Categories
Food Safety

Tomato Paste Sold In Nigeria Far Below Food Safety Standards – NAFDAC

Imported Tomato Paste Sold In Nigeria Far Below Food Safety Standards

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed that tomato paste imported and sold everywhere in Nigeria falls far below National Food Safety Standards. This was contained in a news article published by Sahara Reporters.

The news outlet reported that this information was contained in a 2015 internal memo given to them by Nigeria’s Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Imported Tomato Paste Sold In Nigeria Far Below Food Safety Standards

This is not even about an article we wrote on the unhealthy side of Tomato paste and purees as they are produced and sold. This is even worse at it has standards as the bone of contention. When it comes to this topic, everyone has to be very careful.

Imported Tomato Paste Sold In Nigeria Far Below Food Safety Standards
Photo: prettytomato.cn

If you recall, this is not the first time we have seen safety and standard issues when it comes to foods widely consumed in Nigeria. In 2015, we got a warning from NAFDAC about the dangers associated with consumption of imported frozen chicken and turkey. Also, a 2012 study found that certain chocolates and candies imported in Nigeria contained dangerously high levels of metals.

In this new development, FSAN conducted a study in which 314 packets of tomato paste purchased in Lagos. The tomato paste samples were subjected to analysis in a laboratory to determine whether they had a tomato content of at least 28 percent. This 28% is the minimum requirement specified by the Codex Alimentarius Standards and Nigerian Industrial Standards.

The results of the study revealed that 91.1 percent of the samples examined, had tomato contents that are below the standard 28 percent recommended as minimum. 

The findings of the study, indicate that tomato paste product companies are conspiring with Chinese tomato paste manufacturers to distribute substandard products to unsuspecting Nigerian consumers. It also recommends that retailers refrain from selling tomato paste imported from China until further notice.

The agency also recommends issuing a nationwide recall of all tomato paste brands imported from China, saying “Imported Tomato Paste brands in retail packs (tins or sachets) from China (High Risk Countries) should be suspended until further notice.”

In the light of these findings, we at FoodsNG are also advising consumers of tomato paste (be it in sachet or can) to check the pack of any tomato paste they want to buy. You may want to check if it was manufactured in China. If that is the case, you may want to refrain from purchasing it.

Categories
Food & Health

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

foods that cause snoring
Photo: s3.amazonaws.com

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 cause snoring
Photo: s3.amazonaws.com

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.

Categories
Food & Health

Are There Any Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow?

Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow
Photo: 303magazine.com

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.

Health Benefits To Eating Bone Marrow
Photo: 303magazine.com

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.

Categories
General

Top 3 Weirdest Foods/Things I Have Ever Eaten

bread and toothpaste as butter
Photo: ieatfoodblog.wordpress.com

As a young boy, I was always careless about what kinds of foods I funnel into my tummy. I really could not determine why this was so because my brothers were completely different from me. They were more like proper and calm children. I was a bit weird. However, I do not regret some of my actions as they bring laughable memories to mind.

One of such memories of my escapades is how I ate foods that were tagged weird by many observers……for me…I was just enjoying myself. Lets checkout the top three of the food combination that made my weirdest list.

Yam Flour:

Garri has always been one of my favourite foods even till this very moment. In the early 90s, my mum had a padlock to the cupboard where Garri was kept but no padlock to the cupboard of yam flour (popularly called Elubo Isu among Yorubas). In the evening when I had nothing to eat, I took some portion of the flour, added some water and drank it all. I later fell ill not too long from that time and my mum discovered what I took. Thanks to some portions of palm oil that was given to me. I almost vomited my heart out.

bread and toothpaste as butter
Photo: ieatfoodblog.wordpress.com

Garri and Palm oil:

I bet, very few Lagos born children can eat this now. They will probably describe it as “Abasha”. However, a mixture of some portion of Palm oil and Garri which was usually called “Epo Obo” was quite nice to eat. Although, many other young children like me wonder why I love to eat this weird food combo.

Bread and Tooth paste:

I remember the first time I had the rare opportunity to brush my teeth by myself, I was quick to take more than usual portion of Maclean tooth paste because I love licking it. On days we have Agege bread on our food menu, I stylishly and secretly find my way to the bath room to pick the paste and use as spread over my bread. Yummy isnt it? Always laughing when I remember these actions of mine

Anyways, these are my top three weirdest food combination, if you think you have got other food combination as weird or more weird than mine, I put you to a challenge to share them. Waiting to get your responses. LoL

Categories
Food & Health

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

drinks showing how much to exercise after drinking it
If you knew you'd have to run for 15 minutes to burn off the 138 calories in a sugary soda, would you still drink it?

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.

drinks showing how much to exercise after drinking it
If you knew you’d have to run for 15 minutes, ride a bicycle for 23mins or swim for 13 mins to burn off the 138 calories in a sugary soda, would you still drink it?

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?

Categories
Food & Body

Foods That Cause Underarm (Armpit) Sweating

sweaty armpits
Photo Credit: returnofkings.com

There are foods that cause or aggravate underarm or armpit sweating. I grew up not having any issues like this and I was even so used to warm environments. While my siblings and every other person would complain of heat and sweat profusely, I would be comfortable with any sweats. This, however, changed about a year ago and it was very strange.

This was strange — not because I started sweating — but because I started producing only underarm sweats. Even while drive or work in the office with the air conditioners on, I still sweat in the armpit and sometimes, the whole underarm part.

sweaty armpits
Photo Credit: returnofkings.com

This was not only troubling for me but also embarrassing. Sometimes, I already had the sweat marks on my shirt even before getting to the office. It made me very uncomfortable and to avoid some situations like giving presentations where it required raising my arms.

Finding Solutions To Underarm Sweating

Immediately this I noticed this issue, I went to the supermarket to buy an antiperspirant. I would not like to start mentioning brand names but I moved from one antiperspirant to the other with no results. At a point, I stopped and started using dusting powder — there was still no result.

I thought for it long and I thought food might contribute to underarm sweating. I needed facts, so I went online to do some searching. I saw a lot of information on foods that cause sweating in the armpit and listed them. I experimented with these foods by systematically substituting them from my diet and I finally came up with a list.

The list contains the foods that cause underarm sweating for me when I eat them consistently.

Caffeine In Coffee and Tea:

This is the number one food for me. I figured that I started taking coffee a lot around that time because I needed to work extra to meet some targets I set for myself.

I would drink coffee in the morning, afternoon and night, preparing it with cold, warm and hot water at will. At times I even chewed the 3-in-1 sachet coffees raw from the sachets.

Coffee drink

After reducing coffee in my diet, the underarm sweating reduced. It only came when I worked myself a little extra. This was unlike before that it came even while inside the air-conditioned area.

I did research on this and found that Coffee has been reported to cause sweating in general. The caffeine in coffee, tea, some sodas, and chocolate powerfully activates the sympathetic nervous system to cause sweating.

Chili Pepper:

A large population of Nigeria likes to eat pepper like this. Many even find foods that do not contain pepper like this as nauseating and tend to avoid them. Some even have a saying that only weak minds don’t eat pepper like this.

I read that Chili Pepper contributes to underarm sweating and I reduced it a lot in foods I cooked myself. I saw some change in the sweating too while I increased coffee and reduced Chili. At that point, it became a habit to read the labels of foods and sometimes ask attendants in eateries and restaurants of they use chill pepper.

Chilli Pepper

Chili peppers may overstimulate your sweat glands, so, reduce how much of it you take.

How Alcohol Causes Sweating In The Underarm

Alcoholic drinks cause sweating all over the body, but for some, it is more in the armpit. The liver does the breakdown of any alcohol in the drinks we take. However, the liver can only break down a limited amount of alcohol in an hour – approximately one 12-ounce serving of beer or about 5 ounces of wine.

alcohol bottles

Many people don’t know this and drink any volume they feel like. When one consumes alcohol at a faster rate than that stated above, accumulation of the substance takes place in the blood. This leads to side effects, one of which is sweating.

Other foods that have been reported to cause sweating include hot soups, bell peppers, garlic, and onion. You need to observe what you eat and see what foods cause it for you.

ALSO SEE: Why Women Are Attracted To Men Who Eat Garlic?

Categories
Knowledgebase

Meaning of The “Secret” Colour Codes On Toothpaste Tubes

The square color codes at the end of toothpaste tubes and their meaning are something that has circulated on the internet for some time now. People make these into pictures (see below) and share on the internet with the aim of enlightening people. I have seen this on Facebook, Instagram and people’s display pictures on BBM and WhatsApp.

Below are the color codes they claim to be available on toothpaste and what they say they mean. They talk about the composition of the toothpaste. The color marks come in square and rectangular shapes.

What The Colour Marks At The End of Toothpaste Means According to Them

They try to tell people that the colours at the bottom of the toothpaste tube shows the composition of the toothpaste itself. Below is one message I got as broadcast on WhatsApp. The person also used the following as the display picture to press home her point.

toothpaste colour marks

Pay attention when buying toothpaste, at the bottom of the toothpaste tube there is a color bar. And do you only know the original meaning of the color bar! Try to choose green and blue, there are four kinds:

Green: natural;

Blue : Natural + Medicine;

Red : Natural + Chemical;

Black : pure chemical.

In fact, there are different versions of this and they sometimes contradict one another.

The intentions of those spreading this news are good because they aim to educate the “ignorant” customers about these things so that they make the right choice while buying. The problem with this, however, is that the they have got the facts really wrong.

Colour Codes On Toothpaste Tubes; What They Truly Mean

The colour marks on the toothpaste tubes are in no way indicating the composition of toothpaste. In fact, when you are saying that something is natural and something is medicine, cant you have something that is both natural and medicine?

You might be very surprised to find out what these marks are. If one thing is sure, it is the fact that these marks do not tell us anything about the composition of toothpaste.

So, what do they stand for then?

There are different colors as you might have seen. There are red, blue, red and black colors and they are nothing but eye marks. As someone who has worked in a multinational production factory — packaging development to be precise — I know that these are eye marks.

So what are Eye Marks on Toothpaste packaging tubes?

According to bestpkg,  eye mark is a machine-recognizable mark, printed on web-fed packaging materials. The eye – mark is the reference point from which the machine will register other operations such as further decorations, heat sealing, or package cut-off.

In clearer terms, when products already filled in tubes or sachets are to be sealed, the eye marks are there to tell the machine the point at which the particular tube or sachet ends. The machine, depending on what it needs to do would then either seal the package and/or cut it off that point.

If you look at other products like creams, milk sachets and beverages packed in sachets, you might just see them there too.

Okay, while writing this article, I quickly looked around my room and my kitchen and I saw some items with eye marks on their packages. So, I am going to use them as examples and correlate the color of the square or box-shaped marks on them with what is being circulated.

They say that black color means that the product is a pure chemical. How wrong could this be? I have black marks on all the products I am going to show you here.

Here is a Lubriderm Cream Tube that I found in my room;

mark-on-cream

It has a colored black mark at the end.

Here is an Indomie (Noodles) sachet with a black mark like that too.

mark-on-noodles

Is this Noodle purely from Chemicals?

Okay, look at my natural Ginger Drink sachet.

mark on ginger tea

According to those that made those images, this ginger drink is a pure chemical.

Okay, one could argue that a cream could be made from chemicals as well as natural ingredients. The same argument could hold for the ginger drink too but what about the Noodles?

What about the products I am listing below here too?

This is a thyme sachet. Is there a way thyme could be made from chemicals?

mark on thyme sachet

Below is a Spaghetti sachet with the eye mark too.

mark on spaghetti sachet

I am still looking for that research that confirms this Spaghetti could be made from pure chemical compounds.

Before we believe some claims, let us do some research about it. Even if the person making the claims has backed it up with facts and evidence, let us still confirm them.

This is not purely a food article but it’s something that enters our mouth and since these marks are available on foods too, it’s only a matter of time before they start labeling foods as natural, medicine and pure chemical because of the marks.

You should also see our posts on signs and symbols on Food Packages and what they mean.

Please share it with a friend!

Categories
Weight Loss

Best Two Exercises To Lose Your Belly Fat [Video]

In the past we have talked about losing belly fats and how some foods can help fight belly fat. Also, we talked about habits and foods that make us fat in general. These types of foods also tend to add fats to our tummy. We have to avoid or minimize those types of foods.

Also, what some people have is bloated stomach. They usually get protruded belly only after eating. There are many factors that can cause that kind of protruded belly. We also included how to treat a bloated stomach in that post. You have to watch them.

Now if one already has belly fat and decides to get rid of it, it is not as simple as some would want you to believe. It gets harder if you exercise and do only the wrong exercises. You have to choose the right ones.

Best 2 Exercises For Losing Belly Fat – Video

The video below shows the best two exercises you can do to lose belly your fat.

WATCH VIDEO BELOW:

ALSO SEE: HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AND GET FIT IN 4 WEEKS NATURALLY

I stumbled upon the video, watched it and found it would be helpful for a lot of FoodsNG readers.

Categories
Food & Health

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.

Half-cooked meat berbecue
Photo: swide.com

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.

Categories
Food & Health

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

XMAS foods

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.

XMAS foods

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.

Categories
Food & Nutrition

See Some Of The Nutritional Values Of Grape Fruit

No doubt, grape is one super fruit that can help add a whole lot of nutrients to your body system. Whether you are consuming green or red grapes, you can be certain of benefiting immensely from the juicy fruit.

Many argued that grapes are expensive but I tell them that the fruit is loaded with numerous diseases-fighting micronutrients, more than many other fruits that are classified as cheap. Therefore, when consume grapes, you should be rest assured you are getting value for your money. In this short post I will be sharing with you some of the reasons you should include grapes into your daily diet.

grapes
Photo: smittenkitchen.com

So what are the Nutritional benefits of Grape Fruit?

Are you prone to flu, cough or any other condition that is associated with the cold season? then you might need to boost your immune system by consuming some amount of grapes. These ill health conditions are usually due to lower levels of vitamin C which is one of the vitamins found in grapes. Vitamin C help in fighting free radical that attack cells within the body and make the immune system susceptible to external influence.

For those of you who are battling with high blood pressure, you would be shocked how this fruit can help you with the condition. One mineral that is necessary in the nutritional treatment and prevention of stroke is potassium which is found in high amount in grapes. A serving of the fruit on daily basis, will definitely improve your condition.

The antioxidants, flavonoids and other nutrients present make the fruit a good recipe for fighting cancer cells. In fact, many individuals who have suffered from dangerous constipation had used grape fruits to ease the situation. The fruit also has the power of helping patients battling with indigestion.

Without doubt, I can confidently say that there are only few fruits or vegetables that are loaded with the kinds of immune booster and bacteria fighting nutrients as much as grapes. So, when you visit the super market, do not forget to order for some for your family. It is a good way to start boosting the immune system of your home without necessarily using pills.

Categories
Food & Health

Go Fresh Instead Of Processed When Buying Foods This Season

fresh seafoods

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.

fresh seafoods

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

Categories
Food & Body

Foods That Harm Your Singing Voice

Foods That Harm Your Singing Voice

There are food that can make a singer’s voice go bad. If you sing, these foods are bad for you because they harm your voice. Of course, you can still use your voice for talking and shouting, it may just not sound good while singing after some time of eating much of these foods. Some can add mucous to your throat while other can make your throat dry or contract.

This article will share with you some groups of foods that are not good for singers’ voices. Just like there are foods that make your voice bad for signing, there are others that help soothe and clear your voice. For example, honey/lemon/and hot water have been shown to be helpful if you have mucous in your throat. We will discuss all that in another article.

Foods That Harm Your Singing Voice

Foods You Should Avoid For Your Voice’s Sake If You Sing

Some foods dry up your throat and can make your voice break. Such foods include citrus fruits and alcohol. You should also reduce your intake of sodas and other fizzy drinks. They put lots and lots of air in your stomach.

We talked about foods that cause recurring catarrh in the past. We specifically mentioned foods that stimulate production of mucous to your throat and nose. You should watch your level of consumption of those foods. Example of such foods are milk, ice cream and other dairy products. You should stay clear of them, especially when you need to sing soon.

I believe everyone know this — Ice cold foods, water and any other thing at all. They make your throat constrict. Of course, every individual is unique. Therefore, we have different sensitivities and may need to watch which foods affect us in the ways stated above.

As a singer or aspiring singer, you have to take care of voice. That is the greatest instrument you have got. Not many people are blessed with a singing voice, if you have one, take care of it. The foods names above can have adverse effect on your vocal health. They may also cause undesirable damages to your singing voice and vocal cords.

Wishing you the very best!!!

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Food & Health

Foods To Avoid If You Have Stomach Ulcer

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.

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Food & Nutrition

Which Gives More Health Benefits? Sweet Or Irish Potato

Sweet and Irish Potatoes

I had never thought of writing about this topic until a friend asked about it during one of the events I attended over the weekend. It was then I knew there could be many more people out there who do not know which is best for them to consume and the main differences or similarities between the two vegetables. It is important to state that it is erroneous to call them tubers just because of their resemblance to yam particularly sweet potatoes.

In some countries, the Irish potato is called white potato and there has been endless argument about which of the two vegetables is healthier for consumption either for the young or old. Potatoes, whether Irish or not, are generally a good inclusion into our diets. So, it is critical for you to note that either of both will improve your overall nutrition.

Sweet and Irish Potatoes

The chemical composition of both vegetable remains a tool that can make us see the nutrient levels in both veg. One area people are quite particular about is the amount of calories as most people seem to be on the train of losing some pounds o flesh. While sweet potato provides 90kcal per 100gram, Irish provides 93kcal per 100gram……making both vegetable close in calorie value. There is really no need to consider this factor when choosing which one to consume.

In the same amount of serving, both vegetables contain the same amount of carbohydrate with sweet potato containing about 3.3g of fibre in a 100g serving while Irish potatoes contains only 2.2g of fibre in the same 100g serving; making potatoes a good diet for people particularly children who have digestion issues.

The fat and protein content also are of similar levels. In both veg, there are no fat but they both contain some amount of protein. A 100 g serving of Irish potato contains 2.5 g of protein and the sweet potato contains 2 g of protein. In the case of vitamins, sweet potatoes provides more amount of vitamin A and C compared to Irish potatoes while Irish potato provides more amount of mineral (Iron and Potassium) than sweet potatoes.

For me, it is really a difficult one to determine which one is healthier in both as the two foods have their strengths and are majorly similar in some nutrients content. Depending on what health condition you are trying to treat or manage, one of the two foods may appear more appropriate for your situation. However, it does not render the other as less healthy or not healthy for consumption.

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Food & Health

How Many Times Should You Reuse Frying Oil?

frying oils and foods

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.

frying oils and foods

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.