Drink Watermelon Juice in the Summer

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On hot summer days, watermelon is the perfect fruit to eat or even drink. The water content is really high – over 90% – which makes it one of the best choices with regards to staying hydrated. Best of all, it tastes great too! These fruits are full of nutrition as well. They are an abundant source of vitamin C, beta carotene and lycopene. The latter becoming more well known for its strong anti-oxidative qualities. Lycopene is a bright red carotene and is found in high quantites in both watermelon and tomatoes.

When it’s hot, there is nothing like a cold drink as a liquid refreshment. Coca Cola is a popular choice but do you want your kids to be drinking sugared, carbonated water that has no positive health consequences? I don’t. So while I grew up drinking sodas (and loving them), I want to offer my children something just, if not more tasty, but that also has a nutritional benefit for them.

This is why watermelon juice in the summer is such an amazing drink. As long as the watermelon has been chilling in the fridge, the juice will be nice and cold. You could even add some ice cubes if you want. The fruit is so juicy that from one soccer ball sized watermelon, you’ll get a few liters of juice – perhaps as much as 4 liters!

Of course, it means we have to make it ourselves. An easier option is just to buy some drinks from the store. But if we’re serious about our children’s health, perhaps we should take the time to prepare them some home made fare.

Photo taken from: http://www.applelaneinn.com/

Tips For Selecting The Best Possible Countertops For Your Kitchen

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Your kitchen is probably the most used room in your house, so the kitchen cabinets and the countertops must be able to hold up under the wear and tear your family will put it through. Learn all you possibly can about your choices before you make any decisions. Don’t just listen to the hundreds of opinions you are bound to hear, do your research and make an educated decision on the counters you will use for many years to come. Consider the likelihood that you will change the color in your kitchen every few years simply due to normal use and the need to refresh your kitchen. You may want to stick with a color on the counters that will be flexible enough to go with any tones you may plan to use on your walls in the future.

As you explore kitchen countertop ideas you may want to keep the most popular types in mind; after all, they are the most popular ones for good reason. Many homeowners have chosen these tops after doing their research so you can learn from them. These are not in the order of popularity and this is simply for informational purposes. Let’s take a look at and granite, engineered stone, solid surface, and ceramic tiles.

Granite tops can be expensive, but they are truly elegant and will absolutely add to the beauty of any kitchen. With over 3000 different colors and shades available, you are sure to find one that will fit the décor and color scheme that you have in mind. Granite does a great job at holding up to heat, it rates 2nd in hardness to the diamond and it is a great way to add value to the resale of a house. However, it can crack from stress if it is improperly installed so proper installation by a professional is a must.

Engineered stone is made up of 93% quartz particles creating a nonporous surface. It offers an even greater range of colors than granite and is resistant to stains and scratches, but all these attributes will cost you. It will also require an annual sealant to maintain its beauty. The stone is easy care and will add value to any home which helps with resale.

As the name suggests, solid surface countertops are solid surfaces that can be sanded down to remove any scratches. These stone tops are custom cut to your specific measurements by professionals. The downside to these are that they are not particularly resistant to high heat or to stains so more care and caution must be used by you. These are also available in a rainbow of colors, but they can be relatively expensive.

Durable, easy to clean and not very expensive, ceramic tops are very durable and very easy to clean. These tops are installed a section at a time so there will be some seams but if it is installed correctly, these can be almost invisible. Ceramic tops can handle hot pans without leaving burn marks and it is available in a wide range of colors, textures and designs. On the downside this kind of top can provide an uneven surface and the tiles can chip or crack over time. Since these tiles are grouted in, the grout can become stained over time and grout can be difficult to clean.

Making a list of the advantages and disadvantages along with the cost of each type, will help you to decide which type of countertops will best work for you.

Healthy Homemade Vegetable Juice Recipes

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Juice extractors are becoming an ever-popular kitchen appliance. Each year sales go up as more people seek out ways to improve their health and well-being, and fresh homemade juice recipes really are an excellent addition to any health-promoting life-style. Fresh juice is abundant in living enzymes, vitamins and minerals, and provides a super dose of antioxidants.

It is important, however, to distinguish the fundamental difference between freshly made juice and the commercial juice that we find at the store. Commercial juice is not even a close second in regards to nutrient content, taste and health benefits in comparison to a homemade juice recipe. The fundamental differences are that commercial juices undergoes significant processing to give them a shelf life and often includes unhealthy added ingredients like sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and colorings. Commercial juices are heated and filtered to destroy bacteria, but this processing also destroys the majority of its antioxidant content, all of the living enzymes and some of the vitamins and minerals, too.

So with considerable less nutrition and the added harmful chemicals, the health benefits of commercial juice are debatable, and I believe they may even be a little harmful to health. Ever had a glass of commercial orange juice only to be left with an acidic feeling in your stomach or even heart burn? A glass of homemade orange juice is a very different experience! Besides, fresh made fruit juices are naturally sugary enough and for that reason should be kept to a minimum, and don’t need added sugar, which is acid forming.

So this brings us to vegetable juice recipes. Even though fresh made fruit juice is abundant in health-promoting nutrients, it is better to focus more energy and time into juicing vegetables because they contain much less sugar. Fruit juices are great, but it is a good idea to make 10 to 20% of your juices from fruits and the rest from vegetables to achieve the maximum health benefits of juicing – and there are many! So here are a few great vegetable juice recipes that you can make at home -

Alkaline Green Super Juice
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
Handful of spinach
1/2 a cucumber

The carrot and celery juice in this vegetable juice recipe is great for heart health.   The alkaline diet is becoming more widespread these days. One study conducted in Massachusetts found that Elderly people who consumed at least one serving of carrot (or squash, another beta-carotene rich vegetable) daily were 50% less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who ate less than one serving each day. You can read more about the wonderful and scientifically proven health benefits of carrots here. Celery juice contains antioxidants called phthalides that are shown to help protect us from heart attack and stroke by helping the muscles of our artery walls to relax. This allows the arteries to expand more, naturally increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure levels.

The 100% Green Juice
3 celery stalks
1 cucumber
1 cup of parsley
2 cups of kale
1 cup of spinach

Dark leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach and parsley are the most nutritious of vegetables and are loaded with chlorophyll. As an antioxidant, chlorophyll is especially effective at protecting out DNA cells from free radical damage that has the potential to become cancerous. Chlorophyll is also an effective detoxification agent that helps to clear toxins out of the blood.

Check out this watermelon juice article on this site.

KitchenAid Stand Mixers

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Although there are many different models the KitchenAid classic stand mixer is still a stand mixer that is more than adequate for most home Chefs needs. For such a good price it is not hard to see just why this classic model is still among the favorites of all who want the benefits of a stand mixer.

Available in classic white the timeless looks really do make it the top choice for those that want to take advantage of what stand mixers have to offer without paying a hefty price tag.

The simple settings allow us to prepare relatively large batches of dough, whip up eggs for mayonnaise or make batters in minimal time and with a minimum amount of manual intervention. If you want to get perfect results from baking time after time then the classic KitchenAid stand mixer is certainly an excellent choice.

Very rugged and heavy duty this is an item that can take pride of place in the kitchen, we don’t need to hide it away in a cupboard with the other gadgets. Your mixer will be used on a regular basis so give it pride of place and it may just encourage you to bake more now that it is so convenient.

Green Tea and Weight Loss – 2 Human Studies

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Green tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, second only to water. Although black tea has been the type of tea most popular in the West, green tea is now gaining more ground as study after study reveals just how healthy this drink is. However, green tea has been the favorite beverage in Asia for at least a few thousand years, and at least a 100 million Asians drink this beverage daily!

Although the amazing antioxidant levels of this beverage are shown to help protect us from heart disease(1) and cancers(1,2,3), green tea’s real surge in sales in the West can, in large, be a direct result of its scientifically shown ability to aid in weight loss. If you have been looking into natural ways or looking at natural supplements that can aid with weight loss then you have more than likely heard about green tea and weight loss. However, for its weight loss effects, green tea is more commonly used in its supplement form, called green tea extract, rather than as a beverage.

The Studies
The results of two Japanese studies brought to light how effective using green tea for weight loss is, and both studies revealed that it’s a type of antioxidant in green tea that brings about these weight loss properties. This antioxidant is called EGCG and it is one of a group of antioxidants found in green tea collectively known as catechin polyphenols.

The first study, which was undertaken in 2005, split a group of  30 overweight Japanese men into 2 halves. Over a period of 12 weeks, one group were given a daily beverage containing a standardized dose of 690mg of catechins, and the other group a beverage containing just 22mg of catechins, with both groups given the exact same diet plan. At the end of the 12 weeks the group given 690mg lost significantly more weight, including belly fat and total BMI than the group given just the 22mg.(4)

The second study, undertaken in 2008, investigated the effects of catechins upon overweight and obese participants over a period of 12 weeks. During this period all participants consumed the same amount of calorie intake and performed 180 min of supervised cardiovascular exercise each week. However, one half of the group were given a daily beverage of 625mg of catechins with 39mg of caffeine, and the other half a beverage containing 39mg of caffeine and no catechins. Again the results were greatly in favor of the group given the catechins, who lost more total body weight and significantly more abdominal fat than the group given no catechins.(5)

What the Results Tell Us
What we can take away from both studies is that using green tea catechins with diet and/or exercise can speed up the weight loss process, since in the first study the participants were dieting (but not exercising) and that in the second study participants were exercising and dieting. So essential the results are telling us that green tea weight loss really does work, but only in conjunction with a healthy diet and/or exercise plan. I guess more studies are needed to test the effects of green tea weight loss without changes to diet and physical activity levels.

Also, belly fat in particular appears to respond exceptionally well to green tea catechins and their weight loss effects. In fact the study in which those who exercised and were given the higher doses of catechins lost a greater percentage of belly fat than those in the study that dieted only but were given the high doses of catechins, even though they still lost a considerable amount of belly fat all the same!

Fortunately the dosing of catechins was very clear in both studies and we can see that if we want to achieve the same effects as the participants we need to take in between 625mg and 690mg per day of catechins (and diet!).

Sources:
(1) Annals of EpidemiologyVolume 19, Issue 10, Pages 732-739
“Green Tea Consumption and Mortality among Japanese Elderly People: The Prospective Shizuoka Elderly Cohort”
Authors: E. Suzuki, T. Yorifuji, S. Takao, H. Komatsu, M. Sugiyama, T. Ohta, K. Ishikawa-Takata, H. Doi
(2) Journal of Nutrition
February 2009, Volume 139, Number 2, Pages 310-316
“Drinking Green Tea Modestly Reduces Breast Cancer Risk”
Authors: M.J. Shrubsole, W. Lu, Z. Chen, X.O. Shu, Y. Zheng, Q. Dai, Q. Cai, K. Gu, Z.X. Ruan, Y.-T. Gao, W. Zheng
(3) Journal of Clinical Oncology
Vol 28, No 15_suppl (May 20 Supplement), 2010: 6522
“Phase II trial of daily, oral green tea extract in patients with asymptomatic, Rai stage 0-II chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).”
T. D. Shanafelt, T. Call, C. S. Zent, B. LaPlant, J. F. Leis, D. Bowen, M. Roos, D. F. Jelinek, C. Erlichman and N. E. Kay
(4) Am J Clin Nutr.
2005 Jan;81(1):122-9.
“Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men.”
Nagao T, Komine Y, Soga S, Meguro S, Hase T, Tanaka Y, Tokimitsu I.
(5) J Nutr.
2009 Feb;139(2):264-70. Epub 2008 Dec 11.
“Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults.”
Maki KC, Reeves MS, Farmer M, Yasunaga K, Matsuo N, Katsuragi Y, Komikado M, Tokimitsu I, Wilder D, Jones F, Blumberg JB, Cartwright Y.

Three Cheers for the Crock Pot!

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One of the most useful pieces of kitchenware of all time has to be the good old-fashioned crock pot, also known as the slow cooker. The slow cooker, as its name indicates, cooks food very slowly and thoroughly. The principle of it is based on being a large pot that is warmed by a thermostatic element. The food cooks slowly in its own juices, creating a delicious stew or soup.

So why would you want to use this kind of pot in your kitchen? It has several benefits:

- The slow, moist cooking process will soften even the toughest meats, making the food taste wholesome and delicious.

- Food cooked this way is less fattening than fried foods, and it doesn’t lose its goodness and nutrients.

- For any busy cook, such as a working mom, a helpful dad who has little time on his hands, or anyone else who is constantly on the go, the greatest advantage of the crock pot is that it saves time. All you need to do is prepare the ingredients by defrosting the meat, chopping the vegetables, throwing it all in, adding the right amounts of liquid and spices, and turning a switch. And that’s it. You can then walk away and get on with everything else that you need to do that day, and later on you will have a delicious, complete meal.

- The “one-pot” nature of this utensil saves a lot of washing up as well. No extra frying pans and saucepans to clean up. The only dishwashing that you need to do is the actual pot, a chopping board, sharp knife and whatever you used to stir the food before you closed the lid.

- This item of kitchenware has many, many uses. Whole books have been devoted to crock pot recipes, which vary from lamb stew to apple brown betty. You can even use it for various international cuisines, such as Russian food, Jewish cookery, Asian recipes, Southern dishes, and more.

If you want to get the best out of your pot, the following tips may help:

- Always place the vegetables on the bottom of the pot, with the meat on top and softer vegetables, such as tomatoes, on top of that.

- Remember that when you cook a meal this way, the liquids don’t evaporate the same way that they do in the oven or when boiling a pan on top of the stove. Therefore, if you are adapting a different recipe, always remember to reduce the liquid input by at least a third.

- For health and safety reasons, always remember to defrost any meat that you are cooking first. Meats need to be cooked to at least 140 degrees F otherwise this could be quite dangerous and even cause a risk of food poisoning.

- For similar reasons, it is a good idea to start off cooking the food on the high setting and then lower it after the first hour. This helps the food reach the necessary temperatures that would prevent health risks far more quickly.

Using Bamboo Charcoal in Cooking

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Most people are familiar with bamboo shoots in Chinese and Japanese cuisine; they are probably less familiar with the idea of using bamboo charcoal in cooking. The notion of eating bamboo charcoal is repulsive but bamboo charcoal can be effectively used to improve the taste of food and to remove impurities from food.

The Japanese have been using bamboo charcoal in food preparation for hundreds of years. In Japan the benefits of bamboo charcoal are well known. Bamboo charcoal is rich in minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium and sodium. Bamboo charcoal is also highly porous.

The most common use of bamboo charcoal in Japanese cooking is in the preparation of white rice. You can put a couple of slices of bamboo charcoal in the rice cooker with the rice and the bamboo charcoal removes the chlorine from the water and makes the rice taste better.

Another instance of using bamboo charcoal in the Japanese kitchen is for deep fat frying. The Japanese deep fat fry vegetables in a light batter. This is called tempura. If you put a piece of bamboo charcoal in the hot oil it makes the food crispier and improves the aroma of the food. Furthermore, bamboo charcoal helps to clean the fat and extend the life of the oil.

Bamboo charcoal can also be used in the preparation of pickles. When it comes time to eating the pickles the bamboo charcoal has made them chewier and tastier.

Many people not only in Japan but all over the world use a bamboo charcoal filter on their kitchen faucet. This helps to remove chlorine and other unwanted chemicals from the water. You can also put bamboo charcoal in a jug of water and leave it for 4 or 5 hours. It will make the water taste more like mineral water.

Finally, when you have finished using bamboo charcoal in the kitchen you can break it up and put it in the garden. Bamboo charcoal helps plants and flowers to grow quicker.

About Thai Cuisine

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Globally, Thai cuisine is one of the most popular types of food because we can find Thai restaurants all over the world. The same is true of Italian, Chinese, French and Japanese food. You do not, for example, find English or German restaurants in each country that you visit. The reason for the popularity of Thai food is its unique taste and the interesting ingredients that are used.

Thai food makes extensive use of coconut oil, phrik nam phla (fish sauce) and hot chilis. Not all Thai food, however, is spicy. Below I introduce three of my favorite Thai dishes.

Masaman Curry

I first tried Masaman curry when I stayed on Thong Nai Pan Yai beach in Koh Phangan. The name for the dish means muslim curry as it is influenced by Indian cuisine. It is a rich beef curry that is not overly spicy. The secret to making good Masaman curry is to let it sit to allow the spices to penetrate the meat. To make Masaman curry you need red curry paste, big pieces of potato, beef, coconut milk, tamarind, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cashew nuts. Masaman Curry is best served with rice. It is also a popular dish in the USA.

Som Tum

This is another classic dish. I found a place on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao that made really good Som Tum. It can be an entrée, a snack or a side salad. Whereas, lettuce is not common in Thailand, papaya is – so why not make a papaya salad? Som Tum is a green papaya salad that also includes cherry tomatoes, lots of finely diced red chilies and green beans. A freshly squeezed lime is used as a dressing for Som Tum. Often in restaurants frequented by foreigners they tone down the potency of Som Tum; otherwise this is a very spicy dish.

Tom Yum Goong

Tom Yum Goong is one of the most famous dishes from Thailand and the name of one of Thailand’s most successful movies. It is a clear soup with a complex, unique taste that some people love and others can’t stand. I think it is wonderful – an exciting combination of hot and sour. Tom Yum Goong uses shrimp, mushrooms, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, fish sauce, chili peppers and 1 or 2 freshly squeezed limes. It is the combination of the citrus tastes with the chili peppers that really makes this soup.

I hope this brief introduction to a few Thai dishes has got your mouth watering. It is possible to make these dishes at home. You can find the out more about the recipes at http://www.thaitable.com/.

Sub Zero Refrigerator Options For Your Dream Kitchen

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If your favorite place in your home is your kitchen, then you probably spend a lot of time in there cooking great meals for your family. This time can be made more enjoyable if you own nice quality high-end kitchen appliances – including a top-notch refrigeration solution.

Anyone who has any familiarity with high end refrigerators and freezers is likely well aware of the Sub-Zero brand.  Fridges manufactured by this firm are famed for their professional looks –and also their professional price tags! While not suitable for every household budget, Sub Zero offers a wide diversity of attractive appliances for those willing to spend some serious money.

PRO 48 Refrigerators

The most desired Sub Zero unit on the market is definitely their PRO 48 line.  These are the giant refrigerators – that weigh many hundreds of pounds – often seen in expensive model homes.  If you want your kitchen cooking to be backed by a quality refrigerator, this is the unit for you.

This model comes it two basic types.  One model with two beautiful steel doors, and a second that offers one door in glass to display the contents.  While personally I cannot imagine anyone who makes heavy use of their kitchen wanting a glass door on their refrigerator – and thus displaying all sorts of leftovers – it is good to at least have that option available.

Integrated Refrigerators

Many Sub Zero fridge freezers are available as built-in installations for those who favor that style for their kitchen.  In my opinion the extra cost for most integrated fridges is not worth-while, but many people really like the look.  Sub-Zero does a great job in offering plenty of solutions for that consumer group.

With Sub Zero you have the choice of built-in units that are solely refrigerators, or solely freezers.  Many times people do not want a combination fridge-freezer, as the compromises that type of appliance offers in space can result in a solution that is not large enough to truly satisfy either their cooling or freezing needs.

If your taste is more to larger side-by-side units – which is generally my preference – Sub Zero offers models like the BI-48S.  This four foot wide refrigerator freezer offers space that should be sufficient for even the most active home chef!

Undercounter Refrigerators

While not as commonly used as their other models, Sub-Zero also some under counter refrigerators.  This type of fridge is typically installed in a space similar to that used for a dishwasher installation.

I am not a big fan of this particular form factor – no matter the manufacturer – as they tend to be very pricey for the size.  They have to be designed to function with the limited ventilation available beneath a counter-top, and this tends to make them more expensive to manufacture.

If your kitchen is tight on space however they can be a viable option.  If you can get by without a full sized refrigerator, one of these units might allow you to install a small fridge without losing any counter space.

While these appliances certainly have a lot to offer, Sub Zero fridge price points are out of reach for most shoppers.  If you really want the room where you do all your cooking to be a true dream kitchen however; is it at least worth taking the time to check out what the Sub Zero line-up has to offer.

Protein Powder Recipes – A Few Tasty Ideas

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In regards to the title you could believe that I think protein powders are not a not very pleasant to the taste! In all fairness they have come a very very long way over the past 10 years. Today, some of the meal replacements protein powders (MRPs), such as Carb Watchers Lean Body (which won an award from the American Tasting Institute) actually taste pretty good simply mixed with water. Not just tasty, this product mixes great with water, the protein doesn’t become congealed or lumpy to produce an inconsistent consistency. For this reason, this product is my favorite post workout protein powder because I really enjoy drinking it.

The factor is that if you are working out a lot and you want more protein in your diet, or if you simply prefer to eat a diet higher in protein, then soon enough it is likely that, for the sake of variety, you will want to do more with protein powder than just drink it. I can attest to this personally, so here are a few of my favorite protein powder recipes because they are simple to make and tasty.You will notice that I use whey protein powder in all of these recipes because it is light on the digestion for a protein, mixes very well, and is also one of the best protein powders, metabolically speaking, for building muscle and not fat. There are a variety of excellent whey protein powder products out there. Some of my favorites include Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, EAS 100% Whey and Whey Protein Light.

Breakfast Protein Pancakes

  • 1 cup of instant raw oats
  • 30 grams (about 1 scoop) of unflavored whey protein powder
  • 3 egg whites (or 1 whole egg and 2 whites)
  • 1/4 cup of mineral water
  • 1 1/2 tsp  of cinnamon
  • 2 packets of sweetener (xylitol is one of the healthiest sugar substitutes)
  • 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

These pancakes are real easy to make for breakfast or for a snack. All you need to do is put all ingredients into a blender to mix them. Then pour that mixture into a skillet and cook like regular pancakes. If you would like to add berries or diced pieces of fruit to this recipe, add then to the already blended batter before pouring them into the skillet.

Chocolate Protein Cookies

  • 30 grams (about one scoop) 1 scoops chocolate whey protein powder in a bowl. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate is recommended
  • 1 tablespoon of pure cocoa powder
  • 3 0r 4 packets of xylitol
  • 1 cup of instant oats (or less if preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (or tahini)

These are great if you want a healthy chocolate snack. Mix together the protein powder, cocoa, xylitol and oats together in a bowl. WHen thoroughly mixed, add in the peanut butter and mix well. Next, slowly add some water, not much just a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is nice and gooey, but not runny. Then scoop out heaped tablespoon portions and form them into cookie sized shapes on a microwave safe plate and put cook them on full-power for 20 seconds. Alternatively you can just put them in the fridge for a few hours to let them set.

Protein Ice-Cream

  • 12 ounces 2% milk
  • 1/8 cup slivered almonds
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 30 grams (about 1 scoop) of vanilla whey protein powder

Put the milk, extract and protein in your blender, mix thoroughly and then pour into an ice cream maker. Only add the silvered almonds 5 minutes before the ice cream is made. For variation you can swap out the almonds and almond extract and replace with 1/2 a cup of any fruit of your choice.

So there you go, three super easy to make protein powder recipes, covering breakfast, snacks and even desert! Enjoy!