Raw hazelnut milk recipe

Raw hazelnut milk recipe

Sago palm, Cycas revoluta

Sago palm, Cycas revoluta

Common name: Sago palm, Sago cycad, king sago palm, just sago palm

Scientific name: Cycas revoluta

Family: Cycadaceae

Genus: Cycas

Species: Revoluta

Plant type:: Tropicals and Tender Perennials,Houseplants

Height: 10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)

Description: Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) is the most popular in horticulture, It is one of the most widely cultivated cycads, native to Japan. The leaves are shiny, dark green and about 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) long. Leaves are pinnate and are composed of a rigid midrib with glossy leaflets arranged in a plane along its length. In nature, the trunks will reach around 10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m) in height.

Almond, Pine Nut, Apricot Crumb Cake

Almond, Pine Nut, Apricot Crumb Cake

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted, plus 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
* 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, plus 1/4 cup
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 large eggs
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and apricots. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/almond-pine-nut-apricot-crumb-cake-recipe/index.html

Why White Bread is Bad for You

Why White Bread is Bad for You
By Janice White

“The whiter the bread, the quicker you’re dead!” – old saying.

Bread made from refined white flour is certainly not good for your health, its true. There is a little known fact that numerous scientific studies have proved time and time again that certain food items that are commonly consumed in our modern, fast living diets that are detrimental to our health. One of these is white bread, a main stay of most people’s diets. Believe it or not, eating white bread is bad for you!

This may be something you won’t be too pleased to hear, but if you want to improve your health, lose some weight and avoid the possibility of ending up with type II diabetes, then white bread will have to go. This hub page takes a look at why this is and why, if you want to enjoy good health you really do need to avoid white bread or even exclude it completely from your diet.

Why You Should Exclude White Bread From Your Diet

White bread is made from refined white flour containing several unwholesome constituents and very little in the way of nutrients and dietary fibre, essential for a healthy digestive system and a stable metabolism. This is why:

Refined white flour is produced from the whole wheat grain which is then subjected to the refining process which removes all traces of the husk, or bran and along with it all the goodness contained in the grain. It is then bleached using chemical bleaching agents which contain chlorine and dried in kilns at high temperature to kill any remaining beneficial constituents. This insipid, bland, tasteless powder then has gluten added, which is a product that an increasing number of people are becoming allergic to, which helps to produce a more evenly risen and air filled loaf. A standard while loaf of bread also has sugar added to enable the baker’s yeast to prove the dough and make it rise. Salt is also added to check the progress of the yeast and prevent the loaf from rising too much, or over-proving.

Eating mass produced white bread can be somewhat likened to eating cardboard, such is its blandness and lack of any useful dietary benefit whatsoever. Small bakery bread and home made loaves usually taste a little better but because refined white flour is used in their production, there is still no health benefit.

Negative Health Aspects of Consuming White Bread
So what are the negative health aspects of eating white bread?

To begin with, as with white pasta and other products made from refined white flour, white bread contains a large proportion of high GI (glycemic index) carbohydrates. These carbohydrates cause sugars to be released quickly into the bloodstream. This causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels which triggers a similarly rapid release of the body’s own sugar regulating hormone, insulin. This hormone is secreted in the pancreas and is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Insulin is what people suffering with type 1 diabetes have to inject to regulate their blood sugar levels because their body does not produce sufficient naturally. Type II diabetes is a rapidly spreading disease brought on by too frequent imbalances in blood sugar levels causing insulin production to become overworked, which eventually leads to the problem and all the negative health aspects associated with it.

Other negative health aspects come in the form of raised levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. This can lead to problems such as heart disease related to the narrowing of the arteries. When levels of LDL cholesterol become too high artery walls thicken and blockages can occur, leading to thrombosis (blood clots) as well as high blood pressure.

Another negative effect of eating white bread is on the body’s metabolism. This is retarded causing reduced efficiency in digestion and greater fat storage, which is more often than not accumulated around the belly. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why weight loss is so difficult for people who continue to eat white bread. Not only that, but it makes you feel more sluggish and less inclined to want to exercise. The lack of dietary fibre is a big problem for your digestible tract especially the intestines that finish the job and allow waste to leave the body. When there is little or no dietary fibre present in your diet, your colon will suffer and be unable to effectively remove all waste products from the body. This leads to such diseases as Crohn’s, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and can lead to cancer of the colon.

But all is not lost! While eating white bread is bad for your health, bad for your weight and bad for your digestive system, there is a nutritious, healthy alternative!

The Alternative to White Bread

You don’t have to give up bread from your diet, just white bread. The viable alternative is of course brown bread, otherwise known as wholemeal or wholegrain bread. This is produced from wholemeal flour which is not refined in the same way as white flour. Wholemeal flour retains the husk of the wheat, or bran which is where all the nutrients and dietary fibre exist. There is no bleaching either and gluten levels are generally lower than in white bread, although you should always check the label for this information first.

Wholemeal flour contains much lower levels of high GI carbohydrates than white flour and also higher levels of low GI carbohydrates, which work in the opposite way to high GI carbohydrates, as the low GI carbohydrates contained in wholemeal bread produce the slow release of sugars into the bloodstream. The upshot of this is that insulin is only slowly released into the bloodstream and in far lower amounts. The metabolism is stimulated rather than inhibited, meaning that your digestive system gets a boost in efficiency and less fat gets stored. This is good news for slimmers and anyone concerned about their weight.

Wholemeal flour products like brown bread contain high levels of dietary fibre. This is essential for the functioning of the colon and the complete digestion of food and waste elimination. They also contain lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol with higher levels of good HDL cholesterol. This means healthy arteries and a better normalised blood pressure, bringing with it better health and less concern over the negative effects of white bread.

To finish things off, brown or wholemeal bread tastes good and doesn’t have that cloying, pasty texture that massed produced white bread tends to suffer from. Make the switch to wholemeal bread and you’ll quickly grow accustomed to its taste and texture. Soon you’ll find yourself preferring its superior taste along with all the health benefits and goodness that come with it as part of a healthy, tasty diet.

Additional Info:

Thanks to a comment made by someone who decided to include a comparison of the two types of bread, I’ve had to add this paragraph with more accurate nutritional information so that people don’t get put off by in your face figures like that – a trick used by advertisers to get you to want something. So here it is:
Analysis Of Bran

………………………………Payen.. Millon… Kuhn.. Grandeau.. Warington.. Wolff.

Water …………………… 13.90 … 13.90 . 13.40 …. 12.80 ……. 14.0 …….. 13.6

Nitrogenous matter ….18.77 … 14.90 . 14.00 ….. 13.82 …… .14.2 ……. 13.6

Fatty matter …………….4 00 …… 3.60 … 3.80 ……. 3.59 ……… 4.2 ……… 3.4

Carbohydrates………… 48.26 .. 51.00 . 45.00 ….. 55.91 ……. 50.4 ……. 54.9

Cellulose………………… 8.78 …. 10.49 . 18.30 ……. 8.65 ……. 11.1 ……… 8.9

Salts ……………………… 6.29 ….. 5.70 …. 6.19 ……. 5.23 ………. 6.1 …….. 5.6

The above results are analyses produced by different authorities. They show certain variations in the levels of nitrogenous matter, cellulose, and carbohydrates. However they all agree closely enough to show that chemically speaking, bran contains all the requisites for nutrition.

The nitrogenous ratio varies from 1: 2.8 to 1: 4.3. Among the total salts represented are potash, lime, magnesia, soda, phosphoric acid and silica.

There is a full nutritional composition chart of wheat bran available for your information if you want to know exactly what is in the bran that is included in bread made from wholewheat flour that is missing from white bread. The chart is too complex to re-create here, so to view it, please follow this link: http://www.fineli.fi/food.php?foodid=116&lang=en

Wire transforms objects into works of art….

Wire transforms objects into works of art….

Health Benefits of Durian.

Health Benefits:

Durian is extremely nutritious because it is rich in vitamin B, C and E and with high iron content. Eating durian is alleged to restore the health of ailing humans and animals.
A preparation from its roots and leaves is prescribed by traditional doctors for fevers and jaundice.
Decoctions of the leaves and fruits are applied to swellings and skin diseases.
Durian fruit helps lower cholesterol.
Durian is a strong blood cleanser.
The ash of the burned rind is taken after childbirth.
Durian contains high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, known to alleviate anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and create feelings of happiness, by raising levels of serotonin in the brain
Durian contains high level of soft protein which makes it a good muscle builder.
Durian has a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac.
Durian is recommended as a good source of raw fats.

sweet potato leaves

TAKE SWEET POTATO LEAVES

Many people are familiar with sweet potatoes – the tuber we use for cooking, baking or making desserts. But do you know that the leaves of the sweet potato plant can be eaten as well? Known as Fun Shee Yip in Cantonese, the leaves are tender; have a nicely-balanced flavor, with not even a hint of bitterness. Its nutritional content is said to be comparable to the spinach. The leaves contain dietary fiber, lipid, and essential minerals-&-nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron. They are also good sources of vitamin A ( very high content; good for skin-care ), thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid. The leaves are high in protein, making it a perfect intake for vegetarians.

The bioactive compounds contained in SPL play a role in health-promotion by improving our immune function; reducing oxidative stress and free radical damage; reducing cardiovascular disease risk, and suppressing cancer cell-growth.

You can cook SPL in every way that you normally cook other greens. You can use it in soups. You can also stir-fry it or blanche it.


Apart from being tasty, this simple vegetable is packed with nutrition, being the only vegetable with Iodine, a common substance found in seafood. It also contains vitamin A, C and Calcium; In the Philippines, it is widely believed that lactating mothers fed sweet potato tops improve their breast milk production. In fact, it is now a major ingredient of a commercially available food supplement drink in the Philippines. It is also a folk remedy which is used to treat diarrhea and dizziness.

Don’t eat chicken wings – Ladies especially! URBAN LEGENDs

Description: Email rumor
Circulating since: May 2004
Status: False

Example:
Email text contributed by Isabelle E., May 26, 2004:

Don’t eat chicken wings – Ladies especially!

This is a true story! I am very concerned about the health of the people out there especially the women!

A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove the cyst. The cyst removed was filled with a dark coloured blood.

She thought that she would be recovered after the surgery but she was terribly wrong. A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed, she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation. During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her. He ask if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering as to how, he knew of her eating habits.

You see, the truth is in this modern day and age, chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met. This need is none other then the need for food. Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings. Therefore, it is in this places that the highest concentration of steroids exist.

These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth. It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb.

Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings! People who receive this email, please forward it to your friends and loved ones. I am sure no one wants to see him or her suffer!

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_chicken_wings.htm

Eat Right 4 For Your Type

“Eat Right 4 For Your Type” – Blood Type Diet

The concept to “Eat Right For Your Type” – or “Blood Type Diet” – is based on research conducted by
Peter D’Adamo, ND,62 who claims that people fare better (including with weight management), when tailoring
their diet to their specific blood types. He advises:

Type A
should basically stick to fruits and vegetables (high carbs / low fat).
They have thicker blood than other blood types, a sensitive immune system,
and should not consume dairy products, animal fats and meats. They are at
a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Type B
should consume a balanced diet (fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, dairy, meat,
but avoid chicken). They have the best chance of bypassing or overcoming
everyday types of diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Type AB
should consume a mostly vegetarian diet, and only on rare occasions some
fish, meat (no chicken), and dairy.

Type O
should basically stick to a high protein diet (including red meat), low carbs, and
enriched with fruits and vegetables. They should limit the intake of wheat germ,
whole wheat products, corn, and avoid dairy products and most nuts.
Type O types are commonly affected with hypothyroidism, high stomach acid
(leading to ulcers), and thinner blood with greater resistance to blood clotting.

Peter D’Adamo proposes that lectins cause agglutination (clotting) of blood cells in someone with the wrong
blood type, which in turn may create serious liver or kidney problems as visible under a microscope. (Lectins
are sugar-containing proteins found on the surface of some foods, which may cause various molecules and
some types of cells to stick together).

He further theorizes that elevated urine indican levels – prevalent in many gastrointestinal diseases such as
celiac disease, diverticulitis, pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory bowel diseases and others – can also be
attributed to specific blood types affecting the interactions of foods with intestinal bacteria, and creating
polyamine abnormalities. In addition, different blood types – according to Peter D’Adamo – affect the body’s
secretory performance in respect to digestive juices, whereby a Type O for instance is capable of producing
higher than average stomach acid levels, which could lead to a greater incidence of gastric ulcers.

Continue….
http://www.acu-cell.com/btd.html

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