3 Reasons to Snack on Dried Fruit and Nuts

by Thomas Parker

When most people are hungry they start to snack on chocolate, crisps and candy. Whilst snacking is not inherently bad you have to choose your snack foods carefully. In this article I am going to introduce you to dried fruit and nuts and discuss three reasons to snack on them.

1) DRIED FRUITS ARE SWEETER THAN MOST OTHER FRUIT:- One of the reasons a lot of people turn to processed snacks is due to their high sugar content. Chocolate and candy are a lot sweeter than most fruits. For most people an apple just does not cut it when compared to a chocolate bar. However, dried fruits are a lot more concentrated and have most of their original water removed. Therefore, if you want a healthy snack but still want to satisfy your sweet tooth you should try dried fruit.

2) THEY ARE BOTH RICH IN FIBRE:- Dried fruit and nuts are both fibre rich food choices and therefore offer a number of health benefits. First, it acts as an appetite suppressant and helps fill your stomach by absorbing water and expanding in your digestive tract. Secondly, it promotes regular bowel movements and helps reduce constipation. Fibre also helps you fully absorb vitamin and minerals and moderate blood sugar levels. Processed snacks contain little dietary fibre so by substituting them with dried fruit and nuts you can start to enjoy the above health benefits.

3) THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMINS:- Nuts contain high levels of vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin E. Dried fruit is also rich in a number of water soluble vitamins including vitamin C. Each of these vitamins have a number of health benefits. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down protein into an energy source that it can use. Vitamins B9 and B12 work together to assist your body in the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) which play a key role in the production of new cells. Vitamin C helps your body produce the connective tissue collagen which is essential for the proper healing of wounds. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant which protects your body from harmful free radicals. Processed snacks are relatively low in vitamins so by switching to dried fruit and nuts you can make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for a number of vitamins.

As you can see there are many good reasons to make dried fruit and nuts part of your diet. Whilst they are not substantial enough to constitute a full meal they are a perfect, natural and healthy alternative to processed snacks. So if you have not made the switch already drop the crisps, chocolate and candy today and start eating dried fruit and nuts instead.

Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about dried fruit and nuts and the benefits of fibre by visiting his websites.

Seven Harmful Chemicals Added to Processed Food

by Ellen L. Davis

Chemical food additives are used by food manufacturers to preserve the flavor or improve the taste and appearance of processed junk foods. They are found in foods which require long shelf lives, and are used widely in "diet" foods which need the flavor boost. Some additives come from natural sources, but some are highly process substances derived from unhealthy sources such as coal tar and peroxide.

Here's a list of seven chemical food additives you may want to avoid:

1. FD&C Red Dye #3: A cherry red dye derived from coal tar. In 1981, NIH researchers reported that this substance may interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain. In 1996, researchers at Northeastern Illinois University conducted studies and found that even low does of Red #3 caused cancerous changes in human cell cultures. The FDA banned the use of Red Dye #3 in lake form in cosmetics, but still allows the dye to be used in food products.
   
   
2. BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole): a preservative used in cereals, potato chips and chewing gum to stop them from becoming rancid. It accumulates in the body fat and it is known to disrupt the body's hormone balance. This widely used food additive has been shown to cause cancer in mice, rats and hamsters. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers BHA to be a carcinogen and has said that it poses a reasonable risk to health. Despite this warning, the FDA still allows BHA to be used as a food additive to prevent fat rancidity.
   
   
3. Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid: a preservative added to fruit juice, carbonated drinks, and pickles. Problems occurs when sodium benzoate is used in beverages that also contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The two substances, in an acidic solution, can react together to form small amounts of benzene, a chemical that causes leukemia and other cancers. In the early 1990s the FDA had urged companies not to use benzoate in products that also contain ascorbic acid, but companies are still using that combination. A lawsuit filed in 2006 by private attorneys ultimately forced Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soft-drink makers in the U.S. to reformulate affected beverages, typically fruit-flavored products.
   
   
4. Acetone peroxide: a bleach and conditioner used in milling flour and maturing dough. It is basically acetone (nail polish remover) with an oxygen compound added. It is also extremely unstable and explosive, and has been used by criminals to make bombs. It is strongly oxidizing and can damage the skin and eyes.
   
   
5. Diacetyl: a chemical that imparts the buttery flavor in microwave popcorn. It has a disease named after it because many microwave popcorn factory workers exposed to it have developed a lung condition called Diacetyl Induced Bronchiolitis Obliterans or "Popcorn Worker's Lung". There is no official ban in the EU, and U.S. companies are starting to voluntarily replace this ingredient in the microwave popcorn. The CDC has issued a safety alert for workers in factories that use diacetyl. There are currently two bills in the California Legislature to ban the use of diacetyl.
   
   
6. Polysorbate 80 (also known as tween 80): a stabilizer used in a wide variety of products including ice cream, milk products, vitamin tablets, lotions and creams and medical products like vaccines and anti-cancer medications. This food additive has been linked to nonimmunologic allergic reactions, and one study has linked it to infertility. The study found that polysorbate 80 caused changes in to the vagina and womb lining, hormonal changes, ovary deformities and degenerative follicles in mice. (Food Chem Toxicol. 1993 Mar;31(3):183-90. PMID: 8473002.) This is disturbing because this substance is in the new Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine which is being marketed for girls aged 9-26 in the United States.
   
   
7. Potassium Bromate: a chemical added to flour to make bread rise better and give it a uniform consistency. Most of what is added to flour breaks down during the cooking process into bromide. An excess intake of bromide has been associated with the inhibition of iodine enzyme metabolism, which weakens the thyroid and kidneys. The potassium bromate that isn't broken down remains in the baked good and is a known carcinogen. Numerous petitions have been made to the FDA to ban this ingredient and many flour mills have voluntarily stopped adding it to their products. This food additive is banned in most countries except the U.S. and Japan.

Ellen Davis researches nutrition and health issues and shares that information with other health conscious consumers. You can find more information about real nutrition and alternative health at her website Healthy Eating Politics. The URL is http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com

Why Prepackaged Foods Aren't As Healthy As They Say

by Georgina White


For many people, home cooking from scratch is not the way dinner is prepared each night. Rather a more familiar scene is popping a frozen meal into the microwave for a quick heat-and-eat lunch or dinner. Companies that manufacture these foods are not required to list every single ingredient put into the food product; therefore you can never be absolutely sure what it is you are getting. There are a lot of prepackaged meals that claim to be fresh and healthy but the reality is that prepackaged foods typically contain preservatives and other ingredients that can be harmful to your health.

In order for many canned and frozen foods to stay "fresh", preservatives are added. Preservatives are chemicals used in foods to preserve them and keep them from spoiling. In addition to the preservatives that are being added, other ingredients that can be dangerous to your health are also part of the deal. Many foods contain artificial flavors and smells, and colors that can adversely affect the liver and other areas of your body.

One example of the additives found in the foods is the excessive levels of sodium. While salt is necessary for the body's survival, too much salt can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure and water retention. A derivative of salt is MSG, an ingredient a lot of people are allergic to, but is added to many foods to improve the flavor of foods. Another problem with prepackaged foods is the loss of nutrients, vitamins, and fiber that occur during the processing and manufacturing steps. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain the important things your body needs without the added preservatives and artificial flavors.

There are over 6,000 chemicals used in the commercially produced foods. It is estimated that people will ingest up to 5 pounds of chemical additives in a year's time. Some common examples of preservatives found in prepackaged foods are as follows:

Sulphite
This preservative is used to fight harmful bacteria and yeasts to prevent them from forming in the foods. Examples of food products that contain sulphite are dehydrated vegetables and fruits.

Benzoic Acid
This preservative is most commonly found in soft drinks and ketchup. It is added to prevent the growth of some molds and yeasts.

Nitrates
Nitrates, like those added to bacon, sausages, and ham, are preservatives that help control the growth of molds.

Sorbic Acid
Sorbic acid is a preservative that is used to prevent the development of mold in products such as wine and cheeses.

Alginates
These preservatives help to stabilize the creamy textures of processed foods like salad dressings and ice creams.

Aspartame
This is added to food products to act as a sweetener. Aspartame is commonly found in diet sodas, fruit juices, other sweeteners, and gelatins.

One of the only ways to keep preservatives out of your diet and prevent illness or bodily harm is to avoid the prepackaged foods and eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and use approved natural ingredients that are free of chemicals, artificial colors, and more. Learning to read labels can help to some extend but you will need to brush up on your terminology to truly understand what the listed ingredients really mean to your health.

Georgina White has developed ways to make great tasting food using healthier methods. She feels that it's important to be kind to your body and provide it with plenty of nourishing, fresh food while letting the taste buds enjoy it too!

Picture yourself at one of our simply sumptuous cooking classes relaxing with friends, enjoying a delicious 3 course meal with complementary wine, whilst surrounded by stunning views of Sydney Harbour. Imagine the sense of satisfaction when the food you are eating is fresh from the kitchen and created by you.

Improve Your Mood With Food

by Laura S Johnson

When it comes down to mood, we feel like we can't always control how we feel. Sometimes we would like to feel happy when we are down, but we simply don't know how to attain that change of mood naturally. We tend to approach mood changes with medications rather than with herbal remedies from certain foods. However, the absolute best way to lift our mood is naturally. There are certain foods we can consume which raise the mood lifting chemical known as serotonin. So what are some of these foods and how do they work?

The first step towards improving our mood is the "consumption of protein with every meal." Protein, such as lean poultry and fish, raise our blood levels of tryptophan. This particular chemical eventually turns into serotonin which in turn improves our mood. On top of its mood enhancing abilities, consuming protein with every meal is an excellent way to lose weight.

"Eating a small carbohydrate snack" is the second step towards improving ones mood. Eat a small snack, such as an oatmeal cookie or a slice of whole wheat bread, 3 to 4 hours after your meal and approximately one hour before your next meal. Make sure that your stomach is empty. Eating this small yet significant snack will cause the tryptophan in your blood to enter the brain. Once the chemical has entered the brain it will metabolize into serotonin leaving you with a feeling of happiness in about 20 to 30 minutes. Following this particular pattern of nutrition can also serve as a natural sleep aid. This is due to the fact that your brain metabolizes serotonin into the natural sleep aid known as melatonin. So follow these simple steps and watch your mood improve before your eyes.

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition. Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies, weight loss products, and hoodia side effects.