Monday, December 29, 2008

What is where and how.

To eat healthy, the following food groups are vitals: PROTEIN, DAIRY PRODUCTS, CARBOHYDRATES, VEGETABLES AND FRUIT AND FINALLY THE FAT.

And now let see togheter what we need and especially where there are:

PROTEIN: Proteins are found in all types of meat, fish and eggs. The proteins provide valuable vitamins that are not presents in vegetables. Of course, in these foods the amount of fat varies greatly, you should then take 2-3 times more often fish (less fat) and white meat, while reserving the red meat or other fatty meat occasionally.

DAIRY PRODUCTS: The curd how you can guess we can find it in all products that contain milk: cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.. the key component and most important of dairy products is calcium. Calcium is an essential element for the formation of bones and teeth. For eating healthy is good to use these foods every day doing a lot of attention to the type of dairy, because even in this category there is fat. The dairy products low in fat are: mozzarella, goat cheese, partially skimmed milk, yogurt, ricotta, while the most fatty are , cow cheese, ship cheeseall the products containing cream

CARBOHYDRATES: The group of carbohydrates is all products derived from wheat and its flour (pasta, semolina, bread, pizza or crackers) then all derived from corn (maize, porridge, corn flakes) potatoes and rice. The carbohydrates should be introduced every day in our diet. To eat healthy would be better to introduce especially carbohydrates that is made with wholemeal flour whole have not been refined by removing important substances such as fiber (useful for 'intestine) vitamin B and minerals.

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT: Fruit and vegetables are essential to our diet because provide vitamins that we can not find in other foods such as vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C is found in all types of fruits and vegetables particularly acidic (oranges, mandarins, grapefruit strawberry, lemons, tomatoes, radicchio, spinach, etc.). Vitamin C is very perishable and dispers easily if put in contact with the heat. So we need to eat these foods fresh and raw to possibly maintain their complex vitamins. Fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin A are represented by all the vegetables orange and yellow (Carrots, pumpkin, salad, apricot melon, etc.). Any kind of fruit or vegetables you choose contains imported minerals such as potassium and fiber and contain few calories and are important in the diet of every person. Needless to emphasize that to eat healthy you must consume daily ration of 4-5 fruits or vegetables.



FAT: Do not be surprised! The fats are necessary to our daily diet. Also provide nutritional substances useful to our body. We must pay attention to the type of fat used. Always prefer olive oil (softening the amount) because it's not harmful to our health, while avoiding to eat as much as possible unsaturated fats such as lard, butter, mayonnaise etc. because they increase rate of cholesterol blood. the





Saturday, December 27, 2008

How do I recognise fresh fish and seafood?

If you are lucky you live by the sea and you know how fresh fish look like. But if you live in a big city at the top of a mountain and maybe is the first time you buy some fish you do not know how to recognise if the fish you are buying is fresh or is at the point of fossilise. Here is a little explanation of what to look for to be sure your product is fresh and genuine.

-Firstly the general aspect of it, must be SHINY and BRILLIANT.

-Very important is the EYE must be LIVE, CLEAR and BULGING. If the eyes are cloudy, look old, or covered with wrinkles, mean that fish has been there since few days already.

-Then is the time of the GILLS, fresh fish has DEEP RED gills, if the gills are rather dry, pinkish, grey or brow just live it where it is.

-Then the SKIN must be SHINY and ELASTIC, not dry and wrinkly. If you still want to make sure that the fish that you are about to buy is fresh, try pressing its body or flesh gently. FRESH FISH HAS FIRM and ELASTIC FLESH and it should be bounced back in its place after you press it. If the flesh of the fish is already soft and that after touching its flesh the mark of your thumb remains on it, then that fish is dead for a long time already.

And what about seafood? Seafood must be alive, lobster, crab, mussels, clams and all the other species Must be alive when you buy it.

After all the forensic evidence are founded positive you can be sure your fish is fresh and is time to buy it.

Friday, December 26, 2008

How do I recognise fresh vegetables?

It should be easy someone could say and in fact it is easy, you just have to know few things. Vegetables are the easier, the first thing to check is where it is been cutted , it should not be brown or dry out at the contrary you shoud see some limph coming out and should be wet at the touch. If you are purchasing carrots, corgette, potatoes or onions touch them, they must be hard to the touch not soft and fluffy. If after touching it you still in doubt, just bite it, if soft put it back in the vegetable stand and run fast.