Author: Oladipupo Abioye

Oladipupo is a Pediatric Nutritionist with Lagos State Ministry of Health. He is an adventurous foodie and loves to teach and render presentations on foods and nutritional topics at different symposia.
He loves Messi but Chelsea FC is his baby.

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Food Recipes

Learn The Quick Way To Make Chapman At Home

chapman drink

It is always satisfying to know even to well wishers that the drinks served on your birthday or cocktail party was actually made by you. Apart from being cost effective, it gives you the opportunity to be adventurous and come up with something special that your invitees will find refreshing. Such is the case of making and serving chapman on your ceremony.

Chapman can be simply described as an easy cocktail drink which can be alcoholic or non alcoholic with a lot of fruits flavour. In fact, presently in Nigeria, it is gradually taking over other drinks as many people can not stop ordering for the fruity drink especially if made the Nigerian way.  One other good thing about this drink is that majority of the ingredients or constituents can be gotten in any nearby supermart store. Follow this article carefully and you are on your way to entertain your guest with chapman

How To Make Chapman (Drink) By Yourself

Ingredients and Utensils

  • A bottle of Fanta and a  bottle of Sprite.
  • Angostura Bitters and Grenadine syrup.
  • Orange (2 or 3)and Lime (lime is optional).
  • 1 big sized Cucumber or 2 small ones.
  • A big jug and 4 glass cups.
  • Some ice cubes

chapman ingredients

Note: This is a recipe for four (4) and in order for you to have a smooth ride in its preparation, some certain processes must have been carried out prior to kick starting.

1) Usually, there are ice cube trays in your refrigerator. Fill them up with water as much as you can and keep in the freezer to make your ice cubes.

2) Keep both the Fanta and Sprite in the refrigerator. Remember, chapman must be served chilled.

3) Dice your cucumber into pieces, keeping them in circular form, semi circular or triangular forms as you would love it. Do same to one of the oranges and keep the other ones to be squeezed into the drink. You do not need to peel the oranges.

Now Let Us Make The Chapman

1) Pour a cup of grenadine syrup into the jug ( About 20-25cl)

2) Add both bottles of Sprite and Fanta soft drink.

3) Add some dashes of Angostura bitters equivalent to about 3 table spoons and stir. I have also heard of people using Alomo bitters instead of Angostura bitters. Although, I have never tried using it. Remember, do not indulge children in Angostura bitters added chapman. Black currant can be used instead to make the non alcoholic type of chapman but it would not produce the real chapman taste

4) Cut the other oranges into halves and squeeze into the mixture.

5) Portion out the mixture into the four glass cups to about 2/3 full in order to give room for the next added ingredients.

6) Add the diced oranges and cucumber into the different cups.

7) On the last note, add some cubes of ice to each of the cups to further make it go chilled. Your chapman is ready to be served.

chapman drink

Seven straight steps to making your chapman. So simple. Please remember, the consumption of chapman should not be excessive because it is usually loaded with high amount of sugar considering the ingredients of making it.

Do not forget to share your comments once you have tried out this recipe or your own method of making chapman.

ALSO SEE: How To Make Your Own Zobo Drink At Home

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Food & Nutrition

Some Foods Senior Citizens (Elderly) Should Avoid Eating

frying chicken

The aged ought to be well taken care of. No wonder, in well developed countries, special attention and care is given to people above 60 years of age. In this part of the world, it becomes very expedient  to promote healthy living among senior citizens as we are used to leaving everything to the last minute even our health. Foods are not only quite effective in improving the immune system of both children and adults, they are also essential in ensuring that older people have better nutrition and health.

Some Foods Old People Must Avoid Eating

There are numerous benefits of healthy eating which include resistance to illness and disease, improved skin and sight quality, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems. To help the aged achieve most of these aforementioned numerous health benefits, there are certain food groups or types that should be completely excluded from their diet. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

1. Processed Carbohydrates:

Processed foods especially carbohydrates are only loaded with calories with little or no nutrients and low amount of fibre which could cause excessive weight gain for the aged. An average male aged person should not consume more than 2000kcal/day while an average elderly woman over age 50 should not consume over 1800kcal/days especially if such persons are not involved in activities. Indulging in processed foods will make them consume more than the Recommended Daily Intake for their age. Examples include frosted flaskes, white bread and some noodles. You might need to speak to a nutritionist to calculate your daily food requirement.

2. Deep Fat Fried Foods:

Fried foods are generally high in calorie, a multiple of 2 or 3 of the calorie of the foods if they were not deep fried. The digestive system of the elderly is usually no longer functioning at its best, due to ageing. The need to exclude deep fat fried foods in the diet of senior citizens is important in order to avoid the occurrence of diabetes and any form of cardiovascular disease.

RECOMMENDED: Dangers of Fried Foods and Re-using Frying Oil

3. Canned Foods

Senior citizens are usually having concern with high blood pressure and one thing that contributes to this is diet high in sodium. Many canned foods are loaded with salt as the preservative. If the aged consume high amount of canned foods, their chances of high blood pressure condition will increase. This should be avoided. You can check this guide we put together which inform you about how much salt is enough for the day.

ALSO SEE: Canned Foods Causing Cancer; The Truth Behind!

4. Sugary Foods

Even children are cautioned about consuming sugary foods talk less of the aged. Many aged have issues with their dental status because of excessive consumption of sugary food earlier in life. Soft drinks and other sugar coated food substances should be avoided. Many cause a spike in blood sugar. Many elderly are also battling with type II diabetes which are usually worsened by sugary foods. Examples include soft drinks, chocolates and beverages.

ALSO SEE: List of Common Foods and How Much They Add to Blood Sugar

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General

How To Teach Your Children To Make Healthy Food Choices In The Future

father mother children cooking

Children definitely will grow into adults and it happens very quickly. This is the prayer of all parents.

Children learn to pick up habits and behaviors of their parents most times hook, line, and sinker. This is not only common in how they respond to issues of life but also how they make food choices for themselves as an adult and their own very children.

The need to teach children about food and nutrition at an early age is quite important if truly we are serious about making the world a healthier place in years to come.

So, who is best to help make this world safer health-wise? Parents are sure at the forefront of the battle.

It has now become a norm among parents and guidance to brag and publicly say how their children love chocolates, sweets, chewing gums, and many other sugar-coated food items as such.

ALSO SEE: Foods That Help You Succeed In Your Exam.

This trend must be quickly tackled as many health conditions not common among children are now resurfacing at an alarming rate. Examples are Type I and Type II Diabetes and Childhood Obesity. 

In this post, I will be sharing with you three main steps to follow to ensure your children pick up the right habit to make healthier food choices now and in the future without necessarily excluding all of the processed snacks usually consumed by children while keeping them healthy.

father mother children cooking

1. Let the children take part in home cooking:

Cooking can be really fun to children and that’s if you make it look fun.

From age three and above, children can be engaged in simple errands like asking them to pick up something from the fridge, etc.

Engage them when cooking a favorite meal like fried rice garnished with plenty of vegetables while introducing them to the reasons they should eat veggies.

As your children sight you performing activities like slicing and cutting of ingredients used in a healthy meal, they are learning and will inculcate such skills and food habits.

2. Lead by example:

Many adults have not outgrown their childhood days. They still love lollipops, chocolates, and other sugary food items usually consumed by children.

In doing this in the presence of their own children, they transfer the same habit of perpetual unhealthy eating to them.

Imagine each day you come back from work and you go straight to the refrigerator to pick a serving of fruits like watermelon or apple for a bite, your children might just say “Mummy I want one too”.

There should be a conscious effort to lead by example in order to help your child make healthier choices.

3. Include fruits in their snacks:

Snacks have now been seen as processed foods in the forms of confectioneries and baked foods only. In truth, they are not. Children can be taught to snack on fruits even at school once in a while.

Children love it sweet, creamy and sometimes crunchy. You can include fruits like banana, apple and golden melon as snacks for them.

You will be surprised they will love it and inculcate the habit of consuming such meals in the future.

Parents, you will be doing a lot of good for your children if you teach them about the need to consume healthier food options rather than indulging them in soft drinks and the likes all the time.

I am not saying children should not some baked snacks and the rest, however, there is a need to introduce to them healthier food options.

Categories
Food & Body

Salt Causing Dark Spots On Albinos! Myth or Fact?

salt

The 13th of June every year is the day set aside as the World Albinism Day in order to help fight the myth and wrong perceptions generally projected by those who do not have it against Albinos. Albinism is a congenital disorder (Birth disorder) which come to be due to lack of melanin in the skin, eyes and hair. Those with no melanin are called Albinos while those with little melanin are called albinoids. This is usually due to genetic interpretation in the body of parents of an albino. While this is the main cause of the condition, a lot of people give different assumptions. Some of them include; The parents of Albinos had intercourse in the hot afternoon, the child belongs to another father or the child is a representation of a certain god on earth. I cannot laugh enough.

Many Nigerians, even the older generation have regularly said to mothers of Albinos to avoid giving their Albino children salt or foods containing salt because it causes the proliferation of dark spots all over the skin of Albinos. Is this the reality or one of those myths that is used to stigmatize people living with albinism?

salt

As I pondered about this, I began to search, and I realised that there seem not to exist any fact on this claim. It was then I went further to consult with a few Albinos and their parents. All of them have this to say; Salt has nothing to do with the dark spot on the faces of Albino, I have included salt in the diet of my child since she was born without caution on the acceptable level as she ate same food with her siblings yet she is evenly coloured without dark spots. The reason for the dark spot is exposure to sunlight which causes sun burn. They emphasised that they did well to protect their children and self from excessive exposure to sunlight in order to have a non dark spotted skin.

While the afforementioned remains the opinion of Albinos and parents, I have also taken a stand to agree with their claims. If you avoid to add salt to the food of your Albino child, do not  forget a significant level of sodium is found in all our foods. The last reason that made me completely concur with this opinion was when I heard an Albino speak of his dark spotted skin on a radio show. He insisted that right from childhood her mum had avoided adding table salt yet he is dark spotted. He also said he had been exposed to sunlight when he was younger as he was always playing with other kids in the hot afternoon.

Let your Albino children maximise food options like other kids. Chocolates, biscuits, crackers, sharwama and other snacks contain a reasonable amount of salt and children regardless of their skin type, race and age would always love to have a bite. As your child grows up, you do not want them to develop a condition of hypotension due to low level of sodium which can be very dangerous. I am not saying you should include salt without caution into their diets. Moderation does it.

Although, no scientific fact has explained if salt contributes to this or not but clearly from consultations it shows that it might just be a myth.

If you are an Albino or you know anyone who is an Albino or you are a parent of an Albino, please we would like you to share your opinions to help educate others.

FoodsNG says: #STOPTHESTIGMATISATIONAGAINSTALBINOS

Categories
Food & Body

Top 4 Foods Women Must Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnant woman

No doubts, I have soft feeling for pregnant women. I sighted one recently and felt pregnant women should be given utmost care in order to help them bring forth healthy babies. The need to do this is because during the developmental stage of pregnancy, the foetus are quite fragile and any unhealthy action by their mothers can lead to serious medical conditions for both mother and child. Certainly, one of the major things that can promote the health of mother and child during pregnancy is good food.

Pregnant woman

As an expectant mother, you should understand that it is no longer the usual that must go into your stomach as the growth of your unborn child is determine by whatever you put into your system. In recent times, many pregnant women have faced birth related issues due to poor choice of diet.during pregnancy. To avoid this, you must decide to quit certain unhealthy foods for pregnant women. Find below a list of the top four foods to avoid.

Top Foods Pregnant Women Must Avoid

Navigate through this article by clicking on page 2 below and so on. There you will see foods to avoid during pregnancy and why they should be avoided.

Categories
Food & Body Food & Nutrition

The 3 Best Foods To Snack With At Night

banana

Many people have been on the fat side because they eat late at night and not too long from that time they go to bed. This is quite unhealthy. However, many other people cannot afford not to snack at night because they are nocturnal and active in the late hours of the day and so, finds a need to refuel their systems.

While as a nutritionist I do not recommend late night eating except the individual is on a mission of weight gain, it is important to educate people on the best food options to consume if at all they need to eat late at night. When you have decided to eat late night, you must take caution on your calorie intake during the day so that your daily food intake would not supercede your recommended requirement. Now, lets go ahead to see the foods you can snack with late night.

banana

1. Banana: This is one fruit that is excellent. It contains numerous vitamins and minerals that will nourish your body. So, when you are tempted to snack on popcorn and other artificially sweetened products, you could just get 1 or 2 finger of banana. The banana contains natural sugars which will cater for your craving for sweet snack while supplying much lower calorie to your body compared to processed snacks like cookies and pop corn. Remember, it is also contains good amount of fiber which enhances proper digestion.

However, it is advisable to limit your consumption to maximum of three fingers if you must consume at night.

NEXT FOOD :: Click Page [2] below…

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Food Recipes

Learn How To Make Soy Milk At Home

Soy Milk

In these past few years of my experience as a practicing Nutritionist, I have been opportune to meet a few patients that are lactose intolerant. Those that are lactose intolerant do not have the ability to digest the sugar lactose found in milk and some milk products thereby leading to bloating (accumulation of gas in the stomach), diarrhea and other symptoms. This is usually due to a lack of lactase enzyme produced in the small intestine. As they avoid this important food, they tend to lose a lot of nutritional benefits. In view of this, there is a need for them to consume milk substitutes that do not trigger any intolerance but supply good nutrients to the body. A typical example is Soy milk, a plant-based source of milk that does not contain lactose and so it cannot lead to intolerances.

Method To Make Your Own Soy Milk

Soy milk is quite available in many grocery stores but most of the processed soy milk have higher amounts of food additives that could trigger some health conditions. It is essential and cost-effective to learn how to make this milk substitute at home.

Soy Milk

Ingredients:

  • Soy Beans (150 g) to make 1littre of Soy milk.
  • A pinch of salt (optional)
  • Water (as appropriate)

Equipment

  • A blender; Kenwood or Philips
  • Muslin cloth
  • 1 Sieve and 2-3 bowls
  • A  measuring cup

Method:

Have you hands properly cleaned before touch the food item. Do not forget to make sure your equipment are clean too.

  • Grab the 150gram Soya beans and pour into a big bowl.
  • Add enough quantity of portable water to cover the beans well enough to give room for swelling.
  • Keep the mixture for about 8 hours or overnight. By that time, you would have noticed the beans had doubled or tripled in size.
  • Drain the water away using a sieve or carefully pour the water away.
  • Prepare and add hot water at 6O°C to the beans. It will help soften the hull of the beans so that it can be easily removed by hand rubbing and help inhibit further enzyme activities just after the soaking.
  • Rub the beans between your hands to take away the hull or skin just like you would do to beans in the making of Moimoi and Akara until it is completely done.
  • Carefully remove the hull by washing with water again and again until it remains the de hulled soy beans. Usually the hull will rise to the top.
  • Pour the entire Soya beans into a blender and add 1 litre of portable water.
  • Blend for like five minutes and pour into a bowl. Ensure the solution is smooth.

Using another bowl, place a muslin cloth over it and pour the solution into it in order to sieve out only the soy milk. You could use you hands to squeeze further to get more of the milk. The insoluble substance gotten here is called Okara and can be used as cattle feed.

Once you have completely achieved this, the solution can be placed on cooker to simmer slightly. Make sure it is on low it for 15 to 20 minutes. This will make the soy milk completely fit for consumption. During this period, a thick sheet of the soy solution might appear on the top, use a spoon to scrape it off. You do not need to cover the pot in this process.

Allow to cool and finally pour the solution into a sieve placed over another bowl to get the final soy milk with no sediment or beans particle.

Your healthy soy milk is ready for consumption. To enjoy it, you could add a pinch of salt and sugar to taste and  keep it in the refrigerator. But these are completely optional. However, you might prefer flavouring it this way.

PLEASE NOTE: While soy milk contains no lactose and no form the symptoms of lactose intolerance could occur, it is important that people who chose soy milk as a substitute should gradually include it into their diets until their system completely adjust to it.

I should also add that people that cannot digest lactose can go for other processed milk options such as Yoghurt. Lactose in milk has been converted to lactic acid in yoghurt. It is a good option too.

Categories
Knowledgebase

The Differences Between Lager, Beer, Stout, Ale & Wine

beer wine lager ale stout

Beer of course without doubt is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world and usually described as the most consumed liquid after tea and water. I bet it is fast catching up with tea and soon enough water. I guess you doubt that, but nothing is impossible in a beer drinking world of ours. Beer is dated back to years Before Christ (BC) when the world came up with the product through a process called brewing. Brewing is simply the soaking of a starch source like barley or wheat in water and grinding or mashing the result to produce a liquid called Wort which is then fermented.

beer wine lager ale stout

While the ingredients (Barley, Hop, Water, Adjunct and yeast ) of making the different types of beer can be the same, there is a slight difference in the method of production to bring about the different beer types. For the records, beer is majorly of two types- Ale and Lager. In this short post, I will be sharing with you the difference between the two types. Lets take them one after the other.

Here Are Details of Each Drink So You Can Differentiate

NEXT [2] Click to page 2 to continue reading…

Categories
Food Safety

How Ogogoro, Paraga, Jedi, etc, are Silently Killing Nigerians

no alcohol sign

That I have not tasted alcohol is a complete lie and there is no iota of truth in me. Research have also shown that a little alcohol is not bad for the body but this is not that I am preaching that you should drink alcohol. To keep this straight, when I say alcohol, I mean wine and a little of beer not “ale”, that are produced and bottled by recognized and standard companies who put into place the necessary hygiene and good manufacturing practices and have the overall reputation of their companies to protect. They cannot afford to toil with people’s lives by mere negligence. You should by now be able to decipher the brands of alcohols or wines I am talking about.

Having said that, it is a complete shame to know that in a country where food and brewery processing professionals abound, there seem to be a rise in the proliferation and popularity of so many brands of alcohols that are far from meeting the requisite of proper alcohol production; yet, this poisons are sold in every nook and cranny of our country damaging the lives of people without them knowing. Sometimes, I wonder what National Agency For Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is doing.

In rivers state, just recently, it was reported that about 2 scores of people died mysteriously after consuming some quantity of local gin in a nearby local shop. According to PM news, the Director of the Department of Disease Control in the state, Dr. Roland Obed Whyte said there was a ban on these products and it was for the good of the locals who regularly take Ogogoro. The director said it would be difficult to get samples of the particular gin that was consumed through clinical analysis as youths of Woji community, where the incident happened had burnt the shop.

While one cannot convincingly say these deaths were caused by the concoction called Ogogoro or Kaikai as they are popularly called, it is becoming clearer that these products which are manufactured under unacceptable food processing conditions have been causing havoc to the health of many. Funny enough, they are unaware.

I do not know why people drink these brands of alcohol. Some claim it makes them high, others say it is a super enhancer for sex and other physical activities. Well, those are none of my concerns. But my brother, are these the reasons you have chosen to make these drinks your breakfast? A trip to major streets in Lagos, between 5am and 7am, You will sight tens of motor drivers and union members in different locations sipping the concoction as their breakfast. All it does is gradually damage their liver, kidney and stomach wall. No wonder many of them are ulcer patients with multiple skin diseases.

I have also come to realize that the consumption of these drinks are not only peculiar with transport workers etc, many educated people and professionals also secretly use them as enhancer to perform well at work, in bed and other duties. Many are constantly having headaches and some undescribable body reactions without knowing it is as a result of the poisons they had been funneling into their body system.

Many State Ministries of Heath are beginning to place a ban on these products as so many health concerns are associated with the consumption. An example is Ondo State Ministry of Health. It was also recorded that a similar incident which claimed lives of people happened in the state.

All these bitters and gins, in as much as one cannot say they should not be manufactured; the production and importation of theses drinks have to be monitored by appropriate authorities to ensure compliance to standard and avoid loss of life.

We have to protect Nigerians and those yet unborn. A ban on these product and a jail term for public sales will be a welcome development until government and agencies concerned come up with serious standards and procedures in which manufacturers of these products must adhere to in order to avoid further loss of lives as it has recently happened.

I STAND TO BE CORRECTED!

If you have had a terrible experience with any of these drinks, please share it.

Categories
Food & Body

Foods That Will Help Improve Your Hair Colour & Quality

kim kardashian fine hair

Gone are those days when women are particularly interested in the quality of their natural hairs, they know they can always use attachments, weavons, wigs and other hair-like materials that will make the outward appearance of their hair look great and attractive. Lesser number of women subscribe to our native hair styles and this trend had made women care less because hair fashion continues even without a healthy and good looking natural hair. Also, external treatment have been popular.

While I can not doubt the efficacy and importance of using relaxers, shampoos, gels, oils and the rest, the best way to keep your hair healthy is ‘inside out’. Just like the quality of the foods you consume affects your vision and skin appearance, so does foods affect your hair. They are all interlinked. This short post will be addressing three major categories of foods you should consider including in your diet on a long term basis to help improve your hair quality. You will be surprised at the result if you adhere to this religiously. Before sharing the top food lists, I want to discuss my personal story.

kim kardashian fine hair

For those who know me well, they are aware I have had a slightly brown coloured hair for a very long time. Recently, I got involved in the distribution and sales of Coconut oil. I was quick to include it into my diet without the thought of using it to improve my hair quality. Suddenly, after few months, I started receiving complements on the new looks of my hair, gradually becoming dark and shining. Clearly, it has improved. Then I was convinced that the composition of your diet can improve your hair quality

TOP THREE CATEGORIES OF FOODS THAT IMPROVES HAIR QUALITY

1. Foods High in Biotin:

Biotin is an essential nutrient that is needed for improved hair quality. A member of the vitamin B complex is needed for a number of enzymatic reactions which aids proper metabolism of protein. When people do not consume foods rich in biotin, there will be poor metabolism of body nutrients which contributes to undernourished hair follicles. This vitamins helps to promote the strength and texture of your hair. A diet rich in animal protein like eggs, liver and sea foods would supply adequate amount of biotin to your body.

Click to page 2 below to see the other groups of foods…

Categories
Food Recipes

Learn How To Make “Ice Cream” From 1 Ingredient At Home

As a nutritionist for children with special needs, one of my job responsibilities is to come up with new food varieties and recipes that will be appealing to our children. Sometimes it can be quite difficult but the nutrition team which I belong to, tries its best. Some times last year we decided to give a new look to the mid-day food of our children at the centre. Then, we decided to make Ice cream.

Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Photo: imsa.edu

As at that time we had no Ice cream equipment and other important ingredients necessary for the making of Ice cream. As we pondered, one of us sighted at a food item and he said we could make a healthy nutritious Ice cream from it. If your guess is as good as mine…….then by now you should know the food item – Banana. Yes, you can make Ice cream from start to finish using BANANA only. Although, the procedure is simple and a bit different but the output is as creamy as your ice cream made from milk and other ingredients.

How Is Iced Banana Cream Made? – Ingredients and Method

Ingredients, Equipments and Method of Preparation!

INGREDIENT

Medium sized ripe banana (Two fingers)

EQUIPMENT

A powerful blender or a food processor. I usually use Kenwood Food processor.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Wash your hand clean and keep them dry before handling the food item to avoid contamination.

  • Ensure that the blender or food processor is clean.
  • Peel the 2 banana fingers and slice each to six or seven pieces. A straight horizontal cutting will do.
  • Pour the sliced banana into a small glass container that has a lid. Cover it up.
  • Place in a freezer for about three hours if you are using a blender but over night if using a food processor.
  • When ready collect the already frozen banana and pour inside your food processor.

Turn on at high speed for about 30 seconds. Stop, scrape the banana to fall into place and start the engine again. Do this continuously until the banana turns completely creamy just like your ice cream. This process could take up to five minutes, less or more depending on your processing device. The colour of the cream may appear brownish depending on you banana.

Your Banana Ice Cream or better still, Iced Banana Cream is Ready.

One good and healthy thing about this recipe is that banana contains most of the other ingredients that regular ice cream contains. Banana contains sugar and pectin that keep it creamy and fibre to aid in proper digestion. You can also decide to add other ingredients to it if you so wish.

Milk, Peanut butter or Nutella chocolates will not be bad. Just add at moderate quantity. I do not advise adding sugar because Banana is already high in sugar.

Do not forget to give this a shot and share your comments here!

Categories
Food Processing

Solution For Yams Turning Yellow, Brown When Peeling

Photo Credit: afrolems.com >> Make Your Yam White Like This

Without doubts, I have also been bothered by this scenario each time I find myself in the kitchen to cook Yam. It was always dissatisfying noticing the discolouration that suddenly happens under my very eyes within seconds (they turn yellow, brown and sometimes black). Yam had been a major staple for centuries providing energy and other nutrients for the African people and beyond.

With its more than 600 documented species; edible and inedible, it remains a difficult task to identify which one would turn yellow, dotted green, brown or black during peeling.

Popular species of yam include Dioscorea alata (Water yam), Dioscorea rotundata (White Yam) and Dioscorea bulbifera (Aerial Yam). Many mothers and women have been forced to opt for other tubers or avoid yam in their diet because of this sudden reaction. Before writing this piece, I took the time to carry out a simple finding by speaking with mummies and grand mummies on the best ways to avoid discolouration of Yam during preparation and all the women gave their opinions about it. Quickly let’s check some of their advice.

"Photo

Advice: Preventing Yam From Changing Colour While Peeling, Cutting

1. A few of the women said the best way to avoid yam discolouration during peeling is to “shine your eye well” when buying. They insisted some Yam types are naturally coloured and so there is nothing you can do to avoid obtaining a coloured yam. An example is a yellow yam with botanical name Dioscorea cayenensis which is a result of carotenoid in it. Try to peel the yam slightly with your finger and see if any discolouration quickly occurred when you are still at the market. If it does do not buy the Yam. It is best to buy only white yam.

2. The common one that more than 70% of them subscribed to is peeling the yam and submerging quickly underwater immediately. Some of them said they go further to peel the Yams beneath the water. I am aware that once yam is peeled and exposed to air, it is bound to undergo oxidation which causes discolouration. This, however, depends on the specie of the yam as some species do not change colour rapidly on exposure to air. White Yam remain same after exposure to hear

3. Some of the women then insisted that over the years they do not bother keeping their yams in store to be prepared when they want to eat it. They went further to say that once they had purchased the Yams, on getting home; they slice and peel off the entire yam tubers, quickly cut them into sizable portions under water, place them in a plastic container and keep them in the refrigerator to be picked whenever needed. They said keeping Yam tubers on bare floors and staying longer period before consumption may affect their colouration when peeled. Those fresh yams do not discolour like others that have stayed longer periods in storage. There is no scientific proof to this but if you do not mind, give it a try, it does not hurt.

When you look at the second opinion scientifically, I would opine that it really makes sense and it’s something I have tried myself too – it works but not 100% most times. There are times that the discolouration would just be mild but remains white at other times.

Yams contain enzymes that, on exposure to atmospheric oxygen react to give a brown colouration. When you immediately put yam underwater after peeling, you minimize the exposure time for this reaction. I have used warm water with great success.

You may want to ask, “What is different with warm water?” Let me tell you how using warm water has a place in science – oxygen dissolves in water and the amount of dissolved oxygen that the water can hold depends on the temperature and salinity of the water (how much salt there in the water). Coldwater can hold more dissolved oxygen than warm water and freshwater can hold more dissolved oxygen than saltwater.

I am certain a reasonable number of you would have other methods you practice to avoid yam discolouration. Do not hesitate to share those ideas. Thank you!

ALSO SEE: Prevent Your Cut, Leftover Yam From Growing Mould

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Categories
Knowledgebase

Top 5 Foods That Make You Fart Asides Beans

fart smells

At exactly 8:50am on Saturdays morning, I was still lying in bed. Not too long from that time, I heard a loud sound from my brother’s room – “Poooooooouu”. I had to rush to know what exactly happened because it was repeatedly loud. On getting there, he gave another loud “Poooouuuu”. It was then I knew my big brother was farting. Then I couldn’t but burst into laughter. I have been with him over the weekend and he had not consumed beans – since beans are popularly seen as the food that causes flatulence. But far from it, his farting was as a result of other foods he ate.

When he woke up, he did not waste time to ask me – “What is the cause of my farting? I have not been indulging in beans, yet I have been farting; he said. I replied him in pidgin – “Bros, No be only beans dey make person fart ooo” It was then I thought it will be necessary to share an article on flatulence on this page. Let’s quickly see what causes flatulence.

What is flatulence?

This is commonly known as farting. It is the exit of gas through the anal. When someone farts, it could bring about a level of laughter or complete embarrassment depending on the type of gathering you find yourself. Hey! Do not get caught up in any mess.

fart smells

What Causes Flatulence?

Flatulence is usually caused due to incomplete digestion process followed by fermentation. Food substances that are not absorbed in the human intestines accumulate in the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria, leading to production of gas. The smell of the gas depends on the foods eaten and the types of bacteria that acted on it while the sound is as a result of the outward forceful flow of air that makes anal tissues vibrate. Some people also lack specific enzymes needed to break down certain foods, which then get acted upon by bacteria and create gas. You can read more on the article on how to cook beans so that you don’t fart after eating them.

So, What Are The Top Five Other Foods That Cause Flatulence In People?

Before sharing the list of the foods, it is important to let you know that – what causes flatulence in Mr. A may be completely different from that of Mr. B. It is sometimes based on body types and intestinal structure of each individual. At the end of this article do no forget to share the food(s) that you have identified which make you fart.

Click on pages 2, 3, 4… below to go to pages containing the list of foods;

Categories
Food Recipes

Learn How To Make Oha Soup (Recipe)

oha soup

I am a lover of soups and everyone around me knows that. Each time I visit a new environment, all I ask about on entering any of their restaurants is the different types of soups available and I opt for those I have not eaten before. Sometimes I get disappointed but most times I am elated especially when I am in the eastern part of Nigeria.

I have to give the credit of this article to a friend Miss Patience Chieme who was willing to share with me the recipe for this soup. When I tasted the soup the very first time, I knew only few Nigerian soups can compete with this in terms of taste, colour and expected nutritional value. It will also interest you to know that the leaves of Oha do not lose their nutritional and photochemical properties easily during preparation. Let’s look straight into how this delicious soup can be made.

oha soup

What are the ingredients to make Oha soup?

  • Beef (700g), stock fish (500g), blackfish (300g) and grained crayfish (As appropriate). Remember, you can increase the quantity of protein source to be used based on your family’s size)
  • Water, Palm oil ( Add as appropriate)
  • Black Pepper and onions ( Add as you would prefer)
  • Cocoyam (6 small corms) or Achi and Oha leaves
  • Seasonings and Salt

Pre-cooking Direction

  • Ensure you wash your hands properly to avoid external contamination.
  • Grind onions with a hand grater and set aside.
  • Also grind crayfish and black pepper together and set aside.
  • Wash and boil the cocoyam corms until it is completely soft and remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a smooth paste. Some people have also used blender to achieve similar result.
  • If cocoyam is not available. Achi can be used. It is commonly sold among Ibo foods sellers. It will also act as thickener. Few table spoons will be dissolved in little water to form a paste. This can be done at that point when it is to be added
  • Use your fingers to pick the Oha leaves, wash them properly and cut the (Oha) leaves into tiny pieces using your hands and keep aside. Although, there is report that if you use knife to dice the leaves, the soup will turn bitter but a friend of mine who tried both methods did not notice any significant difference talk less of bitter taste. But hey, to stand on the safe side, use your hands…..it is quite easy.

NOTE: DO NOT FORGET TO PROPERLY WASH ALL THE INGREDIENTS BEFORE COOKING.

Now Let’s Check How The Soup Is Prepared

  • Put water in a pot and place on cooker.
  • Add meat and blended onion. Allow to cook until almost tender.
  • Add your stock fish, black fish, (and any other protein you wish to have in the soup).
  • Allow to cook to your own taste of tenderness.
  • When it has cooked properly add Palm oil allow to cook up to 3 minutes.
  • Add your blended crayfish, black paper, and allow to cook up before adding salt to taste. Cook for another few minutes.
  • Add the blended/ pounded cocoyam paste or Achi that had been dissolved in ordinary water to thicken the soup. Ensure you stir to avoid sticking to the pot. Cook for few minutes.
  • Add cube seasonings to taste plus Ogiri (optional but it adds a lot traditional flavour to the soup).
  • When it has properly cooked, add your Oha leaf (Remember, the Oha leaf is chopped with hands not knife) and after 1 or 2 minutes your Oha soup is ready. Ensure the leaf retains its greenness.
  • Serve with any solid food (Wheat, Semolina, Pounded yam, Eba, and Fufu).

Oha soup is native to the eastern part of Nigeria. Just give this recipe a try and you are on your way to making the delicious soup and you will love it. Do not forget to share if you tried it or share your own way of making Oha Soup.

#ILOVENAIJAFOODS

Categories
Food & Nutrition

Garri, Fufu, Usi With Vitamin A: What You Need To Know!

VitaCassava - Vitamin A fortified

Vitamin A fortified cassava products: expect this healthy option soon on your table — As an undergraduate studying Food Science, I had always questioned why Cassava products especially Garri was only known for its starch content. Just as I pondered about it, I never knew research was already on going on the bio fortification of cassava with Vitamin A. Not too long after graduation, all I read in the pages of newspapers was the first release of cassava stems that had been fortified with Vitamin A via genetic engineering process. Elated I was. Finally, Cassava, our own most consumed food can have its place in competing with other staples in terms of nutritional content.

A Brief Description Of Cassava

Cassava is scientifically called Manihot esculenta is a staple crop common to hundreds of millions of people in Africa. It is the third largest source of carbohydrates after Rice and Maize. Nigeria is the largest producer of Cassava in the whole world while Thailand is the largest exporter. It will also interest you to know that Cassava can be classified into sweet and bitter types. Both contain anti nutritional compounds with more in bitter type. That’s why the job of cassava processing is carried out by experienced people to avoid carcinogenic reactions.

VitaCassava - Vitamin A fortified

Why Cassava Was Chosen For Fortification

Over the years many of us have consumed different processed products that had been fortified. Some include fortified salt with iodine, fortified flour with vitamin A and fortified milk with vitamin D. Clearly, this products fortified with different nutrients have not achieved the aim of reducing severe acute malnutrition as most of them are only consumed adequately in the urban communities leaving the rural communities with Cassava and Maize. Cassava was chosen because it is a staple consume majorly by rural communities where nutrient deficiency is highest. Fortifying a root tuber like cassava will actually make the goal of improving the health status of Africans improve as most of our meals come from cassava and yet only providing large chunk of carbohydrate with negligible amount of other nutrients. Some common Cassava foods are Eba, Fufu, lafu, Abacha and Usi.

Why We Should Support The Consumption Of Fortified Cassava Products

According to WHO Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections. In pregnant women VAD causes night blindness and may increase the risk of maternal mortality. Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in more than half of all countries, especially in Africa and South-East Asia, hitting hardest young children and pregnant women in low- income countries. The body also states that an estimated 250 million preschool children are vitamin A deficient and it is likely that in vitamin A deficient areas a substantial proportion of pregnant women is vitamin A deficient. An estimated 250 000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. The need to fortify a major staple is necessary to reduce the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency in Africa.

Which body carried out the research on cassava vitamin a fortification?

Vitamin A Cassava was bred by a conglomerate of partners, including International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) with Harvestplus; an international organisation spearheading the project and released in Nigeria in December 2011.

Why Vitamin A Fortified Cassava Products Are Not Popular Yet

  • The production ability of the Vitamin A fortified cassava is still an issue as the white cassava ( Original type) yield between 30-35 metric tonnes per hectare of land while the yellow Cassava type ( Vitamin A fortified) yield between 20-24 metric tonnes per hectare. This is a serious concern for farmers due to low yields.
  • Some farmers love their cassava to stay in the ground for as long as they want usually between 12- 24 months after maturity but this new variant of cassava will rot after not harvested with 12 months. Farmers are clamouring for an improved variant that can make the specie compete with the convectional cassava tuber.
  • Asides the above mentioned reasons, regardless of how wonderful an idea or a product is, people’s mind set, especially rural dweller tend to be rigid. It will take a lot of sensitization and practical trainings for farmers and cassava processors to help eliminate any belief that has hindered them from trying the new variant of cassava which is healthier.

The Advantages Of Vitamin A Fortified Cassava Products

  • This is a novel development and I keep repeating to those who care to listen that children do not have to be blind because of lack of Vitamin A. Most of us do not believe this but a trip to rural community based missions to see how local people have been affected due to vitamin deficiency will shock you. With the proliferation of this variant cassava, all bye products of cassava would automatically have Vitamin A thereby nourishing the diets of children and women all around Africa and beyond. Through this initiative Vitamin A deficiency can be greatly reduced if not eradicated.
  • To processors and consumer, this variant of cassava is cost effective. This is because there is no need to buy gallons of palm oil to convert cassava products to yellow as seen in yellow Garri. Direct processing will produce yellow products which are not only attractive but reduces cost of processing.

So friends when you visit restaurants and request for Eba or Fufu and it turns out to be yellow in colour, do not attempt to reject it or call it “eba ibo”, it could be the Vitamin A fortified cassava that had led to the colour. You can simply ask if you do not like the ones made with palm oil. It is healthy and even tastes great based on the reports of the researchers. I have not been privilege to have a taste but if you had tasted it before, please share your comments and opinions on it as it will be appreciated.

#SUPPORT VITAMIN A FORTIFIED CASSAVA

Categories
Food Safety

Allergies/Dangers Associated With Eating Peanut

peanut allergy symptoms
Photo Credit: au.news.yahoo.com

Few years after I was posted to Ketu Special Children Center; my present place of work, the nutrition department which I am part of, was faced with the challenge of raising the weight of our severely malnourished children. The idea of fortification popped into one of my colleagues and we decided to fortify the children’s meals with peanut butter. Without doubt, as professionals, we are aware of the allergy and numerous health benefits of the legume. We kick-started with a fact-finding mission to determine the level of tolerance in the children. Fortunately, none of the children showed any sign of allergies or intolerance.

Not quite long, one of our care givers who was on annual leave during the implementation period of peanut butter resumed duties. A diligent woman that she is, she did not waste time to start her work. She quickly picked one of the non ambulatory children’s meals in order to feed one of them. After feeding this young boy, the caregiver started scratching her body. Within few minutes, her entire skin had swollen. Then, we rushed her to our clinic. The long story was that she was allergic to groundnuts and was unaware that groundnut had been included into the children’s diet before she resumed. Else, she would have avoided it. This incident triggered the need for me to write on this article.

peanut allergy symptoms
Photo Credit: au.news.yahoo.com

Let me make it clear that the woman did not taste out of the blenderized meal, she only fed a child. What if she had tasted?

If I am not making any error, peanut allergy is perhaps one of the most serious and dangerous food allergies one can have. In some severe cases it has been found to be life threatening (Anaphylaxis). You cannot leave these reactions to chance. Once you discover you are allergic to any form of nut, do yourself a favour by visiting a Medical Doctor for further medical checkup. Let’s go ahead to describe some terms.

Short Description of Peanut Allergy:

According to WebMD, peanut allergy is a reaction that occurs when your body mistakenly identifies peanuts as harmful substances. When you eat peanuts or food containing peanuts, your immune system —the body’s natural defense system that fights infections and diseases —overreacts and can cause a serious, even life-threatening response. I am sure you can relate this definition with the scenario narrated earlier in this article.

So, What Causes Peanut Allergy?

The immune system determines the type of response your body will give based on the toxicity or otherwise of ingested items. In this situation the immune system overreacts and releases chemicals into the blood. Once they get into the blood, the chemicals have the ability to affect different organs in the body such as skin, nose, lungs etc. In most cases, it is unclear why these reactions occur in some individuals.

What Are The Symptoms Peanut Allergic Reaction?

The symptoms of peanut allergy can be a mere tingling sensation in the mouth followed by swelling of the face, throat, skin and mouth. This can also lead to difficulty in breathing, an asthma attack, anaphylactic shock and death. Less severe reactions include rashes, itches and stomach upset.

ADVICE: Once you have noticed any of the above symptoms any time you consume peanut, you will do yourself a great favour by avoiding all other nut products, including pressed nut oils and any products processed on the same equipment as nuts. This allergy is so severe that even minute amount of peanut can trigger a dangerous allergic reaction. Also, check the labels of packaged foods to see if nuts have been included in any form.

It is also in record that some people outgrow peanut allergies while others do not. For individuals who were diagnosed with peanut allergy at infant, they stand a chance to get over it than those who developed it from age three and above who might live with the allergy forever. Whichever way, speak to a medical professional.

ALSO SEE: Simple Method For Making Peanut Butter At Home

Allergic to peanut? STAY CLEAR!!!