Jad Research Blog

Do you ever want to send people you care about tasty cookies and brownies your granny made? Cheryl and Company can do just that. The company offers a huge choice of top-notch cookies and you can send these to anywhere in the United States. Every last order is beautifully wrapped and couriered directly to your loved one’s address with each and every item in perfect condition. Can you think of a more convenient means to please your friends, as well as your co-workers? Cheryl & Company had humble beginnings, still it has proved that tremendous service, high quality, and a broad range of cookies and brownies are the secret recipe for succeeding. Only 7 years after opening they had eminently expanded their selection of baked items. It wasn’t long until the cookie supplier had launched a mail-order catalog, and then introduced a section dedicated to helping business customers buy the ideal gifts. The company took advantage of the internet to facilitate easy ordering and are now a member of the 1800Flowers.com brand. Quality comes first with this company. The company put a lot of work into making sure their cookies are always sent at the peak of freshness perfect for eating right away.

All the baked goods are preservative and additive free. The range includes much loved cookies like chocolate chip and raisin, and some more uncommon flavor combinations, such as chocolate peppermint. Almost as wonderful as their scrumptious baked goods are the decorative presentation boxes they arrive in. When time is an issue, a wide range of ready made gift boxes are provided on the web site. Alternatively, you can select a box or tin and cram it with the varieties of your choice. When you view the brownie shop online you will see that the range features buttercream frosted, fruit and sugar-free varieties. Order brownies, cookies, and much more in classic boxes or tins to say thank you to to a loyal customer or business contact. A playful or novelty cookie selection is a fantastic present to let friends know you are thinking of them. As you would expect when it comes to holidays and special occasions, they provide specially decorated choices with an appropriate theme. Whether you want to give your valentine a gift to remember, to congratulate new parents or simply a token to cheer up someone special, you can be sure that Cheryl & Co will have the answer to your gift dilemmas.

Whether it be breakfast cereal or fast food chains or even alcoholic beverages, the
food product and services industry must recognize brand in order to succeed in a
rapidly migrant market space. As we already know, consumers are not looking for
product benefits nearly as much as they are recognizing the person the product
represents. This reflection and representation is what creates brand (regardless of
what most average advertising agencies might tell you). With regard to the food
industry, “You are what you eat” has more meaning than it initially presents.
Consumers want to know how what they eat reflects who they are. So how has the
food industry changed with the fad dieting, new nutrition, weight-conscious times?
It all comes down to a matter of taste.

Food trends have definitely not always been about brand. In Luke Sulllivan’s Hey
Whipple, Squeeze This, he shows a series of pictures he created for the trend in
breakfast cereals when he was growing up. The first box shows a simple designed
box of “Flax Flakes,” the next box shows “Sweetened Flax Flakes,” and the presence
of sugar in cereals increases with every box until the last box reads, “SUGAR (no flax
flakes inside).” Ironically, you would be hard pressed today to see a cereal box in the
grocery store that did not scream Whole Grain or High Fiber. High-protein, low-
sugar, organic, non-processed, and low salt have taken over.

Food propositions used to be entirely about taste regardless of the pounds of
butter, amount of sugar and preservatives and milligrams of cholesterol. If it tasted
good, people needed it. Eventually the effects were tangible, and the times have
most definitely changed. Taste has taken a back seat to nutrition as our nation gets
increasingly obese, and let’s face it, being unhealthy is a lot less important than not
being fat (but that is a whole other issue in itself). Food trends can almost be
defined by the decade. Not to say that now all people want to eat nutritious food,
but most people want to appear healthy and as though they are in control of their
bodies and eating habits.

What has been the solution for food brands? How have they adapted to this
consumer mentality of control and self-consciousness? Why do we still buy Cheerios
rather than Grocery Store X’s Toasty O’s that cost a dollar less? The ingredients are
the same, and the box is the same size. We buy Cheerios because Cheerios care
about us, or at least we believe they do, and that is what matters. Smirnoff cares
about us because they tell us to “Drink Responsibly.” McDonalds cares about us
because they let us have salads and yogurt while our kids have McFlurries and
cheeseburgers. It was not long ago when no one ever thought they would live to see
the day when fast food chains actually offered low-fat options. Now, hardly any food
establishment can survive without a wider spectrum of options for Bill on low-carb,
Sue on low-fat, Jan on Weight Watchers, and Ted on Atkins.

The real value is not in the actual food offered, which represents “product,” it is in
the fact that the offer is available and encouraging, which represents “brand.”
Consumers want to be acknowledged and always want to feel as though they have
made the right choice. The choice to take on an active, nutritious lifestyle is
something every person needs to consider; that is basic biological knowledge. What
is not basic knowledge is that people who do choose to take on this challenge need
a lot more help than they admit. The food industry must be able to absorb this
trend and must be able to provide a solution to the problem rather than fuel to the
fire. As for the rest of the population who do not make this choice to live better,
they still like to think that they could if they tried.

In order to differentiate in the food business, the brand must be able to directly
show how it can potentially help the consumer achieve his/her goals. The brand
must be able to show the consumer that his/her goals really matter to them. This
connection and relationship is what initiates trial and then encourages continued
use. This message of partnership for a healthier lifestyle does not fall on deaf ears.
Regardless of how out of shape and overweight Americans prove to be, the desire to
reach an ideal, better image is forever behind the purchase decision.

Molly Sunderdick
Brand Strategist

Our bodies change as we age, and to remain vigorous, active and healthy in our middle years and beyond requires that we supply them with good nutrition and regular exercise. It’s almost too simple, isn’t it? However, staying faithful to a healthy lifestyle requires commitment and self-discipline, and an understanding that you are the one who must make the appropriate choices. When you enter your middle years at age forty, you can no longer ignore the relevance of diet and exercise to health even if you did so in your youth.

There is an overwhelming amount of information on nutrition and exercise readily available to all of us. There are information articles in the daily newspaper, in magazines, and on the Internet. There are even CDs you can buy or rent and play on your computer if you have the right software. As well, there are TV programs and innumerable books devoted to these subjects. If you want an education on nutrition for life, the best vitamins for your age and sex, the best practices for weight loss, or a diet and nutrition guide complete with charts showing health-boosting and health-harming factors in your diet, it’s out there. While health professional don’t agree on everything, they are united in their support of general health rules governing what you should eat, the benefits of remaining active, and health risks to avoid. Don’t bother to search for anyone who will champion endless TV watching, smoking, guzzling beer, and a fast food diet as acceptable lifestyle choices. You won’t find anyone. (I’ve already looked.)

Keep Moving

The benefits of exercise cannot be overrated as a means of staying young and energetic. However, fitness at forty doesn’t require taking up bodybuilding or becoming a crack golfer. Involvement in sports is certainly pleasurable, and if you have any interest in pastimes like playing golf or tennis, cycling, kayaking, skiing, or baseball – to name a few – you can find lots of other people who share your interest and whose enthusiasm will keep you coming back for more. However, if you have never participated in sports in your youth and don’t feel confident enough at forty to join a team, or you haven’t the time to invest in becoming skilled enough at some particular sport to enjoy yourself, don’t be discouraged. There’s one thing you can do at which you are already very skilled – you can walk. Brisk walking is one of the best ways to become fit and to stay that way. It is also one of the least expensive activities to pursue, and if you really enjoy it, there is a natural progression to – wait for it – hiking. Walking and hiking can also be group activities and you may have friends or family members who decide to join you and increase their fitness levels as well. Don’t overlook health clubs, aerobic classes, dancing lessons, or aquatic classes. There are fitness classes for every age group and level, and there are personal trainers who will design a fitness program just for you. If you ever thought you would like to tap dance or belly-dance, get out there and do it. Time is moving on, and to stay healthy, you must move with it.

Eat Well and Take Your Supplements

Eating nutritiously means choosing foods that provide you with the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. Minimum levels that are required to keep you from suffering from a deficiency in one of more of these elements is not the same thing as obtaining sufficient quantities to reach an optimum level of health and to maximize your body’s ability to fight disease. Even if you make a conscientious effort to choose foods from each of the food groups so that you are eating a balanced diet every day (and how likely is that?), you might still lack a particular nutrient that your body requires. Soils in which we grow fruits and vegetables are often depleted in nutrients, which means the foods grown in these soils are depleted, too. Nutrients can also be lost in the shipping, storing, preserving, and even the cooking of food. Does this mean you have to eat only fresh, organic food – preferable grown by yourself – and most of it raw? Yum, yum. Fortunately, there is another way. You can add nutrients to your diet by taking a multivitamin supplement, and you can choose one that has been formulated for your sex, your stage of life, and your particular needs.

Vitamins and mineral are known as micronutrients because only microscopic amounts are needed in comparison to the amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat we should consume and the quantity of water we should drink each day. As small as these amounts are, they are essential to life and health, and you may need more than normal amounts of some of them because of your particular circumstance: you are recovering from surgery or an illness or you are under a lot of stress; you smoke or drink a lot; or you are on a restricted diet or trying to lose weight.

Women in their forties are usually still menstruating and may be also be bearing and/or raising children as well as working at full-time jobs outside the home. They need particular nutrients for this stressful stage of life, and must also prepare their bodies for the following decade which brings the menopause years. Women in their forties, therefore, should eat foods low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Women should also take a daily supplement that includes:

• Calcium (300 to 1200 mg) to protect themselves from osteoporosis

• Magnesium (400 to 800 mg.) to assist in relieving PMS, or premenstrual tension

• Iron (40 mg.) to ensure sufficient iron levels which may be lowered by menstruating

• Vitamin E (200 to 600 IUs) to protect against cell-damaging free radicals

In their forties, men, like their female counterparts, are also stressed by combining work and parenting roles and need the same well-balanced diet, low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Men should take a daily supplement that includes:

• Beta-carotene, or vitamin A (5,000 IUs) to help prevent cancer, stroke, and heart disease, and to help lower cholesterol levels

• Vitamin E (400 IUs) to protect against coronary artery disease and poor circulation

For good health nutrition is of paramount importance, which means eating balanced meals and taking one or more daily supplements designed with your needs in mind. A multivitamin will give you all the vitamins and minerals necessary to sustain life and health and you should choose one that has been formulated for your sex and your stage of life. Remember to take your supplements with water at mealtime to help increase their absorption and to take advantage of the synergy that occurs when nutrients act together. For a healthy lifestyle in your forties, you should also make time for regular exercise. Go for it.

Scott Gray is currently a freelance writer and enjoys providing tips to consumers who are in the market for all types of vitamins, herb vitamins and multivitamins.

It is commonly held that the use of mangosteen is safe by children and adults under most conditions, and that there are no contraindications as pertains to other medications. In fact, the medical community used to state that the only problem associated with it is that many people rely solely on mangosteen and avoid the use of other – often essential and life-saving – drugs.

However, new findings now indicate that unsupervised use of fruits like mangosteen can reduce the production of essential fats and cause harmful weight loss. This is obviously a worrisome factor, especially in cases where weight loss is highly undesirable. Apart from the fact that lipids (or fats) serve as a significant fuel source for the body, it gives rise to questions about the advisability of mangosteen in immunodeficiency-related conditions.

There are now reports that the much hyped antioxidant properties of mangosteen may actually interfere with the action of some of the chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapies used in cancer treatment. Additionally, even diabetics have now been advised to take mangosteen with caution – after all, it DOES contain sugar.

Another factor is mangosteen’s low shelf-life. Its therapeutic properties are only applicable when it is in its natural state, and many manufacturers therefore add certain preservatives and stabilizing agents to their product to make it last longer. Needless to say, these agents can give rise to side effects that may unjustly be attributed to mangosteen. This is especially true when inexplicable drug interactions take place.

One last word of caution – mangosteen blocks the effects of the body’s naturally produced histamines. These are essential, because they increase blood flow to injured or externally invaded parts of the body. Suppression of histamines can cause a major disruption in essential metabolic responses.

Mangosteen provides detailed information about mangosteen, mangosteen fruit and more. Mangosteen is affiliated with Bottled Water Companies.

Research indicates that tea may work against heart attacks, stroke, and thrombosis. Tea contributes to this in several ways. It does so in a general way through its role as gentle stimulant to the heart and circulatory system. Secondly, it appears to keep the blood vessel walls soft. Thirdly, there is evidence that the phenols in tea inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, which could help decrease the cholesterol in the bloodstream. Fourthly, it may decrease the blood’s tendency to form thrombi, or unwanted clots. Often several of these functions operate together against stroke or heart attack. Strokes and thrombosis often occur because the blood vessels have lost their elasticity. Rutin, found in green tea, has long been prescribed to keep these walls soft.

Green tea has turned out to be a double-barrelled threat to tooth decay because of the natural polyphenols (tannin) and the fluoride it contains. Polyphenols tend to reduce the formation of plaque, while fluoride strengthens tooth enamel so that it can resist decay.

Considerable research is being carried out on the role of tea drinking in preventing cancer. Out of 25 papers related to health presented at the Hangzhou Symposium, seven reported on research on cancer and tumors. Green tea seems to get the best results, with Lung Ching Preferred. Stomach cancer, the number one cause of death in Japan, is at its lowest rate in Shizuoka prefecture along the coast southwest of Tokyo. One explanation is that Shizuoka is a tea-growing district and its inhabitants drink large amounts of green tea.

Researchers believe that green tea has an effect against cancer because it inhibits the formation or action of cancer-causing substances. Green tea may block the action of nitrosamines which can cause cancer, said Dr. Han Chi, and associate professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene under the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. In a test of 145 types of tea, she and her colleagues rated green tea highest, with a blocking rate of 90 percent. Brick, Jasmine, oolong, and black tea followed in that order.

In China it is widely stated that green tea is a source of vitamin C. Since this vitamin is destroyed by heat and tea is made in hot water, this statement seems somewhat contradictory. However, recent tests in China have found that heat destruction of vitamin C does occur, but not in tea. Something in tea, as yet undetermined, apparently helps stabilize vitamin C.
The amount of vitamin C contained in green tea varies greatly depending on growing conditions, the age of the leaves at picking, and how long they have been stored. According to Chinese calculations, typical green tea made with three grams of dry leaves to a cup should yield about six milligrams of vitamin C in three infusions in water at 158 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (70 to 100 degrees centigrade). Eighty-five percent of the vitamin C is released in one five minute infusion at 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees centigrade). Tea also contains vitamins B1, B2, K and bioflavonoids plus niacin, folic acid, and manganese, but in such small amounts as to be negligible.

Another way tea may help fight cancer is through preventing cell mutation. The antioxidant actions of the polyphenols in green tea inhibit mutation of the DNA in healthy cells, which can cause them to become cancer cells. In rats injected with a cancer-causing substance and fed green tea, cancer did not develop, but it did in the control group without tea.

An antioxidant made from green tea applied to the skin significantly inhibited growth of induced skin cancer in mice. In similar tests in Fujian province, green tea markedly decreased the incidence of Lung cancer in rats. It seems to be the epigallo catechin gallate (EGCC) that reduces the occurence of aberrant DNA replication in epithelial cells.

Some researchers claim tea acts as a mild germicide in the digestive tract to help prevent food poisoning and diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. “The antibacterial effects of tea have been well documented in Chinese scientific literature,” writes Dr. Albert Y. Leung in Chinese Herbal Remedies. “Green teas have stronger effects than black teas. They are effective against any types of bacteria, including those that cause dysentery, diphtheria, and cholera… in treating bacillary dysentery, amoebic dysentery, acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and intestine), and enteritis (inflammation of the intestine).”

When pregnant or nursing only small amounts of green tea should be used, it may also interfere with the action of MAO inhibitors and blood thinning medication. Also the consumption of green tea may interfere with the absorption of medicines. This article is intended to be for information about the nutritional benefits of green tea only and should not be regarded as medical advice in its own right. You should seek the assistance of a qualified physician if you require medical advice on any condition mentioned in this article.

Kevin Woodward looks after the In Nature web site at http://www.in-nature.com/teas/ which offers top quality Chinese teas and herbs for sale securely online. Memberships are available which entitles you to discounts on the products and a free health consultation, the latter is based on traditional Chinese medicine.

For years now we have heard that supplementing our diets with vitamins and minerals will help us to be healthier by supplying our bodies with nutrients that are not received by the foods we eat. The media has documented the many studies that have been performed to conclude vitamin and mineral supplements are beneficial to our health. As most of us have been led to believe, the supplements that are sold over the counter can be beneficial to our health if taken as prescribed.

The marketing of some supplements make it sound like these products are wonder remedies that can eliminate certain health conditions. Some companies even claim that their products are the only ones that contain certain key ingredients or are manufactured using unique methods.

Are these claims actually valid though? Do these products really supply your body and your cells with vital nutrients that are needed for optimum health? The shocking truth is that most supplements sold in stores are not beneficial to your health as claimed! In fact, they can even be quite harmful under certain circumstances.

First of all, almost all vitamin and mineral supplements that are sold in grocery stores and pharmacies contain ingredients that are synthetic. This means they are not natural and have been formulated in a lab somewhere.

Another important point is that synthetic supplements contain vitamins and minerals that are only fractions of real nutrients. It is almost like getting only 6 eggs in a 12- egg carton. Thus, most supplement products sold either at a drug store, grocery store, or any other supplement store will contain these synthetic nutrients and are not full factors of vitamins and minerals.

The Dangers of Synthetic Nutrients!

There have been studies done to show that many people who ingest synthetic supplements have these pills still in their digestive tract somewhere. If a supplement is all -natural and in whole food form then this will never happen since the body easily and readily processes the ingredients accordingly because they are recognizable to the cells. When an ingredient is foreign (synthetic), the body doesn’t know what to do with it many times and can sit in your system indefinitely. Don’t let this happen to you!

GOD created fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, roots, and sea plants to supply our bodies with all of the nutrients that our cells require for optimum health. These GOD given whole foods are the only true source of nutrients that our bodies recognize and benefit from. Through photosynthesis and other divine processes, these natural foods draw up nutrients out of the soil through their roots and convert them into a form that our bodies can recognize and absorb.

Synthetic supplements can actually cause a person harm. If taken long term, remnants of these synthetics can be stored in a person’s joints and cause arthritic conditions and other joint problems.

They may even get stored in the liver or kidneys and cause deposits that impact your overall health. Additionally, in an attempt to process these synthetic nutrients, the body will actually use up vitamins and minerals to try to rid it of these unrecognizable compounds.

It does not make any sense to take a product that will strip you of vital nutrients when you are trying to receive these nutrients in the first place. Therefore, most of the products out at the market are a waste of money and can harm you. Additionally, store bought supplements are usually made with ingredients such as artificial colors, crude oils, coal tar, pesticides and other contaminants that can be toxic to your cells.

Many of the products you see in the market have also been sitting on a shelf for indefinite periods of time. Some products on the shelf may be years old. I would strongly recommend staying away from such products. You need to learn how to read labels if you are to find a good supplement but as I have discovered there are not many in most stores.

Your body can only recognize and absorb substances that are natural and in whole food form. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients in perfect ratios and proportions. Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, bioflavanoids and other bionutrients are in perfect balance in these foods. Your cells can only be nourished with the perfect ratios and proportions of these natural whole foods. God knows best!

Most supplements contain isolated nutrients, synthetic nutrients, and inappropriately combined nutrients. You can not just take individual nutrients from many sources and then combine them into one supplement. This is how many of the supplements on the market are manufactured. This method of combining and manufacturing results in a product that is not useful or healthy to your cells.

Even if a supplement contains all natural ingredients, it may not be serving you well. Nature and whole foods have the only perfect combination and proportions of nutrients. When you start pulling vitamins here and minerals there from many sources, you destroy these unique nutrient combinations and proportions that your cells require for proper assimilation and absorption.

As an analogy, let us take water for example. The molecular structure of water is H20. In this perfect structure you have a compound that is vital to life. Now, let us take the H2 (Hydrogen) away from the O (Oxygen) and you are left with 2 separate compounds. Hydrogen on its own can be very dangerous and highly explosive. Oxygen under certain circumstances can also be very dangerous and explosive.

Before the separation of the Hydrogen and Oxygen we had a substance that was very nourishing. After the separation, we have two volatile compounds that are no longer nourishing to your cells as before.

As you can see from this simple example, you can not go in and start separating substances because you change not only the molecular structure but also the health benefits of a particular compound.

Whole Food Supplements

Creating a whole food supplement is a very complex process. There are many factors to take into consideration when manufacturing a nutrition product. There are not many companies in the world that can create a whole food supplement that retains all the natural components required for your cells. My “motto” is if you are going to spend money on nutritional supplements then buy ones that are in whole food form and benefit your health. Why would you want to waste your money on inferior products, synthetic compounds, toxic fillers and isolated nutrients? Just buy the best and you will feel the results!

So, are there any nutritional supplements that are good for you and provide the benefits that are claimed? Well, through my personal experience and extensive research, there are not many products out there that can deliver nutrients in whole food form that is required by your cells.

There are some great products available at health food stores, however, you really need to know what you are looking for as far as ingredients and processing methods. It would be in your best interest to learn how to read labels and ingredients.

TRUE NUTRIENTS ONLY COME FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Rino Soriano is a Holistic Wellness Consultant & Health Coach. He specializes in educating people on how to create optimum health for themselves. Rino had chronic fatigue syndrome for over 4 years and healed himself through self empowerment and holistic healing modalities.

Rino clearly shows how the body is highly intelligent and can heal itself…once you know the proper information that is. He also teaches how the body is programmed for perfect health, however, due to stress, pollution, nutrient deficient food and polluted water the human body becomes overloaded and needs help to restore itself.

With Rino’s expertise, learning how to create optimum health is very easy.

Rino now offers online health seminars educating and empowering people to create optimum health for themselves.

Educating & Empowering People For Optimum Health

Rino’s book How To Create & Maintain Optimum Health For Life is receiving excellent feedback.
http://www.healthsecretsneverbeforerevealed.com

Fat Loss Supplement – what is it?

What is a fat loss supplement? The term “fat loss supplement” is familiar to almost everyone nowadays. It is a dietary supplement that is designed to help people who use it to achieve a considerable loss of weight. Currently many high protein and low carbohydrate diets in the US market are promising quick and easy weight loss. Examples of fat loss supplement products include but are not limited to Solidax ADX, Phentermine, Kava – Herbal, Xenical, Fat Absorber TDSL, Bontril, Meridia, and many more.

Fat Loss Supplement – which to use?

There is a huge variety of fat loss supplement products available in the market nowadays. Because there is no scientific proof of the effectiveness of most of the fat loss supplement products, there is no suitable way to help the patients compare the different fat loss products available on the market. The best thing to do is to consult with your doctor or other health professionals. Also look very carefully at the labels.

Fat Loss Supplement – exercising.

When someone is using some type of fat loss supplement product, it is important that you also follow some type of exercising program. Exercising is a key for most of the weight loss programs. But unfortunately, according to many health researchers, the dramatic benefit of exercise is not fully understood by more than half of the patients previously involved in a weight loss program.

Fat Loss Supplement – diet.

Diet is also very important to follow when you are using some type of fat loss supplement product. With many weight loss programs the greatest benefit is achieved when diet is combined with the use of fat loss supplement. Consult with your doctor for the best possible combination of diet and supplements.

*****************************************************************

More information at http://www.liquid-vitamins-4u.com

HI FOLKS,

I want to tell you about trans-fats. In our food, we find 3 types of fat;

• Saturated fat, which is mostly of animal origin and should be eaten only in small amounts, as saturated fats raise blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Diets high in saturated fat are linked to heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and arterial damage.

• Unsaturated fats are generally healthy and usually of plant origin. These fats reduce the blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, and increase the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. A majority of the fats in your diet should be unsaturated (oily fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados).

• Trans-fats are mostly artificially produced; they are cheap and have a longer shelf life that natural fat. Trans-fats also increase the blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, and here is the double whammy; they also decrease levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. These guys are BAD for you.

When you look at the nutrition label on a packet, you should find fat separated into saturated and unsaturated; giving you an idea about how healthy the food is. Foods high in saturated fats should be used minimally. Only occasionally will you find trans-fats listed here. To find them, you often have to look at the ingredients where they will be labeled; hydrogenated fats, shortening or partially-hydrogenated fats.

Trans-fats have no nutritional benefits, and are actively unhealthy; linked to heart disease, hypertension, damaged and blocked arteries, stroke, diabetes, lowered immune systems, low amounts of ‘cream’ in breast milk, impaired absorption of vitamins and minerals, and general digestive disorders. They are so widely used in food production, that you will find them everywhere. They are found in some restaurant and fast food, cakes, biscuits, puddings, prepared meals, supermarket bakery products, pastries, chocolate (especially with soft fillings), diet products, sauces, mixes, cooking fat, margarine, old cooking oils, yep, pretty much everything. Occasionally they are not labeled at all, especially in margarines, so swap to butter, or choose a spread specifically labeled ‘contains no trans-fats.’

It is believed that there are health problems of epidemic proportions looming just over the horizon. An entire generation of children have been brought up consuming foods containing significant quantities of these fats. Doctors are finding teenagers with levels of arterial damage and hypertension previously only found in middle-aged people. There is growing concern that trans-fats are destroying our health, and reducing our life expectancy.

Make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for these unhealthy fats, especially in food given to children. Check the back of packets for hydrogenated fats, or choose organic foods, as hydrogenated fats are prohibited in organic food.
Happy eating,
Vikki.

To receive Vikkis weekly newsletter E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk Get fitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes. Please visit www.corporatechill.com.

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

The Chinese have been using ginseng tea for their health for thousands of years. Experts in Chinese medicine recommend that it should be drunk daily or whenever one is feeling unwell. However, it should only be a secondary boost to health and not used as a primary form of cure for any illnesses. It should be used for maintaining health and not curing diseases or illnesses.

It was discovered that the weather and soil conditions of the United States and Canada are suitable for growing ginseng. As a result, there have been great exports of ginseng to China or overseas Chinese communities, as well as Korea.

The principle ingredients of American ginseng tea are panax quinquefolium, herbal lysimachiae and radix glycyrrhizae. American ginseng is gown in North America, in the temperate belts like Wisconsin. American ginseng is sometimes referred to as quinquefolium. Ginseng tea is probably the most popular use for Wisconsin ginseng.

The tea can be made from the whole root, slices, ginseng tea cut or ginseng tea bags. When using the whole root for cooking or ginseng tea, it is often sliced or broken into smaller pieces so that it does not have to simmer for long. The ginseng slices are very popular, because they have already been sliced into thinner pieces and are ready for use.

When making ginseng tea, it usually takes about 2-3 grams of ginseng per cup of tea. This is about 5-8 slices, about 1 teaspoon of ginseng tea cut or powder, or one tea bag. Ginseng tea is very simple to prepare. Just add the ginseng to hot water and allow it to steep for about 4-5 minutes, or as long as you like, depending on how “”strong”" you like tea. The ginseng can usually be reused for about 2-3 cups of tea and then eaten if desired.

Ginseng provides detailed information on Ginseng, Growing Ginseng, Ginseng Tea, American Ginseng and more. Ginseng is affiliated with Therapeutic Essential Oils.

The word is out, beans are in! Legumes(beans, peas and lentils) are not only nutritious but delicious. Though beans have often been neglected in the Western diet, they have long since been an important part of traditional diets around the world. Many people in North America are discovering that beans are not only tasty, easy to prepare, economical but are good for you. Legumes are an important food source. They are an excellent source of protein, are low in fat, high in fiber, loaded with complex carbohydrates and have many essential micronutrients.

We do not know the exact relationship between diet and disease however it has become accepted that healthy eating can improve our chances of preventing diseases such as heart disease, strokes and some forms of cancer. Substituting beans, peas and lentils for foods that are high in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates is likely to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Research is showing that plant protein helps protct the heart by lowering blood cholesterol levels in many people.

Beans are good for diabetics too because they contain complex carbohydrates and lots of fiber that helps keep blood sugar on an even keel. It is also a good way to add variety to gluten free diets.

New research suggests that muscle soreness after strenous and prolonged exercise can be reduced by eating foods that contain antioxidants which includes fruit, vegetables and beans. Red kidney beans, pinto and black beas are included in the US Dept of Agriculture’s list of the 20 best “muscle-saving” foods.

The beans which our mothers used to make the occasional casserole or soup are not the same as today’s beans. The new strains of beans are being grown with thinner skins which shorten the cooking times. Dried beans do NOT have to be soaked overnight – you can use the quick soak method. With the explosion of interest in bean cookery, there is much more rapid turnover in supermarket and bulk food stores, hence beans are fresher and have faster cooking times. The cooking times sugggested in many recipe books will produce “bean mush”.

Canned beans make it easy for the busy cook to prepare a tasty meal quickly. (Just be sure to rinse them well before using).

There are now many delicious recipes for everything from appetizers, soups, salads, main and side dishes and none are hard on the pocket book.

Another great thing about beans is their flexibility – you don’t have to follow a recipe slavishly but can use your available supplies and ingenuity. You can also use them as a meat extender in some of your favorite recipes.

As we continue to eat healthier by cutting fat and not flavor and by eating less meat, there is an increasing emphasis on legumes as an essentil part of today’s diet. Two recent food pyramids, The Asian an Mediterranean both support this trend by recommending a daily serving of beans, peas and lentils.

Let the bean bonanza begin!

Trish Ross has been researching the world of beans for over 10 years and is the author of Easy Beans and More Easy Beans, two bestselling bean cookbooks. Visit her website at http://www.easybeanscookbook.com