Fruits and vegetables 'can cut child cancer risk'

Children should eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer in later life, a charity has said. The newest published Health Survey for England (HSE) for 2008 suggested that four in five children are not eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.

Now the World Cancer Research Fund has warned that this could lead to raised risk of them developing cancer in later life.

“The fact that only a fifth of children are getting enough fruits and vegetables is a concern because it is important that we encourage children to get into healthy habits as early in life as possible,” the Daily Express quoted Nathalie Winn, nutritionist for the WCRF, as saying.

“This is because scientific research shows that eating a plant-based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and pulses possibly reduces the risk of a number of types of cancer later in life,” Winn added.

The research shows that, on average, boys aged five to 15 eat 3.1 portions of fruits and vegetables while girls have 3.3 portions a day, according to the Health Survey for England 2008.

Special cakes on mother’s day

Don’t you think a gift which is as sweet and cute as your mom will make her mother’s day? It is among the most excellent mother’s day gifts. On this special day, she will love to get a packaged set of yummy cakes in four which is lovingly made using the hand with flowers. Each of the four has 3 layers of somewhat wet cake and three layers of pleasant-tasting butter cream. You will receiver up to 16 cakes in 6 varieties of flavors. The 6 variety of flavors are raspberry, vanilla-orange, salmon pink, chocolate, vanilla-orange chocolate hazelnut and lemon.

A layer of jam is added which will match and develop the flavors of the fruit while the dark chocolate enhances the flavor of the chocolate cake. The cakes are delivered in a chilled state for greatest freshness and it can stay close to 14 days when kept in the refrigerator. It is a delicious and exclusive present for mother’s day which will be enjoyed by your mom.

Guides to few common herbs and spices help you to create flavorful meals without added salt

Basil - Bright, pungent flavor. Use in pesto, sauces, salads, meats, fish and soups.
Bay leaves - often used dried for most flavor. Use in sauces, soups or pickling solutions.
Thyme - A minty, tea-like flavor. Used to create bouquet garni with parsley and bay.

Cardamom - Tastes like ginger with a hint of pine. Used highly in curry powder, but also enhances the flavors of squash, pumpkin, potatoes and pastries.

Cayenne - Hot, peppery flavor. Used frequently in Creole, Cajun, Spanish, Mexican, Szechuan, Thai and East Indian recipes.

Cinnamon - Sweet and aromatic. Versatile spice complements a large variety of foods and other spices.

Coriander leaf or seed - Fresh coriander leaves, also known as cilantro, bear a powerful resemblance to Italian flat-leaf parsley, but with a stronger, distinct scent.

Cumin - Powerful peppery flavoring with small citrus overtones. Essential spice in the cuisines of Mexico, India and the Middle East.

Dill - Leaves have a soft, sweet taste. Both the leaves and the seeds are used to make flavor food.

Fennel - Mild licorice flavor. Use in soups, salads, fish and vegetable dishes.
Ginger - Fragrant, pungent and hot. Can be used fresh, dried or in powder form.

Marjoram - Member of the mint family. Similar to oregano but fewer pungent. Use in salads, fish, meat, vegetable, poultry and egg dishes.

Mint - with more than 25 varieties, flavors range from cool to sweet or somewhat menthol.

Nutmeg - Seed of an apricot-like fruit resident to Indonesia, with a cinnamon-like and peppery taste.

Oregano - Also from the mint family, related to marjoram but stronger with an earthy, aromatic flavor.

Parsley — most general types are curly or Italian flat leaf. Mildly fresh aromatic flavor.

Cooking with flowers for better health

Flowers please our eye and our sense of smell, their oils are used in aromatherapy and many flowers themselves have medical benefits as dietary therapy.

Chinese were cooking with flowers thousands of years ago and flowers, such as the special Chinese rose, are main ingredients in the cuisine.

"Drink the dew of magnolia in the morning, and eat the falling petals of chrysanthemum at night," wrote Qu Yuan in his well-known poem "Li Sao" ("The Lament") about a nobleman's life in the Warring States Period (476-221 BC). Magnolia and chrysanthemum symbolize nobility and integrity.

However, flower cuisine didn't become famous until the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). It first became popular among the nobility, particularly women who used flowers to improve their complexion.

Various flower cuisines were invented, including cakes, soups and dishes. Apart from adding scent and flavor, some flowers are rich in nutrition, including minerals, vitamins and micronutrients. Some people believe that eating beautiful flower helps to make them beautiful.

Practical foods to eat for good health

1. Blueberries : Why you should eat more: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, which help protect the body from disease; they are high in potassium, fiber and vitamin C, all for about 80 calories a cup.

2. Quinoa : What it is: It looks and cooks like a grain, but it's actually the seed from a leafy plant closely related to spinach. Why you should eat more: Quinoa is a good source of complete protein than the foods it can stand in for, like rice.

3. Seaweed : What it is: More seaweed eaten in this country is nori, best known as those dried, dark-green sheets used in sushi rolls.

4. Walnuts : Why you should eat more: Unlike other nuts, walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, the kind related with fish like salmon and sardines.

5. Kefir : What it is: A fermented dairy product drink, it is a kind of cross between buttermilk and yogurt. Once available only in health-food stores, it's in many mainstream grocers, often near the soy milk.

6. Apples : Why you should eat more: They're not flashy, but the often-overlooked apple is high in fiber (4-5 grams per apple) and lower in sugar content on the glycemic index than fruits such as grapes or bananas, so they'll hang around in your stomach a while longer, making you think full longer.

7. Chiles : Why you should eat more: The capsaicin in chiles, which makes them hot, also is believed to have a thermogenic effect - some studies have suggested eating them can raise your metabolism rate and help burn calories. A bonus: Chiles adds a ton of flavor for little caloric cost.
8. Lentils : Why you should eat more: A good, low-cost source of protein popular in world cuisines, particularly Middle Eastern and Indian, lentils also provide high levels of folic acid.

9. Eggs : Why you should eat more: Eggs have had a firm time shaking that bad reputation they got in the ‘80s, when cholesterol was a buzzkill. Eggs are also considered an anti-inflammatory food, meaning they can assist reduce bodily inflammation thought to lead to chronic disease including stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

10. Romaine lettuce : Why you should eat more: All greens are good for you, and the darker the better. They are natural antioxidants and provide a plethora of minerals and vitamins, especially vitamins A, K, C and foliate.

Arabica coffee disease on the rise

COFFEE berry disease and leaf rust which often affect Arabica coffee, are on the raise, the National Crops Resources Research Institute has said.

Speaking to journalists recently, the head of the Coffee Research Centre at Kituza in Mukono, Dr. Africano Kangire, disclosed that the diseases are affecting yields and require agent attention.

In Uganda, Arabica coffee crop constitutes 20% and Robusta 80% Arabica is grown in highland areas including Nebbi, Kasese, Mt Rwenzori and Elgon, while Robusta grows better in low areas.

“The coffee industry is faced with challenges including global warming that has resulted into drought in a few areas. If global temperatures raise, Uganda would lose up to 80% of Robusta coffee,” Kangire said.

Diabetic’s diet for all

On a diabetic diet, it is main important to eat three meals per day in order to keep your blood sugar on a more even keel. Have you ever notice that you are hungrier by mid-morning or lunch after you have eaten breakfast? That's because your metabolism revs up by eating breakfast and you are burning more calories just by eating. Breakfast can be as easy as an 8-ounce glass of 1-percent or nonfat milk. Don't be afraid to eat a small mid-morning snacks if you are hungry; this will keep you from being very hungry by lunchtime and help you to choose a healthier lunch. For your "9-inch" dinner plate, try filling half with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with carbohydrates and a quarter with lean protein (and no cheating by using a huge plate). If after eating dinner you find you are still ravenous, have another serving of lean protein or vegetables.

Starchy vegetables (which count as carbohydrates) include peas, corn, beans and potatoes. There are many non-starchy vegetables to choose from, onions, and mushrooms, tomatoes, including spinach, carrots, broccoli, red/green/yellow/orange bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, eggplant and squash.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are contained in many foods and drinks, but the good kinds to eat contain nutrients in addition to carbs. The best carbs to choose include beans, fresh or unsweetened frozen fruit, skim or 1-percent milk, plain oatmeal or cream of wheat, plain or light yogurt, pasta, rice, barley, quinoa, bread, bran cereals, soy crisps, 94-percent fat-free popcorn, pita bread and small tortillas. The main thing to keep in mind is that eating the "good" foods listed above leaves small room left for the "bad" ones.

Maple syrup flavor baked beans

Beans are versatile, and inexpensive, delicious source of protein and vitamins.
Simple ingredients and slow cooking bring out the best in these essential legumes.

White beans come in a number of sizes ranging from small "pea" beans, great northern and navy to larger, "meatier" cannellini beans often used in Mediterranean bean dishes.

Most Boston-style baked beans contain molasses and brown sugar for sweetness.

Substituting maple syrup for the molasses results in a exclusive and incomparable flavor and aroma.

Orange - The universal super fruit

The orange is cultivated in many parts of the world, the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia, Brazil, and the United States. Orange juice is the only super fruit product traded on the New York Stock Exchange as a commodity in worldwide trade. Orange juice is also the most famous among all juices.

The orange, citrus sinensis, is a member of the citrus family (lemon, lime, mandarin, grapefruit, tangerine, kumquat). The fruit itself comes in different varieties and diversity in tastes and has several uses. Its variations range from navel orange, blood, Persian, and cara cara navel to tangerine and mandarin.

Orange’s merits led it to be named super fruit. It contains most necessary nutrients needed to maintain good health. The fruit and its peel are rich in vitamins A (through its precursor beta-carotene), Bs, and C, important minerals, both soluble and insoluble fiber, and phytochemicals, both soluble and insoluble fiber, like carotenoids and polyphenols in the deep orange pigment.

Tangy fruits help stay slim

Munching on tangy fruits can aid you stay slim, reveals a new study. The study conducted on mice showed that the juice of the blood orange stopped them from piling on weight when fed a high-fat diet.

However, those fed with sweeter oranges gained significant amounts of fat.

The fat-busting powers of the fruit, grown in Italy and the US, may be partly due to its high levels of anthocyanin.

This red pigment that gives the orange its deep color is a type of antioxidant, a natural chemical that helps ward off disease.

The juice damages the skill of cells called adipocytes to accumulate fat. Adipocytes are found typically around the waistline and absorb fat from food to store as energy.

Make to modify basic vinaigrette

• Rub the bowl with garlic before mixing the dressing, and add thinly chopped shallots.

• Add your preferred herbs, preferably fresh. The more pungent herbs, such as thyme and rosemary, should be used carefully.

• Mix in cumin, coriander or curry powder, fennel seeds or other spices. Try to match the flavors with those in your salad or in the entree.

• For another complement to the rest of your meal, mix in a few teaspoons of pan juices or broth from your main course.

• Add a few crushed juniper berries. To build on this flavor, add a teaspoon or so of gin.
• Alternate lemon juice for some of the vinegar.

• Add the grated zest (colored section of peel) of a preferred citrus fruit. For a more pronounced citrus flavor, substitute the fruit juices for some of the vinegar.

• Substitute a tart or acidic fruit juice, such as tart cherry or, cranberry for some of the vinegar.
• Complement Asian-style meals by adding grated ginger or crushed lemon grass.

Is there arsenic in your apple juices?

Apple juice definitely sounds healthy, doesn't it? It's a popular choice for many parents who serve it up as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks and sodas.

In 2006, the federal government lowers the limit for arsenic in drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established no such border for fruit juices, but has told companies that it views 23 ppb as a "level of concern."

Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance, and experts say it can't be completely avoided in the food and water supply. It is also found in pesticides that will apply to apple orchards. Arsenic has been linked to cancer when consumed at high dose in drinking water over a lifetime, and has been linked at lower dosages to diabetes, organ injure and hormone system changes.

Enjoy these fruits for your health

1. Banana. The banana is nature’s wonder fruit and the great fast food. Its high potassium content prevents cramps and gives immediate energy with its easily digestible starch.

2. Apples. Apples are an outstanding source of pectin, which is a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and sugar levels.

3. Citrus fruits like oranges, calamansi, suha (pomelo), dalandan, and lemon. The overflowing amounts of vitamin C in citrus fruits are the basis for their high ranking. It also protects the heart and improve the immune system. That’s why it’s good for prevent the colds.

4. Strawberries. Strawberries are believed to assist fight cancer, gout, arthritis, and anemia.

5. Papayas. For people who are constipated, eating papayas every day could help regulate their bowel movement.

6. Grapes. Grapes contain main ingredients such as tannins, flavonoids, and anthocyanins.

7. Watermelon and melon. Melons have long been used by usual medicine as a cure for kidney and bladder problems.

8.coconut: Coconut water, on the other hand, is good for kidney stones and purification one’s digestive tract.

9. Avocados. Avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, which means it is useful in prevents the heart disease and stroke.

10. Pineapple. Pineapple contains the unique enzyme bromelain, which might help in digestion and reducing inflammation in the body.

11. Nuts. Though not exactly a fruit, nuts are considered nutritional superfoods, packed with minerals, protein, and fats.

And so, this hot summer, keep in mind to drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day and consume more of these super fruits.

Teens who drink fruit juice have more healthier diets

A new study has shown that teenagers who drink 100 per cent fruit juice have more nutritious diets generally compared to non-consumers.

The findings revealed that teens between the age group of 12-18 who drank any amount of 100 per cent juice had lower intakes of entire dietary fat and saturated fat and higher intakes of key nutrients, including Vitamins C and B6, folate, potassium and iron.

Those who drank greater than six ounces of 100 per cent juice a day also consumed more whole fruit and less added fats and sugars. Milk consumption was not affected by juice drinking.

Is fruit juice the well answer?

Breakfast is usually considered as the most important meal of the day. At breakfast time, most of us put some calories in our body and we are prepare to start the most active part of our day.

But the always-famous combination of breakfast cereals with fruit juices and toast has now become a taboo with the nutritional inventions. With the 'low-carb, low-glycemic index' food choices, cereals as wheat flakes are preferred over cornflakes, white bread is substitutes by whole wheat bread with low-cal butter, and fruit juices by whole fruits.

With the promotion of fruit juices as a health drinks, one has to realise that...

• All that is healthy is not low-calories.
• Fruit juices are caloric dense, also they are limited for medical conditions like diabetes.

• A glass of juice a day is not complete nutrition. Also, its introduction in your diet must be well understood. If an individual is aiming at fat loss, fruit juice is absolutely not the answer.

• Substitution of fruit juice with a whole fruit has lot more benefits.

• It's good to be health-conscious, but with the correct advice. Half knowledge is most horrible than no knowledge.