Category: Food & Health

Foods That Help Get Rid of Mouth Odour

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 20 February, 2017
No Comments on Foods That Help Get Rid of Mouth Odour

Can foods help get rid of mouth odour? I am sure this is a question that will be going through the mind of some people as they see this topic. Well, I can tell you that some certain foods can help reduce or get rid of halitosis or bad breath as mouth odour is also called.

This will article will cover what Halitosis is, what the common causes are and how it can be managed, especially making use of some of the foods we eat. Nobody wants to be around or talk to someone with mouth odour. The person with mouth odour also tries to avoid having to talk to people.

Medical News Daily (MNT) reports that bad breath, also known as halitosis or fetor oris, affects an estimated 25% of people, globally.

What is Halitosis, Bad Breath or Halitosis? What Causes it?

WebMD simply put it that Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems.

Not brushing and flossing your teeth after meals can keep food remnants in your mouth and between teeth. Bacteria will grow on these remnant, they decay and lead to to bad odour coming out of your mouth.

Food particles from foods with strong smells like garlic and onions do not go away completely even after brushing your mouth and teeth. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

Smoking and other health problems can also lead to mouth odour. All these are the common causes of bad breath or mouth odour. However, there is one source of bad odour that is usually not being addressed – the population of bad bacteria in the gut (unhealthy digestive system).

A Little-Known But Major Cause of Bad Breath

The little-known but a major cause of bad breath and other diseases is the ratio of good and bad bacteria in your gut. Our guts should have a balance of around 85 percent good bacteria and 15 percent bad.

An imbalance between good and bad bacteria can predispose you to a wide number of health problems, more serious than bad breath and body odor. These bad bacteria can cause conditions that lead to bad odours.

Having less-than-optimal gut flora can make you vulnerable to health conditions linked to bad breath. A fishy smell in the breath suggests kidney problems, while a fruity-smelling breath may mean uncontrolled diabetes according to Mercola.com.

For these reasons, supplying your gut with good bacteria and eliminating the bad ones is very important. So, how do you do supply more good bacteria to get rid of mouth odour?

Foods/Supplements That Help You Get Rid of Mouth Odour?

First of all, you must ascertain that your mouth odour is not caused by poor dental hygiene or smoking first. The solution to those is simply brushing your teeth and using mouthwashes. If all these have not yielded results, your mouth odour may be due to high population of bad bacteria to good ones.

1. Eliminate Some Foods: To get started, you may want to get rid of bad bacteria in your gut first. The first step towards this is to first eliminate foods that may make mouth odour worse by causing poor balance of bacteria in your gut.

2. Use Antibiotics: They not only kill bad bacteria, but also destroy the beneficial organisms in your gut. This means that you have to replace the good/beneficial microorganisms after the antibiotic treatment. So, you only need to do this when absolutely necessary.

More Foods That Help Get Rid of Mouth Odour!

3. Fermented Foods: Eat fermented foods such as such as kefir and yoghurt, fermented vegetables (including cabbage, turnips, eggplants, carrots), and fermented soy. These cultured foods have the ability of supplying your gut with billions of beneficial bacteria.

It is ideal to consume cultured foods that are high in Lactobacillus strains and bacteria that possess high concentrations of lactic acid. Yoghurt is a very good example that falls into this category.

4. Probiotics: Taking supplements should only be done to support or compensate for a nutritionally deficient diet, as you can mainly get the nutrients your body needs from the food you eat. Probiotic supplements are a great option if you don’t consume raw organic vegetables on a daily basis.

Tags Antibiotics, Probiotics, Yoghurt

Food & Health

Foods People With Blood Group B Should Totally Avoid

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 29 November, 2016
No Comments on Foods People With Blood Group B Should Totally Avoid

Many people do not know that their Blood Type is the key that opens the door to the secrets behind their health, diseases, physical vitality, emotional strength and long life. In fact, it determines a lot of things in our life than many would believe.

I have not always known this myself too. A doctor friend of mine introduced me to a book by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney, titled “Eat Right 4 Your Type”. The book talks about 4 Blood Types, 4 Diets, revealing the individualized diet solution to staying healthy, living longer and achieving your ideal weight for blood types O, A, B and AB.

I cannot discuss all what the book contains because there are about 388 pages of it, in fact I think that would be illegal to do. So, I am just going to discuss some of the thing I learnt inside, and take excerpts from the books where necessary.

Food That Persons With Blood Type B Should Avoid

You blood type determines how susceptible you are to illness, foods that you should eat or stay away from and how you should exercise. Here, I will talk about those foods you should stay away from because do do more harm than good to you.

1. Corn

For people with Type B blood group, the biggest food concern when it comes to weight gain are corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts and sesame seeds. Each of them has it’s own type of lectin.

Each of these lectins affect the efficiency of Type Bs metabolic process, which results in fatigue, fluid retention and hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is characterized by severe drop in blood sugar level after eating a meal. This leads to tiredness/fatigue.

2. Wheat

Just like Type Os, Type Bs react to the gluten in wheat germ and products made from whole wheat. The gluten lectin adds to the problems caused by the other metabolism-slowing foods.

“When food is not efficiently digested and burned as fuel for the body, it gets stored as fat.”

3. Chicken

You need to give up chicken. Why? Chicken contains a Blood Type B agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue. Yes, this may not be easy to give up because chicken is already a part and parcel of many diets in this part of the world.

The agglutinating lectin attacks the bloodstream and potentially lead to strokes and immune disorders. Now, here is a good reason to let it go.

If you are already too used to eating chicken, then you should explore other poultry options like turkey and pheasants. People have been told chicken is healthier than beef but this is not the case for Blood Type Bs.

4. Shellfish — Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, etc.

They contain lectins too. These lectins are disruptive to the type B system. This is not to say that you should run from sea foods. In fact, Type Bs thrive well on sea foods, especially fish such as cod and salmon, which are rich in nutritious oils.

Other common ones to avoid include, Anchovy, Beluga, Butterfish, Clam, Crab, Crayfish, Eel, Frog, Herring, Octopus, Lobster, Mussel, Oyster, Salmon roe, Shrimp, Snail (escargot / Helix pomatia).

5. Nuts and Seeds

People with Blood Type B should avoid consumption of most nuts and seeds. Peanuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds contain lectin, which interfere with Type B insulin production.

Type Bs can eat some beans and legumes without any issue. However, beans such as lentils, pintos and black-eyed peas, contain lectins which interfere with Type B insulin production.

Some other seeds and nuts (and their products) to avoid include, Cashew, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Peanut butter, Pumpkin seed, Sesame seed, Sesame butter, Sunflower seed, Sunflower butter.

6. Tomatoes. Yes, Tomatoes!

According to Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, author of the book, “Eat Right 4 Your Type”, Type Bs should eliminate tomatoes completely from their diet. “The tomato is are vegetable called a panhemaglutinan. This means that it contains lectins that can agglutinate every blood type.

While the tomato lectin has little effect on Type O and Type AB, both Type B and Type A suffer strong reactions, usually in form of irritations of the stomach lining.

I am not out here to spill everything in the book to you. I just noticed we in this part of the world consume these groups of food a lot. These are just some of the foods you should avoid.

Beyond the dark side, there is also a wide range of foods you can choose from to remain healthy. You may also be surprised that there are groups of food which Type Bs thrive on, but are no-go areas for other Blood groups.

If you would like to learn more about this. You should get yourself a copy of the book.

Tags Blood, Chicken, Corn, Lectin, Shellfish, Tomato, Wheat

Food & Health

Is Smoked Fish Dangerous To Your Health?

Post author By Akinrodola Owanikin
Post date 6 November, 2016
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I have gotten this question a lot on this blog — people have asked me a lot if the smoke used for smoke fish pose any danger to their health. I plan to use this article to talk a little about the process of fish smoking and smoking of food in general. I will also answer this question to the best of my knowledge here with facts to back my answers.

Smoking remains a popular food preservation method in this part of the world. Smoking develops a lot of flavors in fish that many people have forgotten that smoking should be for preservation, they just want to get that characteristic smoked fish flavor in their mouth.

In one of my previous articles about the dangers of eating Suya, I mentioned smoking and some of the other potential dangers. You can still read that article.

What is Food Smoking?

Smoking can be simply defined as the process of flavouring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning materials. The material most commonly used is wood.

Wood contains three major components — cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, that are broken down in the burning process to form smoke. Typical smoking of fish is either cold (28–32°C) or hot (70–80°C). Hot smoking is what is prevalent around here.

When I talk about smoking in this article, I mean the traditional, common smoking process using smokes from burning woods or wood shavings. Smoking was originally carried out on food (including fish) to preserve them. However, since the advent of freezing and other preservation methods, smoking is now mostly done to develop the unique taste and flavour imparted by the smoking process.

So, is smoking of fish dangerous to human health?

Honestly, there is no straight answer to this caution and one has to tread the line of caution when advising people. One cannot just say smoked fish is dangerous to health. No.

The main potential danger associated with smoking of fish and other foods is PAH. When wood is burned, Polycylclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)—a class of carcinogens—are formed. These are deposited on foods and are known to cause cancer. You would recall I mentioned this in this article.

However, when people talk about whether smoking of food is dangerous or not, some forget to take the dose into consideration. Yes, PAHs are dangerous, there is no doubt about that but the dose that we take in will determine if it will lead to the onset of cancer or not.

Generally, foods smoked commercially in a manufacturing facility have been found to contain lower levels of PAHs compared to those smoked in noncommercial settings. An example of the latter is those we by in many open markets, displayed in the open and wrapped in nylons or papers when we purchase. There is no way to determine the level of PAHs in this, unless the necessary tests are carried out.

Since, we cannot test those fishes before buying them, we cannot determine if they contain low or the level of dose that has been found to be harmful to experimental animals.

If you ask me, I’d say you should enjoy your smoked fish with caution. If you are someone that only enjoys an occasional smoked fish meal—and are not a daily consumer—then PAH from smoked fish and other foods is most likely not a health concern for you.

Tags Fish, PAHs, Smoking

Food & Health

What Is Celiac Disease? The Symptoms and Treatment?

Post author By Akinrodola Owanikin
Post date 5 August, 2016
No Comments on What Is Celiac Disease? The Symptoms and Treatment?

In our last article, we outlined the steps for making gluten-free bread for people with Celiac disease. When I published the article and read it over again, it occurred to me that people would really want to know more about this celiac disease, especially the symptoms and how to treat this condition.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. When people that have celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These lead to damage on the small fingerlike projections or structures that line the small intestine — the villi. The villi (singular villus) promote nutrient absorption in the small intestine. When the villi get damaged, nutrients can no longer be absorbed properly into the body.

What Are The Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Digestive problems (abdominal bloating, pain, gas, diarrhea, pale stools, and weight loss)
A severe skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis
Iron deficiency anemia (low blood count)
Musculoskeletal problems (muscle cramps, joint and bone pain)
Growth problems and failure to thrive (in children)
Seizures
Tingling sensation in the legs (caused by nerve damage and low calcium)
Aphthous ulcers (sores in the mouth)
Missed menstrual periods

Since people with Celiac disease have deficiencies in absorbing nutrients, there are diseases that often accompany this condition. Some of these diseases are listed below;

Osteoporosis, a disease that causes weakness of bones and leads to fractures. This is due to the fact that the person has trouble absorbing enough calcium and vitamin D.
Miscarriage or infertility.
Birth defects, such as neural tube defects (improper formation of the spine) caused by poor absorption of such nutrients as folic acid.
Seizures.
Growth problems in children because they don’t absorb enough nutrients.
In rare cases, Cancer of the intestine [Source: WebMD.com]

Is There Treatment For Celiac Disease? How Do You Treat Celiac Disease?

Yes, you can manage this condition with a gluten-free diet. Doctors normally treat celiac disease through prescription of a gluten-free diet. For most people, symptoms significantly improve with celiac disease who follow a gluten-free diet [niddk.nih.gov].

Alternatively, a dietitian can create a diet for you and teach you how to avoid gluten while following a healthy and nutritious diet.

Food & Health

Spicy Food May Help You Live Longer — Research

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 12 July, 2016
No Comments on Spicy Food May Help You Live Longer — Research

I saw the meme below about the popularity of pepper and consequently spicy food amongst the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. Someone even tweeted about it and got a lot of retweets. This is a tribe of people that will put pepper in any food to make it spicy. They even have a saying about people that eat really spicy food and here it goes.

They say, “emi yepere ni emi ti ko je ata.” This loosely translates as, “the life which does not eat pepper is a fragile one”. Well, they appear to be right, if anything about this research I read about is anything to go by. It now looks that a life that eats pepper if a strong and durable one.

Research Shows People Who Eat Spicy Foods Have Long Life

If you eat spicy foods, you will be happy to see this.

Lu Qi, an associate professor at Harvard School of Public Health had previously said that “there is accumulating evidence from mostly experimental research to show the benefit of spices or their active components on human health”.

After this, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences conducted a study in order to collect data from 2004 to 2008 as part of the China Kadoorie Biobank. The researchers used self-reported questionnaires and what they found out is amazing.

The researchers analyzed the spicy food consumption of nearly half a million people age 30 to 70 across 10 regions in China, excluding those with cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Finally, the reviewed the records of 20,224 people who died over a seven-year followup period and found that those who ate spicy foods six or seven times a week had a 14% lower risk of premature death for all causes than people who ate spicy foods less than once a week.

It was also found among the study subjects that people who frequently consumed spicy food showed a lower risk of death from cancer or ischemic heart and respiratory system diseases.

Thinking of grabbing the next available spicy food? Wait, there is a word of caution. Certain foods, of which spicy foods are part, are triggers for people with incontinence or overactive bladders. Doctors have identified as common irritants for women. We also have to think about the whole food and not just the spicy component of it.

Bio-psychologist John E. Hayes said on CNN, “You have to consider that when we talk about spicy food, we can mean vastly different things, with different health implications,” Hayes said. “That spicy food could be low-energy-density vegetables, like kimchee. Or it could be a high-energy-density food like barbecue spare ribs.”

In conclusion, even though this research has shown that spicy foods may help people live longer, an association between death and spicy foods has not been established. This is just an indication that there just, just might be a connection between the two.

Tags Chili Pepper, Pepper, Spicy Foods

Food & Health

You Think Fresh Fish Is Better Than Frozen Fish, See This

Post author By Oluwafemi Ajayi
Post date 5 June, 2016
1 Comment on You Think Fresh Fish Is Better Than Frozen Fish, See This

Fresh Fish vs Frozen Fish: Which Is The Healthier Option? — People have always asked which is better between fresh fish and frozen fish. There is this general belief that fresh foods are always healthier than their preserved form. This is also true for sea foods like fish. A lot of people I asked this question before writing this article believed that fresh fish is always healthier than frozen fish.

I am going to discuss in this post, why fresh fish may not always be healthier than frozen fish.

Caught fish begins to spoil and deteriorate in quality immediately after death. This process is a gradual one that starts from development of undesirable flavors to softening of the flesh and eventually substantial losses of fluid containing protein and fat. At this point, the fish may start to smell. Therefore, one could say it’s safer to start preservation of fish immediately.

How Freezing Is Used To Preserve Fish?

Before I go into details of this, let me explain how freezing is used to preserve fish. About 60-80 percent of fish is water depending on the species. By reducing the temperature of the dead fish (refrigeration or freezing), deterioration can be slowed down.

If the temperature can lowered and maintained low enough, spoilage can be almost stopped. Fast freezing is used to preserve fish immediately they are captured and therefore, the water composition of the fish is made into fine ice crystals. This preserves the fish as well as protect the tissues from damages.

So, Is Fresh Fish Healthier Than Frozen Fish?

I wouldn’t say yes to that. Unless you are absolutely sure it’s high-quality and fresh fish, your best option is to go for frozen fish. Because fish is flash-frozen immediately after being caught, little or no spoilage occurs and the nutrients in the fish are preserved. After thawing the fish, the fish should still have quality and be as near as healthy as when they were caught.

Fresh fish that was never frozen may have spent a number of days on fishing ships. Their qualities would have reduced during this period and they would no longer be as healthy. If I have to answer the question of which is better or healthier between fresh and frozen fish, i would say that you should only trust fresh fish that you killed yourself.

We should strive to eat healthy fish for a number reasons — It lowers blood pressure, cuts the risk of irregular heartbeats, and drops the risk of fatal heart disease by 36%.

ALSO SEE: Is Catfish Truly Toxic To Your Health?

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Tags Fish, Frozen Foods

Food & Health

Food And Snoring: Foods You Eat, That Make You Snore!

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 19 May, 2016
No Comments on Food And Snoring: Foods You Eat, That Make You Snore!

Can food contribute to snoring? Yes, there are some categories of food that contribute to snoring while you sleep. This is not to say only foods contribute to snoring; there are many factors which make people snore when they sleep. Some people even start snoring less than a minute into their sleep and you cannot but wonder why this is so.

It is very important to note that snoring could also be an indicator of how healthy your lifestyle is. For example, obesity and smoking have been shown to directly contribute to the problem of snoring. It is an established fact that smoking is not healthy, so is obesity.

Foods That Make One Fat Can Lead To Obesity & Snoring

We all know what contribute to obesity. Usually accumulation of excessive fat in your body tissues — at least if they are stored under the skin (more information here). In the past, we have talked about some foods that could contribute to getting fat.

This is one very obvious factor because as you might have noticed before, people that are overweight or obese usually tend to snore when they sleep.

ALSO SEE: How To Check If You Have Normal Weigh, Underweight or Obese

Like I have said before, don’t just read this and start saying it’s food that causes snoring. Sometimes, people that are neither overweight nor obese snore too. I’ve been accused of snoring too, especially on days I retired into bed very tired.

As we have always said in many of our articles, each individual is UNIQUE. What works for me, might not work for you and what causes my own snoring might not be what causes it for you. Articles like this are to point you in the directions to look.

Milk, Other Dairy Products Can Make You Snore!

I have always heard that drinking a warm glass of Milk before sleeping helps you get a sound sleep. However, the glass of milk may not make you sleep soundlessly.

In this article published some months ago, we discussed some foods that generate mucous and contribute to blocked nose. Milk has a lot of way in which it benefits the body but it comes with it’s own problems.

Milk makes your mucous thicker in the throat and by extension nose. The thicker mucus often results from consuming dairy restricts air passages, thereby intensifying your snoring problem.

Fatty Foods Eaten Late At Night

Consumption of fatty meals late into the night can make you snore when you sleep. Apart from the fact that these kind of foods will make you fat in the long term. For this reason including to stop snoring, it is important to avoid eating large meals close to bedtime.

We know some people’s way of life (especially work), dictates how, what and when they eat. If you come home late and have to eat before you go to bed, avoid these fatty foods. You can see this list of healthy food option you can eat at night before bed.

Certain fatty foods cause inflammation of the digestive linings and air passages that will contribute to snoring. This is very true for food that contain high fat content.

Conclusion of Foods That Contribute To Snoring

In animal studies published on UMM.edu , high-fat foods increase inflammation in the stomach lining. So, if you want to see if any of these factors (dairy products, fatty foods, etc.) are causing your snoring, here is what you can do to determine the cause.

You can remove each suspected contributing factor one after the other and see what happens when you remove each one from your meals.

Healthy lifestyle like avoiding smoking and exercising regularly can also help you overcome this condition. Exercise will help you lose a lot of weight too.

Soon, we will be publishing an article on food that can help you overcome snoring.

Tags Dairy Products, Fats, Milk, Sleep, Snoring

Food & Health

Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 15 May, 2016
No Comments on Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

Bone marrow is the soft mushy stuff we find inside bones when we break them open. It is something some people in many parts of the world would not leave untouched after eating the meat attached to the bone.

In this part of the world, many would use their pre-molars and molars to crack open bones to get access to the bone marrow. Many people suck out bone marrow not because they think it has health benefits but just to get the taste of it.

While it is easier to crack the bones of poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), it could be quite herculean to do the same for bones of animals like cow, sheep and goats. As hard as the bones of such animals can be, some people would stop at nothing to the marrow. However, the question poses itself, is it really worth the trouble?

ALSO SEE: Every Animal Meat Is Not Beef! See All Their Names

So, Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

We asked in the last paragraph — is the trouble of cracking bones to eat the bone marrow really worth the trouble? Well, I think I would say yes. But cracking with your teeth? I wouldn’t be so sure. Below are the benefits you derive from eating bone marrow;

Bone Marrow Helps Build Immunity Against Diseases

For me, one of the most important benefits of eating bone marrow. Immunity to diseases is really a great blessing and something we strive to achieve every day. Bone marrow contains myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. The foundations for red and white blood cells, these cells build immunity and help provide oxygen to cells.

Blood Clotting & Healing of Wounds

Bone marrow assists in blood clotting. It contains Collagen, the protein-rich substance which when subjected to heat, cooks down to gelatin. This can also help repair the body.

ALSO SEE: Foods that help heal wounds fast!

Cindy Micleu, instructor at the Jade Institute complementary healing center says, Collagen deficiency can lead to poor wound healing, easy bruising and bleeding gums. Collagen in bone marrow can help the body rebuild itself.

Using Bone Marrow For Fighting Cancer

Dr. Astrid Brohult, a Swedish oncologist conducted extensive research on the administration of calves’ marrow to children with leukemia. In the initial stage of her test, she was hoping it would replenish white blood cells destroyed by radiation therapy.

Some of the children administered the bone marrow improved immediately with many experiencing increased energy and white blood cell normalization. After her extensive research, Dr. Astrid Brohult eventually isolated a group of compounds that are known as alkylglycerols (AKGs) in the calves’ marrow. She discovered they were the reason for the important process of normalizing white blood cell production.

Bone marrow contains conjugated linoleic acid which is known as a potent cancer inhibitor.

A Good Source of Essential Fatty Acid

Bone marrow is a good source of essential fatty acids. Thinking that bone marrow contains a high percentage of fat — about 96 percent. One would normally ask about the composition of the fat. What kind of fats are contained in the marrow? Ones with healthy fatty acids?

Bone marrow contains less amount of polyunsaturated fat. Bone marrow is a great source of omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for the proper functioning of the brain. Bone marrow is also a good source of glycine. Glycine is an amino used to make and repair other proteins in the body.

With all these said, one could conclude that cracking bones open and eating the bone marrow isn’t a bad idea after all.

Tags Bone Marrow, Cancer, Chicken, Fatty Acids, Meat, Omega-3, Turkey

Food & Health

New Food Labels Showing How Much You Need To Exercise To Burn Calories

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 13 April, 2016
No Comments on New Food Labels Showing How Much You Need To Exercise To Burn Calories

What do you think about a label on food which tell you how much you have to work out to burn the calories you consume from that food? The content of calories in foods have been something printed on labels but it appears many don’t understand it or simply ignore it.

What if — instead of showing the calories — food labels show you how many hours you have to work out to burn the calories. If you saw that you need to work for one and half hour to burn the calories you are about to consume, I bet you wouldn’t.

Since calorie counts on food packaging haven’t stopped us from getting fatter, scientists are proposing exercise labels on food packages like chocolate, soda and chips.

What Do Food Labels Do Now?

At the moment food labels aim to help us decide what to eat by showing us the composition but some people believe they could do a lot more. One of those people is Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health.

Labels Showing How Much You Need To Exercise To Burn Calories

He said, “People find symbols much easier to understand than numerical information, and activity equivalent calorie labels are easy to understand, particularly for lower socioeconomic groups who often lack nutritional knowledge and health literacy,” Cramer wrote in a commentary in the British Medical Journal published Wednesday.

“For example, the calories in a can of fizzy drink take a person of average age and weight about 26 minutes to walk off.”

The idea is to have a picture that shows this. “So for example if it was a can of soda, you would have a pictorial of a stick man running and it would say 26 minutes, or you would have walking 40 minutes or you would have swimming,” Cramer told NBC News.

Even though this seems promising, some people don’t buy the idea because they believe people will ignore it anyway.

What do you think about this?

Tags Calories, Exercise, Labelling, Soda Drinks

Food & Health

Half-Cooked Meat: What You Should Know About Them

Post author By Akinrodola Owanikin
Post date 3 January, 2016
No Comments on Half-Cooked Meat: What You Should Know About Them

Half-cooked meat berbecue — Photo: swide.com

Barbecue chicken and beef are usually a delight to consume any day, any time. For many of those residing in major metropolitan cities, it has become a meal they cannot do without. Foreign ways of cooking meat products are gradually crippling into our country and we are beginning to throw away simple food safety procedures that we adhered to in time past.

I recently visited a fast food and I noticed that the fried chicken on my food was not well cooked after I took a bite. I could sense it from the taste and eventually from the looks. On getting home, I had to book an appointment with the toilet to download some watery brown files….lol….I am certain you know what I mean. This is gradually becoming the norm in many high tech restaurants while pretending under the disguise of not making the meat lose their nutritive value.

This article is not set out to encourage overcooking but I believe it is a better choice to overcook your meat and avoid all the poisonings that could come from E. coli or Salmonella while losing some nutritive values than to undercook them in a bit to get more nutritive values but get submerged in the pains of food poisoning.

The strict vaccination policies adhered to in many of these countries where meat products are majorly undercooked are not available here in Nigeria and if available, no one is ensuring strict compliance of the laws or policies by animal rearers. In view of this, when you undercook meat such that the internal fluids are clearly seen; then you must be risking falling ill due to poisoning.

Many proponents of undercooked foods have argued that you should not rely on your senses to determine if meat products are safely cooked or not. Some also stressed that the pink colour does not indicate undercooking and that it is the use of a thermometer than can help ascertain. Let us face the average kitchen reality, in our country, is this practicable? My answer is No. Our senses have always played an important role in food sensory analysis. Human judgement on food quality is more accurate than any equipment. After all the foods will be served to humans.

Bottom line, I think we all know when our meats are well cooked and we should henceforth quit embracing this half cooked meat method that can endanger our lives and that of our children whose internal organs are not yet well developed to be exposed to such health hazard.

Tags Barbecue, Barbecued Meat

Food & Health

Could Foods During Xmas Be A Cause Of High Sugar Level?

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 29 December, 2015
No Comments on Could Foods During Xmas Be A Cause Of High Sugar Level?

For some people who are super health conscious, foods had always been the way to follow in terms of improving their health. However, it is these same foods that had led many people to serious ill health and sometimes untimely death. In view of this, it remains very critical for all and sundry to pay utmost attention to their food consumption as it can make or mar them.

Festive seasons are usually full of events and these numerous events comes handy with different food varieties which are to be funneled into the tummies of the invitees. In fact, it is during these kind of occasions that invited guests try out some very uncommon meals that are rarely prepared at the home fronts. In many cases, women are quick to consume bottles of non alcoholic drinks while most men prefer alcoholic beverages. One of such festive seasons is CHRISTMAS which is the most celebrated particularly here in Nigeria. During this period, assorted drinks, different shades of rice and cooked chickens fly around like they come at no cost. Trust my Nigerian friends, for some of them the quantity of foods that will be consumed within the few days of XMAS period should be enough to last them for a week or two.

High blood sugar is fast becoming a serious health issue within our darling country. Young people always discard advice and recommendations provided to them even when it is absolutely given for free. Many people are on the brink of high blood sugar…yet they have no clue as they believe some of the information been propagated by Nutritionists and Dietitians do not hold waters.

According to a write up I read some years back, I was completely shocked to know that the sales made in the month of December by companies that manufacture and sell either alcoholic or non alcoholic beverage is a multiple of those sold in any of the previous months of the year, with the two to three days Christmas period raking in a substantial percentage. There is also some element of proof as I tried confirming from fruit seller who lament that there is reduce sales of fruits in the month of December as everyone seem to prefer the processed juices and drinks as against going fresh.

Food outlets, joints and other relaxations centres make the most sales during this period even as many of the foods consumed are either unhealthy or safe but when consumed in excess could trigger some blood sugar spike.

Friends, I think it is worth looking into; “How Feeding Habit During XMAS Period Could Raise One’s Blood Sugar Level”. A deep reasoning of this can form a good undergraduate or postgraduate project topic.

Please, lets us all consider how we eat and drink this Xmas period. This could just be your saving grace from developing High Blood Sugar or Diabetes.

Food & Health

Go Fresh Instead Of Processed When Buying Foods This Season

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 20 December, 2015
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The yuletide season is here once again. The rate at which everything happens so quickly is mind boggling. Every family is on a mission to purchase new items for their house holds and so; this seasonal increase in demand prompt market sellers to display all kinds of food items to customers as they are sure most of their goods will be completely sold within a short while.

This article is not a plot to completely discredit all processed foods. Although, they are to be included in our diets at minimum quantities. It is to shed more light on the desperation of people to get adulterated types of most fast selling food products into the floor of the market as they are aware of the bulk purchases which are usually made by consumers during this season without them taking time to ascertain if they are original or not. In fact, in most cases, you would not be able to determine which one is original or fake as the perpetrators of these acts use some of the best technologies to actualize their goals. Some of the most adulterated products includes wines, juices and canned products.

In my little research, I have discovered that based on the many events that had been schedule to hold in the “Ember” months and particularly December, the proliferation of adulterated products make a lot of people fall ill due to the effects of some of the concoction branded as originals while costing them the real celebration of Christmas as it could land them on sick bed battling with food poisoning.

It will interest you to know that fresh products are sometimes cheap to buy during this season as most people prefer to opt for processed foods because they are not ready to go through any preparation procedures to obtain their healthy final product. In my opinion, no one has business buying canned meats and carrots. The potential devastating ill effect of consuming a fake product branded in a popular colour is worst than imagined.

To keep your family safe this season, it is better you opt more for more fresh products as against packing loads of processed foods into your food shelves as most of these foods items have little nutrition and have been labelled as even unhealthy in many cases by international organisations and local authorities overseeing food issues.

#STAYHEALTHYDURINGXMASANDBEYOUND

Food & Health

Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcer

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 17 December, 2015
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There are foods you need to avoid as an ulcer patient and it is very important to identify those foods. Furthermore, it is not just enough to identify them, but you should endeavour to stay away from these foods. A stomach ulcer patient, you need to understand what causes ulcers and the pains that come with it. We will briefly describe them in this article before talking about foods you should stay clear of.

A Little Information On Stomach Ulcer

WebMD describes Peptic ulcer disease as painful sores or ulcers in the lining of the stomach or first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. Yes, it can be really painful. I know because I have seen people suffer from it. You can click on the WebMD link to read more on the condition, its causes, and all symptoms.

Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcer

This article does not intend to treat your ulcer. I suppose you must have seen a medical doctor that confirmed you have an ulcer and probably has medications for it — as well as dos and don’ts. This will help you manage your peptic ulcer. What we intend to do here is show you foods you should avoid if you are a peptic ulcer patient. Of course, and why you should avoid them.

Which Foods Should Ulcer Patients Avoid & Why?

Depending on the cause of the ulcer, the foods that bring up the symptoms may be different amongst individuals. Patients only need to be observant and watch out for the symptoms when they eat any of these foods. The following are the foods you should limit or avoid totally if you can;

Coffee and Carbonated Beverages

A study from the “Medical Clinics of North America,” reported in July 1991 revealed that coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) and tea should be avoided because they stimulate acid production and can cause indigestion, especially in individuals with stomach ulcers.

Just like we said before, the food or group of foods that aggravate ulcers is different amongst individuals. Therefore, just observe when you eat any of the following foods.

Foods you should avoid as an Ulcer Patient

Alcohol

The year 2000 in the “American Journal of Gastroenterology”, confirmed that consumption of alcohol increases gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), which is known to aggravate stomach ulcers. Alcohol can irritate and erode the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Avoid alcohol.

Other foods you should avoid include,

Spices and seasonings such as garlic powder, black and red pepper, hot chiles and peppers, etc.
Dairy foods (foods made from whole or skim milk)
Onions and garlic
Tomato products; tomato paste, tomato sauce, or tomato juice

Watching the foods you eat is as important as taking your medication when you have an ulcer. This helps the healing process. You don’t want to be using drugs that heal the ulcer and still eat foods that aggravate the ulcer. This is counterproductive.

Tags Alcohol, Beverages, Pepper, Peptic Ulcer, Spices

Food & Health

How Many Times Should You Reuse Frying Oil?

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 16 December, 2015
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Anyone that has read our article on dangers of reusing frying oil over and over again would have asked themselves these questions — how many times should frying oil be reused? Should one just throw out frying oil after the first time of using it? I must tell you there is no specific answer to this. Don’t believe anyone that gives you a specific number.

This article will show you how to know when you should no longer use your frying oil. At that point, there are signs that you would see that makes it evident. Of course, this is for those considering the oil qualities as it affects the quality of their products.

For those considering the development of more and more trans fats, well, it is a more complex question to answer. This is because trans fats can develop in frying oils as a result of many factors. You can read more about trans fats in this article to get an idea.

So, How Many Times Should You Reuse Frying Oil?

As I said, there is no specific number of times. However, there are signs you need to look out for in your oil the next time you want to use them. These signs will tell you if it is still okay to use or if the oil has reached its limits. Also, there are measures you too should put in place to preserve the quality of the oil and retard deterioration.

What You Should Do To The Oil After Frying

If you intend to use your oil again, you should clean your oil after frying. Allow the oil to cool and remove any food crumbs that may be left in the food. They can undergo some degradation in the oil and cause spoilage. Use a sieve to scream them out and get your used oil in a plastic container with a lid.

You may want to label it to indicate the food you used it to fry. This will help you the next time you want to use it. You don’t want to use the oil you used to fry meat the last time for chin-chin. The meat flavor will definitely be transferred to the chin-chin.

Signs To Look Out For When You Want To Reuse Oil

When you want to fry your food, there is a need to bring the heat the oil to the desired temperature. This will prevent your food from smoking up oil and becoming soggy.

The first thing to look out for in the oil is foam on the surface. This is a sign of degradation but it may not necessarily be there. Therefore, use this sign, in combination with others.

Try to small the oil. If it produces a fishy aroma or any off odour, then this probably indicates the rancidity of the oil. If the oil appears dark — unless it was already dark after using the first time, in which case you should throw it away — you should not use it.

A murky appearance indicates that the oil has undergone degradation and you should get another one. Also, if the oil smokes before it gets to frying temperature, it’s well spent. Throw it out. These are some tips to help you determine when you should no longer use a previously-used oil to fry your foods.

Tags Frying Oil, Oil

Food & Health

Why Shawarma Is One Of The Most Nutritious Snacks And Yet Shouldn’t Indulge In It

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 14 December, 2015
No Comments on Why Shawarma Is One Of The Most Nutritious Snacks And Yet Shouldn’t Indulge In It

The sales of Shawarma has taken over most of the streets within Lagos, Abuja, Port Hacourt and some other state capitals within Nigeria. At first the consumption of Shawarma was commonly observed among the elites but at the moment, you can easily find Shawarma sales outlets very close to you even in places you least expect. Guess what? They can be deliciously made any where. What determines how tasty it is are the ingredients and the culinary skills of the chef. The major types of Shawarma are the beef and chicken.

Nigerians love snacking and while we were in the hunt for a major snack that we can enjoy any day and any time, the ones we see on daily basis like meat pie, scotch egg, sausage and others do not seem to appeal to us again. Immediately the Shawarma snack was introduce to us, particularly those of us who fall slightly above the low income earners, the acceptance could not but grow exponentially because it is the exact form of snack Nigerians have been craving for.

The ingredients used in making Shawarma are not only numerous but are also of good sources of nutrients. For a lot of people, Shawarma provides the opportunity for them to consume some amount of vegetables which had been embedded in the snack.

In the context of a snack that contains adequate amount of protein (beef or chicken), fats ( The oil used), carbohydrates ( pita bread), vitamins and minerals (carrot , lettuce, onions etc) among other food items, one can confidently say there are only few snacks that can stand the nutrition that Shawarma has in stock.

Having said that, it is quite important to note that anyone who indulges excessively in Shawarma consumption stands a chance to become overweight or even obese as the snack is of high calorie based on the ingredients and the average size of one serving. With this high calorie value, it could also spike sugar level.

One of such ways to enjoy the snack without the fear of high calorie is to share with a friend or your siblings. That way, you have avoided funneling about 1000kcal out of the recommended 1900-2000kcal/day for an adult. Remember, it is meant to be a snack and most likely, you will be consuming other meals that will add to your calorie and eventually increase your weight wish if not properly controlled might result into serious health conditions.

Food & Health

Is Consuming Noodles Really Unhealthy As Portrayed? See The Truth In Black And White

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 7 December, 2015
No Comments on Is Consuming Noodles Really Unhealthy As Portrayed? See The Truth In Black And White

A lady recently asked me a question about noodles and how healthy it is to be consumed by children and pregnant women. She further stressed that everyone around her feels she is doing herself a great harm anytime they see her eat the spiral tangled looking food. This is definitely not the first time I am hearing this information. It is gradually crippling into family discussions and the argument had always been whether it is a good food to eat without causing any major health damage to our body system.

In fact, last week, a colleague of mine who just returned from a symposium informed me that one of the speakers who is a health expert claimed that noodles should not be served to children with special needs as it causes major health complications from indigestion to poor memory. Many of these labelings are out there on the internet and spreading like wide fire.

The real questions are; Are noodles actually in the fore front of causing cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity as people have painted it to look like? or Is this just a plot from business killer within Nigerian to damage the reputation of the leading noodles manufacturing company? or is the information just a regular rumour without a substantial fact to buttress it? These I gave a deep thought and I have decided to unravel the real truth.

It is a known fact that noodles are a group of highly processed foods, containing high amount of sodium and due to its processing levels; contains low amount of nutrients. However, it is completely untrue and there are no known establish facts on how consumption of this type of food had single handedly caused ill medical conditions in human. My questions to the proponent of “Noodles is harmful” is what level of health damage has consumption of noodles caused in countries such as China and Korea where it is highest.

The Argument That Noodles Is A Top Concern In Obesity

The argument that Noodles is also a leading cause of obesity does not hold waters. In Nigeria and anywhere around the world, Obesity is usually caused due to consistent and sometimes glutonic consumption of foods high carbohydrate and fat without caution except in the cases of those who are genetically obese. In this scenario, if you are of the opinion that Noodle causes Obesity…..then you should probably stop consuming spaghetti, wheat and other high carbohydrate products.

I rarely consume Noodles because it is a processed food but I have never tried picking out this “quick to prepare food” as the only bad egg amidst plenty rotten ones. Consumption of noodles is not as bad as many articles portray it. Including some amount of noodles into your weekly diet will definitely not do you any harm. If you feel noodle will make you obese, it is better you start portion control and stop eating the family size quantity and if you feel noodles are void of nutrients based on its processing level, you should consider adding some vegetables to it during cooking to raise the nutrient level. I bet you would enjoy it even more

Just like any other food products; even fruits and vegetables, consistent excessive consumption will definitely harm your body. Its is advisable to limit your consumption of noodles to acceptable levels.

I work with children with special needs and the nutrition team which I belong to, over the years had occasionally included noodles into the diets of some of our children without noticing any ill health change. In fact there had been improvement which can only be attributed to the collection of foods included in their diets.

If we must label any food as completely unhealthy…….we must present scientific facts from trusted sources to establish our claims.