0 What is Whole Food Nutrition & Why is it Better For You?

By Becky Bishop

What is Whole Food

What does whole food nutrition mean? What is a diet that includes primarily whole foods? Whole foods nutrition means eating foods that are unprocessed and unrefined or minimally processed and refined before being consumed. To me, at its simplest level, eating whole foods means nothing more than eating REAL FOOD-food that come from plants and animals rather than a factory. These are foods that are foods because nature made them that way. There is no need for an ingredient list or lengthy food label. Whole food nutrition is the opposite of the mindless, standard American "carbotarian" diet that consists of nutrient poor, highly processed, white flour and refined sugar items that are made in a factory, come in a box and have a really long shelf life because even mold can't be convinced to eat them.

Why are whole foods better for you than factory made foods? There are too many reasons to list. And, in my mind, the vast amount of information out there today telling us all the reasons we should eat an apple instead of potato chips has created too much confusion around a very simple concept. A concept that, in its purest form, is nothing more than good old common sense. Plain and simple: whole foods created by nature are better for you. Ok, for those of you who need a little more convincing, one of my favorite explanations about why to eat whole foods is provided by health and wellness author Johnny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S., in his book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:

Eat real food. Stuff your grandmother would have recognized as food. Stuff that usually doesn't come in a package. What you eat probably doesn't ultimately matter as much as how much processing it's undergone. Real food - whole food with minimal processing - contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and healthful fats, and can keep you alive and thriving into your tenth decade.

If "thriving into your tenth decade" is not enough incentive to eat a diet rich in whole foods, maybe the truth of the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure" will convince you. The United States Department of Agriculture, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association tout the benefits of eating seven to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day as the best form of prevention we have against chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

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0 What Are Whole Foods?

By Sandi Krakowski

What Are Whole

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed.

Often confused with "organic food" (i.e., organically-grown food), whole foods aren't necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole, although they do share a number of traits, such as an avoidance of chemically-assisted agricultural techniques. Because of the lack of even basic, organically-acceptable processing, many whole foods have a very short shelf life and are not easily sold outside of farmers' markets.

Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; organically garden-grown fruits and vegetables; and non-homogenized milk. For some, it is preferable to eat whole foods raw to obtain the maximum nutritional benefit.

"Whole Food" has also been know to describe a food that is a complete balance in nutritional value by non mechanical means.

How can foods that are tainted, altered, genetically bio-engineered affect your health? A good example is in the industry of corn. To prevent corn from being destroyed by bugs a genetically altered ear of corn was created and chemicals were added to the corn- now when bugs begin to chew, they die instantly. Does it take a scientist to encourage people to not eat such ears of corn? What is happening in the human body by such corn?

During the last five years, several multinational chemical and drug companies - including Monsanto and Syngenta (formerly Novartis/Astra-Zeneca/Ciba-Geigy) - have quietly altered our food supply in an alarming way. Genes from bacteria, viruses, foreign plants and animals have been inserted into corn, soybeans, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and papayas. These corporations plan to "genetically engineer" almost 100% of our food within a decade.

The genes inserted into these grains cause the plant to create new, foreign proteins, never before seen in nature. There has never been any long-term animal or human testing to determine whether the new proteins can cause allergies or other adverse effects.

What Can You Do?

There are many safe food advocates all over the world who are trying to stop the farming, production, and use of genetically altered food. You can join with them:

Ask your local supermarket and restaurants to supply and serve products that do not have genetically "engineered" ingredients.

If you live in a state that does it's own farming call or write to your state Director of Agriculture and your Farm Bureau to tell them that you won't buy products that have been "genetically engineered."

The author of this article was personally affected by the reality of our food system. A simple thing such as removing genetically altered and chemically processed foods helped my body to heal itself the way it was designed. I used to battle severe connective tissue diseases. When I eat foods that are altered and are not in their natural state, my body HURTS.

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0 A Book Review: The Naked Foods Cookbook - The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide

By Maggie Dail

The Whole Foods

If you are like me, you have read and heard much about eating healthy, non-processed foods. I have read many great books and websites. Frankly, most of the time I am overwhelmed with the task. Like many, my family has budget and time constraints that add to the difficulty of the task. While looking for a different book, in fact, I came across this title - The Naked Foods Cookbook - The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great by Margaret Floyd and James Barry and decided to check it out.

There are many recipes in this book, but before we discuss those, I want to talk about the first part, "Let's Talk Shop." In this part, Floyd and Barry present four key principles to introduce "Eating Naked."

·         The closer it originated to you, the more naked it is.

·         The more it was grown in harmony with its natural environment, the more naked it is.

·         The closer it is to its original state, the more naked it is.

·         The less we do to it, the more naked it is.

They further explain naked foods in Appendix B with a chart giving the good, better and best choices for each food type as well as "okay" and "steer clear."

I especially like the next part - "In the Naked Kitchen" - where they describe the different parts of the kitchen, the appliances and equipment with their recommendations. Next, they discuss "Naked Cooking Techniques" such as sautéing, steaming, boiling, grilling, broiling, baking and roasting. They briefly discuss food-preparation techniques that make foods "Better Than Naked": soaking, sprouting and culturing or fermenting.

Reading this part was very encouraging, as they explained everything well and let us know that it was okay to go as fast or as slowly as we can.

Finally, in part two, there are recipes. First, they have recipes for the basics to be used in other recipes in the book. This includes making soup stock from different kinds of bones. Next, they have a section for "Better Than Naked" covering whey and cultured cottage cheese, yogurt, condiments and more.

In the next section, I found the first recipe that we tried -"Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash" - which was a hit at my house. I am looking forward to trying some of the gluten-free pancakes.

Other sections include; Salads and Sides; Sauces, Dressings and Dips; Soups and Stews; Main Dishes; Sweet and Savory Snacks; and last, but not least, Desserts. Each recipe has categories at the top: in a rush, vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, or "pescatarian;" Make it Once, use it lots, Better Than Naked, raw, everyday or impress the neighbor, In the Appendix A, they have provided two, one-week of menus for "best case scenarios" and "in a hurry."

While there is much that I can use in the book, I was also happy to see that some of the suggestions are things that we are already doing.

Maggie operates the Center for Neuro Development in Lakewood, Washington, along with her husband Ronnie. Maggie earned a M.A.in Special Education from Adams State University in 1989. She has been in an internship / independent study leading to certification with the International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists. They offer local, on site services as well as some long distance consultation. They work with homeschoolers as well as those who attend school.

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0 Whole Foods for Healthy Bodies

By Rachel Assuncao

Whole Foods

Less than a century ago, our diet was made up almost entirely of whole foods. We ate what we grew, or what farmers in our communities offered for sale. We ate it while it was in season, or else it was canned, pickled, or preserved to eat throughout the winter.

Processed foods began making a regular appearance in our diets around the time of World War Two, and by the time the women's lib movement was in full swing in the 1970s, pre-packaged foods had become the norm in our North American homes. We needed those convenience foods so we could get out and work while still putting a hot meal on the table at the end of the day, or so the marketing companies told us.

Yet to have a healthful and nutritionally-sound diet, processed foods should make up less than 20 percent of our daily intake. But what exactly does the term "whole foods" mean, and why are they so important to a healthy body?

What Are Whole Foods?

Whole food is food that has only one ingredient: itself in its natural form. In other words, a food that hasn't been processed into another state. Obvious whole foods include fresh fruits and vegetables. Other whole foods that can be included in the diet include:

·         Dried or canned beans, peas and lentils

·         Nuts

·         Whole grains like brown rice, hulled barley, millet and quinoa

·         Raw cuts of meat like chicken legs or breasts, steak, and pork chops that you season and cook yourself

·         Fish and seafood including scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, lobster, shrimp, and crab

·         Dairy products made from whole milk, like whole milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream

Why Are Whole Foods So Important?

Our bodies - our systems for digestion, absorption and metabolism - evolved to utilize nutrients in the amounts and combinations provided by the food that grows naturally on this planet.

People working with the human body as a holistic system like naturopaths, herbalists and health coaches believe that the body will never achieve maximum nutrition and an ultimate healthy state without whole foods. Vitamin supplements and foods that are fortified by adding extra vitamins into them do not replace the nutritional value of whole foods because vitamins only resemble selected parts of a food. The vitamins that are used to fortify foods are often synthetic, meaning they are made in a laboratory and not found in nature. The body has trouble recognizing these synthetic products. These processed food products do not contain the complex, interwoven structure of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes and other substances found in one bite of whole food.

Whole Foods

The safest bet for getting the full benefit out of nutrients and other substances in food is to consume it in its original packaging as designed by Mother Nature. Adding whole foods to your diet enables you to enjoy all the nutrition offered by nature's bounty, leading to better health and better eating habits. Diets rich in whole foods, especially vegetables and fruits, are often lower in calorie and higher in nutrition than their processed counterparts. This leads to natural weight loss, increased feelings of energy and stronger immune systems.

Rachel Assuncao, Certified Health Coach

Rachel Assuncao works with busy parents and professionals who are struggling to eat well and live a happy, energized, and vibrant life. As a certified health coach she supports and guides you to achieve your wellness goals and embrace the ongoing process of building total health and achieving balance on all levels.

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0 What Is Organic Food, Exactly?

By Robert Walden

What Is Organic

Buzz is reaching new heights with organic foods. It seems to be on the front page of news organizations daily, whether it be about vegetables, fruits, meat, or even clothing. If you don't know exactly what "organic" means, you might be a left in the dark on the conversation.

The "organic" label denotes a food product that meets USDA organic standards. The standards that are required to use the organic label are generally the following:

1. The food item that is produced does not use chemical or synthetic inputs. This means not spraying crops with synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or fungicides. In animal production, it means not feeding animals foods that have not been treated with synthetics.

2. The food produced is grown on land that has been synthetic free for 3 years (generally). Some products might be labeled as "transitioning to organic", which means that the farm currently follows all organic regulations and standards, but is being produced on a farm that might have used synthetics in previous years. Once they meet the regulatory threshold, they can then use the regular organic label.

3. Organic food producers must maintain stringent documentation, and be open to periodic on-site inspections by a regulatory agency to make sure these documents are properly reflected in reality.

These are the general rules set forth by the USDA. The USDA does provide actual certification, but there are also other third party certifiers around the country that can also certify foods as being organic. These organizations have more demanding standards that provides incentive for a more quality product that consumers can trust.

Why Organic?

All of this matters because organic food is the fastest growing sector in the food economy. It's popularity is growing because of the health risks that have been associated with the synthetic sprays that are used to grow conventional crops, which some studies have shown can cause all sorts of diseases, including cancer. Organic food can allay the concerns of consumers, and ensure that they are eating a clean, wholesome product.

What Is Organic

Since organic food producers cannot rely on synthetics to keep down weeds and fertilize, they often times practice more environmentally friendly farming methods. Instead of spraying fertilizers, they use organic fertilizers made from organic sources, and use huge amounts of compost, which encourages biodiversity in the soil.

It is the combination of health and environmental benefits that attracts consumers to organic products. Organic is a step in the right direction for a more sustainable form of food production, and by purchasing it regularly at the store, you are supporting the organic industry.

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0 Can a Raw Food Diet Be Beneficial for the Human Body?

By Jan R Corriveau

Food Diet

It is a matter of choice in a raw diet. However, eating food entirely raw ensures that an individual receives the optimum benefit. This new way of thinking guarantees that the human body will benefit from the enzymes being preserved.

What foods can a raw food diet include?

Raw diet foods such as vegetables, especially a food like broccoli which contains high Vitamin C and folate, is an excellent choice of a raw food. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or often just called ORAC value is higher in a food such as spinach, nuts, blueberries, strawberries. These types of foods have a high ORAC value, though it can be lowered or completely diminished by cooking.

How can a consumer know which raw food will lower the free radicals in the body?

It is a simple choice to look for superfood stores that specialise in organic superfoods. The diet can contain such organic superfoods as raw cacao or sprouted whole grains, eggs, fish and raw milk yogurt. When seeking a raw food, it is important to remember that in order to receive the antioxidant properties, the food must not be cooked at all. This means that most canned products are exempt from the food list. There are many recipes which utilize foods with high ORAC value for example there is a popular green smoothie that diet proponents swear is delicious and wholesome and is a powerhouse of nutrients at the same time.

Are there specific benefits received from a raw diet?

Yes, there are definite healthy benefits from adhering to a specific healthy raw food consumption diet. Vitamins are not destroyed by cooking. For example B12 is reduced by 30 to 40 % raw food diet when it is cooked. It is a matter of educating oneself to the benefits of adhering to a raw food diet. For example, the widely used microwave oven was out-lawed in Russia in 1976; yet, thousands of people continue to use it in other countries. Baby food and formula heated in a microwave loses the value of its vitamins.

Food Diet

The benefits of one's skin becoming clear and increased energy levels are obvious to someone who has switched their eating style. Often there is weight loss if one is overweight. Those with high measurements of cholesterol and triglyceride levels find that a raw diet lowers these numbers substantially.

Where can a consumer purchase high quality products for a raw diet?

The Internet is a good source for finding health food products. Obviously, safe quality products which are guaranteed organic are the elite choice. An online superfood store that offers a wide assortment of optimizing products for a healthy life style is a reliable choice for nutritional products. Healthy products which are obtained from a company offering only the highest quality products worldwide are a sensible, astute choice.

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0 Chicken Recipes That Are Okay for Diabetics and Tasty Enough For Everyone

By Linda Carol Wilson

Chicken Recipes

These chicken recipes are okay for diabetics and they are also tasty enough for everyone to enjoy. No need to cook a diabetic meal and a regular meal when you use these recipes. The diabetic will be eating properly and the others won't have a clue they are eating a diabetic chicken dish! Now what could be better for the cook? So whether you are diabetic or you cook for one, you can serve these recipes without worry!

PANKO OVEN FRIED CHICKEN BREASTS
4 (about 2 lb total) bone-in chicken breasts, skinned
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup flour (1/4 cup whole-wheat finished out to 1/3 cup with all-purpose)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
nonstick cooking spray

Place the chicken breasts in a gallon-size ziptop plastic bag; add the buttermilk. Seal bag and rotate to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but up to 12 hours. Turn several times during this time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet that has sides with foil, very lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Remove the chicken pieces from the plastic bag, drain and discard buttermilk.

Place the flour, poultry seasoning, pepper, salt, and paprika in another large plastic ziptop bag.

Place the eggs in a pie plate or shallow bowl.

Combine the bread crumbs with the cornmeal in another pie plate or shallow bowl.

Chicken Recipes

Place chicken, 2 breasts at a time, into the bag of the flour mixture and shake to coat chicken. Remove from bag and coat with the egg. Roll chicken in the crumb/cornmeal mixture until coated. Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet and give a very light spray with the cooking spray.

Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to 170 degrees or the juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 340 cal, 5 g (2 sat) fat, 34 g protein, 26 g carbs

CHICKEN BREASTS OVER VEGETABLES
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
4 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 of a medium green bell pepper, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
poultry seasoning to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/8 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the celery, mushrooms, carrots, onions, bell pepper, and zucchini with the poultry seasoning. Place the mixture in the prepared loaf pan. Place the chicken breasts on top of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with the paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

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0 Recipe for Chicken Lentil Stew

By Betsy McGuire

Recipe Of Chicken

The lentil. This is an ingredient that I have to say I've never cooked with before. However, I know how packed with nutrition they are so I just had to work them into my cooking. For starters, lentils are a good source of protein and iron so they make for an excellent meat substitute for vegetarians and those of us cutting back on eating meat. Additionally, lentils are a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, and manganese. Cook them up and toss them in soups, on salads, even put them in a pita with vegetables. I'm always looking for new foods to introduce to my family so I set my sights on lentils this week. Since I love to make one-dish meals, I figured lentils would fit right in as a substitute for a grain. I have to admit - while I was creating this dish, I had serious second thoughts. It was a bit unlike anything we'd had before and I was pretty sure the kids wouldn't like it. However, I tasted it as I went along and really liked it. The true test - the kids. They gave it a funny look when they got to the table, but after a couple of bites - polished it off. They loved it! With their superstar nutritional profile and low, low cost, I'd be willing to say lentils will now be a staple in my pantry. Here's the dish I used to bring my family to lentils.

CHICKEN LENTIL STEW
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 cup low-fat chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup fresh spinach, shredded
Salt to taste

4 servings

Recipe Of Chicken

Rinse the lentils and place them in a medium saucepan with the carrots and broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender; about 20 minutes. While that's simmering, spray a large skillet with olive oil cooking spray (or olive oil from a mister) and add the chicken and garlic. Sprinkle the chicken with the herbs and cook until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, spinach, and cooked lentil mixture to the skillet; heat through.

calories = 390
sat. fat = 3.2 g
fiber = 9.3 g
protein = 48 g

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0 The World's Best Fried Chicken Recipe Is Here

By Thomas Byers

Chicken Recipe

Over the years I've been working with putting together what I think is the best recipe for fried chicken. And I guarantee that once you taste this delicious fried chicken that you'll agree that it just may be the most delicious fried chicken in the world.

When I'm making this fried chicken for family and guests I buy a chicken or two that's already cut up and that's what I start with. You want to wash your chicken pieces an trim off any excess fat or skin.

When I'm making fried chicken like my Grandma Hattie taught me to make I leave the skin on my chicken. If you'll follow along with the recipe I promise you'll end up with fried chicken that will have you wanting more.

In one bowl you want to mix together two cups of buttermilk and two large eggs and this is what you will use for dipping your chicken in.

In another bowl you want to put.

1. Two Cups All Purpose Plain Flour.

2. One Envelope Dry Italian Seasoning.

3. One Tablespoon Seasoning Salt.

4. One Teaspoon Dry Powdered Parsley.

5. One Teaspoon Hungarian Paprika.

Wash your chicken pieces off well under cold running water and then pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.

You need a large deep electric skillet with a lid. You want to add about two inches of vegetable oil in the skillet and you want to turn your electric frying pan on medium heat. Don't turn it up to high or you'll burn your oil and your chicken.

Chicken Recipe

What you want to do is cook your chicken slow in the oil with the lid on the pan and you don't want to turn the chicken over too often or take the lid off the pan to often. Cooking the chicken slowly with the lid on the pan is the secret to making delicious fried chicken that will get the attention of the people tasting it.

Dip your chicken pieces first in the buttermilk and egg mixture and then dip it into the flour mixture being sure to coat your chicken pieces very well.

Place your chicken pieces into the electric skillet and you want it already hot when you put your chicken pieces in. Once you have all your chicken pieces in the pan leave the pans heat settings on medium and put the lid on the pan. You want your chicken to brown on that side before you turn the chicken over.

Cooking the chicken on medium heat and not turning it to often is the secret to making delicious fried chicken that will come out oh so wonderful. Your thickest pieces of chicken need to have an internal temp. of 160 degrees.

Just be sure not to turn your chicken to often and drain the cooked chicken on paper towels.

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0 Creating A Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan

By Matt Remuzzi

Food Restaurants

The trends in life all point toward more and more demand for fast food restaurants whether some people like it or not.

The reality is people just don't have time to sit down for a long meal three times and day and they have even less time to shop for food and then prepare it themselves. But our hunger hasn't gone away!

If you have been thinking about getting into this segment of the restaurant industry you are definitely in the right place at the right time as long as you keep a few important ideas in mind.

1.      Unless you are opening a franchise concept, you have to make sure your business is going to stand out and offer something different

2.      Just because people want it fast doesn't mean they are willing to eat junk food- fast and healthy are both equally important

3.      Be different but not too different- healthy doesn't mean only wheat grass shakes and tofu- put a slight twist on some old favorites

4.      It has to taste great- speed isn't a substitute for really good food

5.      If you possibly can- find a location with a drive through- this can add thirty percent or more to your business

6.      Don't ignore breakfast options- it's an easy way to pull a lot more profit from a business without costing you a dime extra in rent and very little more in other costs beyond food and labor

7.      Make sure your service is exceptional- slow order takers, wrong orders and unsmiling counter staff are all going to cost you sales and repeat visitors in the long run- don't be a fast food restaurant stereotype

Food Restaurants

How can you make sure you work all that into your fast food restaurant business plan so your startup comes out a winner and is a successful and profitable venture from the get go? First, make sure you use a good restaurant business planning tool. Second make sure you involve experienced restaurant people as advisers. Third, stay persistent- it may take longer than you want to get your doors open but if you've planned right and done your homework.

Not only will you get the money you need to open if you follow these three simple rules but you can also be confident your business will become a financial windfall and the start of a restaurant empire you can build a fortune and well deserved reputation with in just a few years.

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