuel increases with smaller and more regular meals. This is mainly due to the fact that insulin levels are low. A low blood insulin level means more fat can be mobilised from the body's fat stores.
On the other hand, a high level of insulin inhibits the mobilisation of fat for fuel and larger meals tend to promote the release of greater amounts of insulin from the pancreas.
So become a grazer and watch the weight fall off your body!
------
To receive your FREE weight-loss e-book titled, 'How To Lose All The Weight You Want In The Next 90 Days!' click here Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and has a science degree from UWA. His website is: Quick Weight Loss Principles
Many people believe that having 5 or 6 small meals a day will make them put on weight but in actual fact it will help them lose weight!
Most people eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. The problem with only having three meals a day, or even fewer meals, is that there is a large gap (greater than 3 hours) between meals. This large gap between meals results in a substantial decrease in the body's blood glucose level. This causes the body to invoke its 'Anti-Starvation Response'.
Consuming 5 or 6 small meals a day is enormously beneficial from a weight loss point of view and cannot be over-emphasised. It keeps your body's metabolism elevated, which means you burn up more calories and therefore more fat during the day.
Having 5 or 6 small meals a day (ideally every 2-3 hours) means your body is constantly supplied with the energy it requires to function, as well as the amino acids it needs to maintain and build body tissues.
The feeling of hunger is also dramatically reduced, as is the tendency to over-eat at each meal. People who only eat three or fewer meals a day have a greater tendency to over-eat at each meal because they feel hungrier than people who tend to 'graze' (eat more often) throughout the day.
This tendency to over-eat is even more pronounced in people who skip meals to lose weight. Skipping meals results in uncontrollable urges to binge eat, especially during the evening - the worst time of the day to be consuming a large amount of food.
Following is a summary of the advantages of consuming 5 or 6 meals a day:
Increased metabolic rate.
This increase in metabolism occurs because the body is being constantly supplied with energy (food) every few hours. Through the process of digestion, the body is forced to expend more energy.
Also, since the blood glucose level remains more stable, the body's metabolism doesn't have to slow down as it would if only three meals were consumed.
Positive nitrogen balance.
Nitrogen balance is a measurement of how much nitrogen is lost (through sweat and urine) against how much nitrogen (from protein) is gained through dietary intake (food). Nitrogen balance determines whether the body is breaking down body tissue (negative nitrogen balance) or building up body tissue (positive nitrogen balance).
Ideally it is best to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance at all times. Maintaining or building tissue (particularly muscle) means your body's metabolism will remain elevated, making it easier to burn off body fat and lose weight.
Having protein in each of the 5 or 6 small meals a day means there is a constant supply of tissue-building amino acids to assist in the maintenance and building of lean body tissue, which includes muscle.
When you eat only three meals a day your body will be in a negative nitrogen balance at some times during the day because of the delay between meals, even if you eat protein at each of these meals.
Reduced hunger.
Feelings of hunger are reduced when there is a constant supply of glucose to the brain. This can be easily achieved by consuming 5 or 6 small meals a day and by ensuring there is a slow influx of glucose into the bloodstream.
Sustained energy.
By having 5 or 6 small meals a day there is a constant supply of glucose in the bloodstream, sustaining energy levels. This is in direct contrast to having three meals a day, which results in large fluctuations in blood glucose and therefore, energy levels as well.
Reduced fat storage.
Another reason why having 5 or 6 small meals a day is so effective for losing weight is because smaller meals don't affect the blood glucose level and in turn, insulin levels, as dramatically as three larger meals do. A lower insulin level means there is less opportunity to convert carbohydrate into fat.
Eating more frequently also means the body is constantly using up energy digesting food. This is why eating breakfast is so important - it gives your metabolism a 'kick-start'. If breakfast is skipped, your metabolism and therefore your body's fat-burning ability stays sluggish until your first meal.
Increased fat mobilisation.
Your body's tendency to mobilise fat for fuel increases with smaller and more regular meals. This is mainly due to the fact that insulin levels are low. A low blood insulin level means more fat can be mobilised from the body's fat stores.
On the other hand, a high level of insulin inhibits the mobilisation of fat for fuel and larger meals tend to promote the release of greater amounts of insulin from the pancreas.
So become a grazer and watch the weight fall off your body!
------
To receive your FREE weight-loss e-book titled, 'How To Lose All The Weight You Want In The Next 90 Days!' click here Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and has a science degree from UWA. His website is: Quick Weight Loss Principles
Cakes, Professionally Made By Professionals
Ever baked yourself a cake? Well it's a lot easier to bake a cake nowadays rather than back in the old days. Back the past where it's all black and white, baking delectable and premium cakes would take a professional baker to make. The temperature must be right, the ingredients must be put in order, the flour must be massaged the right way, and all of those things are learned through years of experience.
But today, cake making is no longer a complicated procedure; while at one time considerable labor went into cake making (particularly the whisking of egg foams), baking equipment and directions have been simplified that even the most amateur cook may bake a cake.
Anyone that has the right tool to bake a cake "can" bake a cake. But sometimes, especially when there's a celebration or event coming, its far batter to buy premium cakes baked by professional bakers than bake your own cake. A premium cake still needs to be made with all the experience that a professional baker has. And among of the many bakeshops that provides some of the most professionally made premium cakes, the Red Ribbon Bakery and its collection of Red Ribbon Cake are the most sought for.
The Red Ribbon Bakery is one of the most popular bakeries here in the Philippines and in the United States that serves their premium Red Ribbon Cake. Every Filipino in the world, perfectly knows what the Red Ribbon Bakeshop is and what unique tastes its Red Ribbon Cake has.
But other than that, what else do we know about the Red Ribbon Bakery? Other than its scrumptious Red Ribbon Cake and other delectable dishes, what was behind the foundation of the Red Ribbon Bakeshop?
The Red Ribbon Bakery is a popular fast-food chain and bakery in the Philippines and the United States, offering a wide range of Red Ribbon Cake and pastries. The chain first served us with their scrumptious Red Ribbon Cake in 1979 in Quezon City along Timog Avenue and started franchising in 1999.
In 1984, the Red Ribbon Bakery first served its collections of premium Red Ribbon Cake in its US branch in West Covina, California.
There are more than 80 branches of Red Ribbon Bakery serving their unique Red Ribbon Cake all over the Philippines, and there are also 15 Red Ribbon Bakery branches across California and are still planning on expanding more.
On 2005, the Red Ribbon Bakery was acquired by one of the most popular fast food chain here in the Philippines, the Jollibee Food Corporation.
The Red Ribbon Bakery is the only bakeshop that can offer their customers with some of the most unique and delicious Red Ribbon Cake and pastries nation wide. But if you want to send to your loved ones as a gift, then Express Regalo can provide you the perfect and easy way to send it. For more information about the Red Ribbon Bakery and its premium Red Ribbon Cake collections or about Express Regalo, then visit Express Regalo at www.expressregalo.com.
For more information click here
But today, cake making is no longer a complicated procedure; while at one time considerable labor went into cake making (particularly the whisking of egg foams), baking equipment and directions have been simplified that even the most amateur cook may bake a cake.
Anyone that has the right tool to bake a cake "can" bake a cake. But sometimes, especially when there's a celebration or event coming, its far batter to buy premium cakes baked by professional bakers than bake your own cake. A premium cake still needs to be made with all the experience that a professional baker has. And among of the many bakeshops that provides some of the most professionally made premium cakes, the Red Ribbon Bakery and its collection of Red Ribbon Cake are the most sought for.
The Red Ribbon Bakery is one of the most popular bakeries here in the Philippines and in the United States that serves their premium Red Ribbon Cake. Every Filipino in the world, perfectly knows what the Red Ribbon Bakeshop is and what unique tastes its Red Ribbon Cake has.
But other than that, what else do we know about the Red Ribbon Bakery? Other than its scrumptious Red Ribbon Cake and other delectable dishes, what was behind the foundation of the Red Ribbon Bakeshop?
The Red Ribbon Bakery is a popular fast-food chain and bakery in the Philippines and the United States, offering a wide range of Red Ribbon Cake and pastries. The chain first served us with their scrumptious Red Ribbon Cake in 1979 in Quezon City along Timog Avenue and started franchising in 1999.
In 1984, the Red Ribbon Bakery first served its collections of premium Red Ribbon Cake in its US branch in West Covina, California.
There are more than 80 branches of Red Ribbon Bakery serving their unique Red Ribbon Cake all over the Philippines, and there are also 15 Red Ribbon Bakery branches across California and are still planning on expanding more.
On 2005, the Red Ribbon Bakery was acquired by one of the most popular fast food chain here in the Philippines, the Jollibee Food Corporation.
The Red Ribbon Bakery is the only bakeshop that can offer their customers with some of the most unique and delicious Red Ribbon Cake and pastries nation wide. But if you want to send to your loved ones as a gift, then Express Regalo can provide you the perfect and easy way to send it. For more information about the Red Ribbon Bakery and its premium Red Ribbon Cake collections or about Express Regalo, then visit Express Regalo at www.expressregalo.com.
For more information click here
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