I did an article for submission recently and it's about the neglected importance of fibre in our diets. It's suited for those with health-related problems, especially towards eating disorders/overeating/diabetes/constipation and etc.
I thought it was a valuable piece of information that I knew about and I thought I could've shared it with you guys :)
Enjoy!
----------------------
Firstly, let us look into the issue here. What exactly, is fibre? Or for the matter of fact, we could be more specific and technical here – What is Dietary Fibre?
Ok, basically dietary fibre represents all the parts of plant foods that your body can’t digest or absorb! Amongst so – we have 2 big components to look at here which I shall mention below.
#1 Insoluble Fibre.
This is the type of fibre that increases the movement of material inside your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it could actually benefit those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools! Examples of these would include Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, lentils and raw vegetables.
#2 Soluble Fibre.
This type of fibre dissolves in water in your tract to help lower your blood cholesterol and glucose levels. You can find abundance of these in fruits like apples, oranges, anything citrus, carrots, barley, oats, peas, etc.
The amount of both types of fibre differentiates between the different plant foods – so the best way to optimize and enjoy the greatest health benefits would be to eat a balanced wide-variety of all of those fibre-packed foods!
#1 Fibre fights Constipation!
As fibre isn’t digested by your body, it passes through your small intestines and into your colon. This also means that it increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it so that your bowel could regulate passing of motion.
#2 Fibre Lowers Risks of Disorders!
Some people suffer from specific disorders like hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome and development of small pouches in your colon. Fibre – especially soluble fibre could be your best friend here. It helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and slows the absorption rates of sugar – which helps lower glucose levels for people with diabetes, as it helps to improve the blood sugar levels. Thus, it also reduces the risk of Type II Diabetes!
#3 Fibre helps you with Weight Loss
As fibre-foods require you to spend more time chewing, it creates a psychological effect on your brain as well as your more time for your body to register that you’re no longer hungry so you’re less likely to overeat because you realize you’re full.
High fibre meals also tend to keep you fuller for a longer period of time because you don’t digest it! Also it has fewer calories as compared to the other types of food with the same volume.
Can we not see how important and useful fibre could be? Don’t we want to keep ourselves away from all the irritating times of constipation, feeling hungry, and lower our risk of getting into some uncertain disorders? Perhaps it’s about time we realize the importance of fibre intake in our diets today!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
In courtesy of dear-martha.com,
Chocolate Cupcakes
200 g dark chocolate
50 g butter
2 eggs
2,5 dl sugar
1 tsk vanilla sugar
1,25 dl flour
1 krm baking powder
100 g dark chocolate
½ dl whipping cream
Sprinkles
1. Put the oven on 175° Celsius.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and blend with the melted butter. Whip eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar until it turns white, and pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl. Blend flour and baking powder and pour into the mixture.
3. Fill small cupcake tins with the mixture.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for about seven minutes.
5. Now start with the icing: Crack the chocolate into small pieces and put them in a bowl. Warm the cream on the stove, and pour over the chocolate. Let it melt, and then cool down for a couple of minutes. Spread the cupcakes with the icing, and finish with sprinkles. If a present: put in a beautiful box and tie a ribbon around it.
For more about such recipes, read more here
Hope you enjoyed the beautiful recipe! :)
Cheers
Paul
Chocolate Cupcakes
200 g dark chocolate
50 g butter
2 eggs
2,5 dl sugar
1 tsk vanilla sugar
1,25 dl flour
1 krm baking powder
100 g dark chocolate
½ dl whipping cream
Sprinkles
1. Put the oven on 175° Celsius.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and blend with the melted butter. Whip eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar until it turns white, and pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl. Blend flour and baking powder and pour into the mixture.
3. Fill small cupcake tins with the mixture.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for about seven minutes.
5. Now start with the icing: Crack the chocolate into small pieces and put them in a bowl. Warm the cream on the stove, and pour over the chocolate. Let it melt, and then cool down for a couple of minutes. Spread the cupcakes with the icing, and finish with sprinkles. If a present: put in a beautiful box and tie a ribbon around it.
For more about such recipes, read more here
Hope you enjoyed the beautiful recipe! :)
Cheers
Paul
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
5 Easy Tips to Picking Healthy Bread
It’s common to hear people say among themselves, “Should I eat Multi-grain or whole grain? Does the bread have enough fibre in it? Should it be thin-sliced/low-carb?” Then again when we make decisions upon getting bread products such as muffins, pancakes, wraps, bagels, and a whole bunch of other choices – our heads often end up in a whirlpool as we don’t know exactly what should we be buying!
Well, now let me share with you these wonderful tips for making a great choice then. The key is to keep your eyes pinned to the labels’ nutritional facts/ingredients. This guide is absolutely simple, and it will surely help you navigate to make the healthiest choice. (I'm just so health conscious, oh dear!)
#1 Let’s identify the Types of Flour
Whole wheat flour is the no.1 ranker in bread as it is made off complete grain, including the germ and the bran. That means, you would receive naturally from the grain all the healthy benefits!
Enriched wheat flour is flour that has been artificially enriched with certain nutrients that are lost in the procession of bread-forming, this often includes minerals like niacin, vitamin D, iron, calcium etc. You can say that despite adding back some of these nutrients; the bread still does not contain germ nor bran and isn’t as good as compared to the whole wheat flour!
Wheat flour looks and sounds similar to Whole wheat but does not contain the germ or the bran and therefore it is not entirely nutritious as whole wheat flour.
#2 Look out for the ‘Words’ on Labels
Often you see many types of words and ingredients listed on the labels – that keeps you confused as you don’t know exactly what to look out for to have yourself make the best choice whilst seeking the healthier option. Therefore, look out for breads that have the word “Whole” on the label. Bread with words like “Whole grain, whole wheat, stone-ground whole wheat” are kings upon making choices. These are the products that provide you the entire health benefits – as well as entire germ and bran.
#3 Read out the Ingredients List in Hierarchical Order
When you look onto a list of ingredients on a bread package, make sure you read it from top to bottom. This is because the first ingredient mentioned is always the largest amount which then descends by weight down the list until the last few ingredients. So now you know if the word “Whole wheat” appears far at the bottom on the list – it probably means that it contains very little content of that, however if it appears FIRST on the list – it has got to be rich and full of that ingredient. Pick those types of bread!
#4 Avoid bread Ingredient-marketing Gimmicks!
Sometimes you pick bread and on their package captions you read “made with whole grains” – noticed carefully the words used and you would be able to see that most of the time these breads do not always contain whole wheat. For example, “Made with Whole Grains Gardenia White Bread” uses enriched wheat flour, and not whole wheat flour! Whole wheat only appears 4th on the list of ingredients after water. Would you prefer bread with more water than true good old wheat? I guess not.
#5 Serving Size
This is one portion that’s many-a-time often unlooked! You have to check that out. Let’s say if you were to reduce your calorie intake, choose bread with thinner slices as they weigh less. You have to decide the serving size depending on your personal goals and perspective towards what you want to get!
For example, if you pick Brand “A” bread which has a serving size of 38 grams and 100 calories per slice vs Brand “B” bread with a serving size of 27 grams and 70 calories per slice – in a loaf, you’re actually cutting yourself down on 400+ calories!
p.s. I hope this article has added value in your search for making the right bread choices to stay healthy, fit and looking good!
Enjoy!
Paul
Well, now let me share with you these wonderful tips for making a great choice then. The key is to keep your eyes pinned to the labels’ nutritional facts/ingredients. This guide is absolutely simple, and it will surely help you navigate to make the healthiest choice. (I'm just so health conscious, oh dear!)
#1 Let’s identify the Types of Flour
Whole wheat flour is the no.1 ranker in bread as it is made off complete grain, including the germ and the bran. That means, you would receive naturally from the grain all the healthy benefits!
Enriched wheat flour is flour that has been artificially enriched with certain nutrients that are lost in the procession of bread-forming, this often includes minerals like niacin, vitamin D, iron, calcium etc. You can say that despite adding back some of these nutrients; the bread still does not contain germ nor bran and isn’t as good as compared to the whole wheat flour!
Wheat flour looks and sounds similar to Whole wheat but does not contain the germ or the bran and therefore it is not entirely nutritious as whole wheat flour.
#2 Look out for the ‘Words’ on Labels
Often you see many types of words and ingredients listed on the labels – that keeps you confused as you don’t know exactly what to look out for to have yourself make the best choice whilst seeking the healthier option. Therefore, look out for breads that have the word “Whole” on the label. Bread with words like “Whole grain, whole wheat, stone-ground whole wheat” are kings upon making choices. These are the products that provide you the entire health benefits – as well as entire germ and bran.
#3 Read out the Ingredients List in Hierarchical Order
When you look onto a list of ingredients on a bread package, make sure you read it from top to bottom. This is because the first ingredient mentioned is always the largest amount which then descends by weight down the list until the last few ingredients. So now you know if the word “Whole wheat” appears far at the bottom on the list – it probably means that it contains very little content of that, however if it appears FIRST on the list – it has got to be rich and full of that ingredient. Pick those types of bread!
#4 Avoid bread Ingredient-marketing Gimmicks!
Sometimes you pick bread and on their package captions you read “made with whole grains” – noticed carefully the words used and you would be able to see that most of the time these breads do not always contain whole wheat. For example, “Made with Whole Grains Gardenia White Bread” uses enriched wheat flour, and not whole wheat flour! Whole wheat only appears 4th on the list of ingredients after water. Would you prefer bread with more water than true good old wheat? I guess not.
#5 Serving Size
This is one portion that’s many-a-time often unlooked! You have to check that out. Let’s say if you were to reduce your calorie intake, choose bread with thinner slices as they weigh less. You have to decide the serving size depending on your personal goals and perspective towards what you want to get!
For example, if you pick Brand “A” bread which has a serving size of 38 grams and 100 calories per slice vs Brand “B” bread with a serving size of 27 grams and 70 calories per slice – in a loaf, you’re actually cutting yourself down on 400+ calories!
p.s. I hope this article has added value in your search for making the right bread choices to stay healthy, fit and looking good!
Enjoy!
Paul
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wheat & Gluten Free Cake & Pastry Recipes
Hey guys!
It's been a few days since my last post. I've been busy but oh well. I have been reading about Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Desserts recently and I thought I'd just share something more with you guys. Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Recipes are for those people who're unfortunate to be wheat-intolerant or suffer a celiac disease. It's such a waste actually because wheat is like everything to me...! I cannot imagine living without it, seriously.
Simply put, if you have celiac disease and eat gluten, your body will not absorb the nutrition from the foods you eat. This will not only cause your lower-tract distress, but could also lead to further serious health problems!
If you think you might be suffering from the disease - check the Celiac Sprue Association to find out more about the symptoms (of which includes weight loss, skin rashes, fatigue, etc)
Anyway, below is a great Cinnamon Chocolate Cake recipe I thought I should share with you. :)
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9-inch pan. Place the pecans in a food processor or blender and process until it's very fine! Next, you add the butter, granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, eggs, and vanilla; allow it to process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and then process for another 30 seconds.
After so, you can pour the batter into the greased pan, and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes; remove the sides of the pan and let it cool on the rack!
There you go, a brilliant recipe that makes 12 servings! :)
It's been a few days since my last post. I've been busy but oh well. I have been reading about Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Desserts recently and I thought I'd just share something more with you guys. Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Recipes are for those people who're unfortunate to be wheat-intolerant or suffer a celiac disease. It's such a waste actually because wheat is like everything to me...! I cannot imagine living without it, seriously.
Simply put, if you have celiac disease and eat gluten, your body will not absorb the nutrition from the foods you eat. This will not only cause your lower-tract distress, but could also lead to further serious health problems!
If you think you might be suffering from the disease - check the Celiac Sprue Association to find out more about the symptoms (of which includes weight loss, skin rashes, fatigue, etc)
Anyway, below is a great Cinnamon Chocolate Cake recipe I thought I should share with you. :)
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9-inch pan. Place the pecans in a food processor or blender and process until it's very fine! Next, you add the butter, granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, eggs, and vanilla; allow it to process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and then process for another 30 seconds.
After so, you can pour the batter into the greased pan, and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 15 minutes; remove the sides of the pan and let it cool on the rack!
There you go, a brilliant recipe that makes 12 servings! :)
Monday, May 28, 2007
Peter makes Lethal Cupcakes
Hahaha.. I just love Family Guy!
Have a good laugh. I wanna make killer cupcakes as well! (I mean the ones that SELL)
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Solving The 6 Biggest Mistakes Faced When Baking Bread
Solving The 6 Biggest Mistakes Faced When Baking Bread
Baking Mistake #1
The most common mistake by far would be when you forgot to add salt when you mould your dough. The outcome is that this results in a really bland bread, and affects the rising of the dough even – Causing your bread to lie flat on top.
My solution to you is for you to post “stick-ups” and notes on places like your kitchen wall, fridge, recipe book, next time so that you will never ever have to forget about adding salt to your dough again! Don’t sacrifice a good bake because of poor memory!
Baking Mistake #2
When people heat up their kettles and water to add yeast in, they often accidentally leave it overheated. This is a huge mistake! It will destroy the yeast and your bread will not rise. You can correct this by investing a little in a good old cooking thermometer. That will make your temperature measurements and life so much easier for you!
Baking Mistake #3
Another common mistake is when people allow the bread dough to over rise, which then leads to it having to fall.
This happens many a time when people forget about their dough. As everyone gets a little busy, worked up, and over-excited – Who doesn’t forget little things as such?
Yet so, don’t worry! Solution: If the bread is already on the pans when it over rises, just use a simple pair of kitchen scissors to cut off all the excess dough on the unbaked sides of the loaves. Next, you segregate and roll the dough into small little balls of dough. Be patient, allow them to rise from about 20 to 30 minutes on a cookie sheet (oiled), then bake them on 350F for about 15 to 25 minutes as the bread rolls.
Remember to allow the loaves of dough to rise for another 10 minutes extra before having it baked extremely flat on top.
Baking Mistake #4
Your bread gets burned. Yes, nothing can get any worse than bread black as charcoal! To avoid that, have yourself be sure that you follow all baking times and temperatures strictly like a work timetable/routine. Again, do not be shy to make the timer your best friend – it could and would save your bread from getting roasted!
Also, keep in mind that temperatures vary from different oven types (Gas to electric). Therefore, make sure the temperatures used are constant in whatever oven you’re baking with.
Baking Mistake #5
Don’t forget about air bubbles when you bake! “Pockets” they call it, creates large holes inside the bread after it’s done baking. This makes your bread very fluffy and gives it poor texture and taste. It loses the aroma and quality as well.
The best solution would be to pinch those “pockets” whenever you notice them occurring in your baking dough before having it baked. This will inflate any such bubbles and save your bread from deterioration.
Baking Mistake #6
Ok…...last but not least, what flour should you use? Should you add some sunflower seeds? Add rye with oregano, and honey?
I know every once in awhile everyone likes to get creative but be sure to know your ingredients well before you attempt to jumble them all up and have them mixed! Imagine baking a large amount of loaves for your family on a weekend only to have them look you in the eye in dismay and disappointment of weird tasting bread they have had to put up with. Be sure to experiment with small amounts of such dough/ingredients in advance before you attempt to bake it large and huge in quantity!
Now I’m sure you know what to do and what not-to-do! Know your ingredients well, keep the 6 deadly mistakes of bread baking in mind - and you’re on the way to becoming a great successful bread maker!
Have fun and share with your friends about your baking adventures today.
Cheers! :)
Paul
(This article has also been featured on EzineArticles!)
Baking Mistake #1
The most common mistake by far would be when you forgot to add salt when you mould your dough. The outcome is that this results in a really bland bread, and affects the rising of the dough even – Causing your bread to lie flat on top.
My solution to you is for you to post “stick-ups” and notes on places like your kitchen wall, fridge, recipe book, next time so that you will never ever have to forget about adding salt to your dough again! Don’t sacrifice a good bake because of poor memory!
Baking Mistake #2
When people heat up their kettles and water to add yeast in, they often accidentally leave it overheated. This is a huge mistake! It will destroy the yeast and your bread will not rise. You can correct this by investing a little in a good old cooking thermometer. That will make your temperature measurements and life so much easier for you!
Baking Mistake #3
Another common mistake is when people allow the bread dough to over rise, which then leads to it having to fall.
This happens many a time when people forget about their dough. As everyone gets a little busy, worked up, and over-excited – Who doesn’t forget little things as such?
Yet so, don’t worry! Solution: If the bread is already on the pans when it over rises, just use a simple pair of kitchen scissors to cut off all the excess dough on the unbaked sides of the loaves. Next, you segregate and roll the dough into small little balls of dough. Be patient, allow them to rise from about 20 to 30 minutes on a cookie sheet (oiled), then bake them on 350F for about 15 to 25 minutes as the bread rolls.
Remember to allow the loaves of dough to rise for another 10 minutes extra before having it baked extremely flat on top.
Baking Mistake #4
Your bread gets burned. Yes, nothing can get any worse than bread black as charcoal! To avoid that, have yourself be sure that you follow all baking times and temperatures strictly like a work timetable/routine. Again, do not be shy to make the timer your best friend – it could and would save your bread from getting roasted!
Also, keep in mind that temperatures vary from different oven types (Gas to electric). Therefore, make sure the temperatures used are constant in whatever oven you’re baking with.
Baking Mistake #5
Don’t forget about air bubbles when you bake! “Pockets” they call it, creates large holes inside the bread after it’s done baking. This makes your bread very fluffy and gives it poor texture and taste. It loses the aroma and quality as well.
The best solution would be to pinch those “pockets” whenever you notice them occurring in your baking dough before having it baked. This will inflate any such bubbles and save your bread from deterioration.
Baking Mistake #6
Ok…...last but not least, what flour should you use? Should you add some sunflower seeds? Add rye with oregano, and honey?
I know every once in awhile everyone likes to get creative but be sure to know your ingredients well before you attempt to jumble them all up and have them mixed! Imagine baking a large amount of loaves for your family on a weekend only to have them look you in the eye in dismay and disappointment of weird tasting bread they have had to put up with. Be sure to experiment with small amounts of such dough/ingredients in advance before you attempt to bake it large and huge in quantity!
Now I’m sure you know what to do and what not-to-do! Know your ingredients well, keep the 6 deadly mistakes of bread baking in mind - and you’re on the way to becoming a great successful bread maker!
Have fun and share with your friends about your baking adventures today.
Cheers! :)
Paul
(This article has also been featured on EzineArticles!)
Friday, May 25, 2007
I'm featured on EzineArticles!
I did an article on preparing 3D Birthday Cakes for kids and guessed what?
They gave me the status of an "Expert Author" over at Ezine Articles for that! Wow, I am feeling so honoured now!
Anyhow..here's a short preview of it for your reading pleasure :)
* 3 Secrets to Creating The Best Birthday Cakes for your Kids!
[Food-and-Drink] Don't you like being able to create stuff on your own? Be creative and try out something new today! If you don't know how to bake, can't or won't bake for some other reason or another - well let me share with you on how to make a birthday cake for your kid in a totally new perspective! Not all birthday cakes...
Paul Chen
(Quick! Click the avatar to read the rest of it!)
I will write more articles soon. I'ld post them up on this blog as well. Just..be patient!
Soon, I would mention about healthier baking options - ways to eat healthier food outside of home, how to choose the right bread / what contents /ingredients to look out for / how to create a better diet with the right choices of bread when you shop at supermarkets out there....
It's going to potentially rich and valuable content that I've personally been following like rituals in my past dieting plans, routines and such to achieve my current physical attributes - So be sure to come back and learn out how I did so!
It's a pleasure sharing. It would be nice to hear from your stories, your recipes, your comments as well. So be nice, drop a comment, or an email, or a message at MyBlogLog or something.
p.s. Add me on your Feeds/RSS!
Cheers
Paul
They gave me the status of an "Expert Author" over at Ezine Articles for that! Wow, I am feeling so honoured now!
Anyhow..here's a short preview of it for your reading pleasure :)
* 3 Secrets to Creating The Best Birthday Cakes for your Kids!
[Food-and-Drink] Don't you like being able to create stuff on your own? Be creative and try out something new today! If you don't know how to bake, can't or won't bake for some other reason or another - well let me share with you on how to make a birthday cake for your kid in a totally new perspective! Not all birthday cakes...
Paul Chen
(Quick! Click the avatar to read the rest of it!)
I will write more articles soon. I'ld post them up on this blog as well. Just..be patient!
Soon, I would mention about healthier baking options - ways to eat healthier food outside of home, how to choose the right bread / what contents /ingredients to look out for / how to create a better diet with the right choices of bread when you shop at supermarkets out there....
It's going to potentially rich and valuable content that I've personally been following like rituals in my past dieting plans, routines and such to achieve my current physical attributes - So be sure to come back and learn out how I did so!
It's a pleasure sharing. It would be nice to hear from your stories, your recipes, your comments as well. So be nice, drop a comment, or an email, or a message at MyBlogLog or something.
p.s. Add me on your Feeds/RSS!
Cheers
Paul
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