Archive for category: Food

These days we’re all aware that one of the keys to staying healthy is to eat a balanced diet comprised of high-quality, unprocessed foods. For those of us who want to include meat in our menus even on an occasional basis, the question is: which are the healthiest meats? Here are a few suggestions, and some of them may surprise you!

Wagyu Ribeye

Let’s start with the superstar of the beef world. Wagyu beef doesn’t come cheap, but there’s a good reason for that. If you’re concerned about animal welfare, you can be assured that Wagyu cattle are raised in a stress-free environment, receive optimum nutrition, and their well-being is prioritized.

Wagyu meat is not only delicious, it’s an important source of essential vitamins and nutrients. There’s no need to be concerned about the fat content, because it’s high in unsaturated (healthy) fats, such as Omega 3s. Wagyu beef also contains up to 30% more CLA, often associated with assisting weight loss and retaining lean muscle mass, than any other food.  Make Kobe ribeye steaks are a fantasticly luxurious and healthy treat.

Lamb

Lamb is a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, niacin, zinc, and iron. When the leaner cuts are prepared with lots of vegetables which are also packed with vitamins, minerals and enzymes, you can create a wide range of nourishing and balanced meals.

Bison

This is one of the leanest red meats, which makes it healthier from the start. It’s lower in calories than beef.  It’s also rich in iron, zinc, vitamin B12, omega 3-fats, and the antioxidant selenium. The only caveat is that, although in the US most bison are raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones, grass-fed meat is healthier and also more sustainable so check before buying.

Goat

Although this isn’t often seen as a natural choice in the USA, around 75% of the world’s population regularly eat goat. It has far less fat and fewer calories than other red meats and is packed with vitamins and nutrients. It also has even less saturated fat than chicken. Although it’s often thought to be tough, slow cooking can change all that, so try a Jamaican or Indian goat curry to get started.

Chicken

We’ve left this until last, as it seems an obvious choice. But is chicken actually healthy? Well, yes, from the point of view of nutritional content. As it’s low in saturated fat, it’s often considered a healthy alternative to red meat. It also contains vitamins and minerals such as B6, B12, iron, zinc, and copper.  However, it is important to consider how the birds are raised and processed- look for free-range chickens which have been allowed to roam outside, and an organic certification, which will show that they haven’t been routinely treated with antibiotics and other drugs.

Meat can be a delicious and healthy way to incorporate more protein into your diet. In the interests of animal welfare,  maximum nutritional benefits, and of course the best taste, just ensure you opt for high-quality, grass-fed, and organic options whenever possible.

Food and drink are quite literally the source of living and contribute directly to our health and wellbeing. The food revolution of the past couple of years has been nothing short of astounding and just when you think you might have seen it all, something else comes along.

Here are 3 trending and organic products that you should try at some point this year if you can:

• Fermented Foods
• Alcohol-Free Drinks
• Hyper-Local Produce

Fermenting food is nothing new and has been around for a long time but is usually associated with alcohol production, but you can eat it. On the flip side, alcohol-free drinks such as gin are making waves right now and supporting local producers is a great idea, but what if your neighbour grew your food, or better still, you grew it yourself?

Fermented Foods

You might be aware of the fermentation process used in alcohol production, but what about fermented food meant for consumption? Sounds icky, right? But fermented food is actually delicious when the process is done properly and is super healthy.

Fermenting organic vegetables such as cabbage for sauerkraut as a condiment or soybeans for miso as a dressing is an excellent alternative way to use such ingredients. But what of the benefits?

In an increasingly health-conscious world, we are always looking for the next thing to boost our wellbeing. Fermented foods have been proven to be excellent probiotics that promote healthy bacteria in the gut that boosts the digestive system while lowering blood pressure, inflammation, and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Alcohol-Free Drinks

On the opposite side of fermenting foods for health, we have the fermentation for alcohol production. Alcohol has been around since the beginning of civilization at around 5,000 BC and is seen as a staple product in many cultures around the world.

But the dangers of alcohol are well-known, not only the impending doom of alcoholism but heart problems, weight gain, and long-lasting effects such as acid reflux disease and mental issues in some cases. 

Most of us do like to have a little drink, however, but not necessarily to get drunk. The fact is that most alcoholic drinks such as wine, gin, and beer are refreshing and taste great to adults which has caused an industry-wide acknowledgement that maybe alcohol-free beverages should be produced as well.

Zero alcohol beer has been around for a while now, but many established manufacturers such as gin producers, winemakers, and whiskey brewers are all making excellent non-alcoholic spirits. These can be used with mixers such as ginger ale, fruit juices, and even cordials for astonishing safe versions of classic cocktails.

Hyper-Local Produce

The joy of purchasing fresh and organic vegetables from a local producer is something to behold for anyone who loves food. Just knowing exactly where your food comes from and how it is grown puts ease on the mind that you cannot get with supermarket food.

But one growing trend is the use of hyper-local food. This term is traditionally associated with chefs who grow their own produce for their own restaurants such as Raymon Blanc. However, more and more people are beginning to grow their own food.

Gardening for vegetables isn’t as easy as it sounds and it takes great skill, effort, and dedication in order to grow some vegetables that you might take for granted. So, even if you don’t grow yourself, a friend or neighbor might and you should purchase some products from them.

The benefit of this will of course is the taste. There is nothing like the aroma and flavor of a vegetable that was picked from the soil just hours, or even minutes before cooking it.

Athole Brose

You know a cocktail is good when legend says it was used to win a war. The Athole Brose is a drink with a truly remarkable history. Before revealing what is featured in this delicious drink, let’s discover a bit more about the fascinating story behind the cocktail. 

According to Scottish legend, the first Earl of Athol created this drink whilst he was awaiting reinforcements to ambush a fleeing enemy. It’s believed that once he had discovered the hidden hideout of the rebel faction, he sent some of his men to fill their well with oatmeal, honey and whiskey. The men ended up intoxicated from the drink and thus fleeing did not go to plan, as they were easily captured. 

I will leave you to decide whether you believe this legend, but one thing is for sure, this drink has been around for a very long time. In fact, no one really knows when Athole Brose was first consumed in Scotland, but the earliest recorded recipe dates back to 1475. The conventional drink is a mixture of oatmeal, scotch, honey, water and sometimes Drambuie. Drambuie is a blend of aged Scotch whisky, herbs, spices and heather honey. 

To make this drink, you need to steep a volume of oatmeal overnight in three times as much cold water. After this, the liquid is then strained through muslin to get rid of the oatmeal fibre.  

On New Year’s Eve in Scotland, you will find that a lot of people still enjoy this drink as part of the tradition. However, as is the case with most classic cocktails, you will find several variations of the Athole Brose available nowadays. A lot of bartenders opt to make this drink with cream, with many people commenting that it tastes a lot like Bailey’s Irish Cream when prepared in this way. 

Long Island Iced Tea

There are many different stories regarding the origin of Long Island Iced Tea. The first story states that an ‘Old Man Bishop’ invented the drink in the 1920s during the Prohibition. The reason why it was called Long Island Iced Tea is because the Old Man Bishop was from Long Island, a local community in Kingsport, Tennessee. The reason why many people do not agree with this story is because the drink is slightly different from the one we have come to know and love today. The 1920 version was a mix of whiskey, maple syrup and five liquors in varying quantities. The cocktail today features cola and equal portions of the different liquors used.

Those who do not credit Old Man Bishop as the inventor believe that a man called Robert ‘Rosebud’ Butt created Long Island Iced Tea in 1972. He claims that he invented the drink as an entry into a competition. The contest required applicants to create a new mixed drink containing Triple Sec. Butt worked at the Oak Beach Inn on Long Island in New York at the time and many local references accredit him as the creator of the drink.

Long Island Ice Tea recipe

Despite containing a number of ingredients, Long Island Ice Tea is relatively easy to make. You need the following…

• 1 part Vodka

• 1 part White Rum

• 1 part Whiskey

• 1 Part Gin

• 1 Part Tequila

• 1 oz. Cola

• 1 oz. Sugar Syrup

All you need to do is combine the ingredients together in a Collins glass and stir. Unlike many other gin and vodka cocktails, bartenders do not tend to garnish Long Island Iced Tea. It is simply served as it is. You may need heartburn relief if you’re sensitive to alcohol, as it’s known to create acid reflux, especially a strong cocktail like this.

Margarita

If you look online you will see that there are many varying stories about the invention of the Margarita, however, one of the stories that prevails is the one of Carlos Herrera developing the drink in 1938 at his restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, in Tijuana. One of Herrera’s customers, Marjorie King, was allergic to all types of hard alcohol, with tequila being the only exception, and therefore he created the drink for her. He added a wedge of lime and a lick of salt to a traditional tequila shot to make it more palatable for his fussy client. And the Margarita was created, or was it? Another popular story is that a wealthy Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames, created the drink for her friends in 1948 whilst she was at her Acapulco holiday home. One of the guests was Tommy Hilton who then added the drink to the bar menu at his hotel chain. 

Whilst the history of this drink may be confusing, the good news is that the recipe is easy to follow. You will require the following ingredients…

• Tequila

• Triple Sec

• Lime Juice

• Ice 

• Lime Wedge

• Salt

Pour one and a half ounces of tequila into a cocktail shaker. Add half an ounce of triple sec and one ounce of fresh lime juice. Add ice cubes and then shake well. Take a chilled margarita glass and salt the rim. Pour the contents from the cocktail shaker into the glass. Finish off by garnishing with a lime wedge. 

When it comes to your health, that old saying ‘you are what you eat,’ couldn’t be more apt. The fact is that our health reflects what we eat – the healthier we eat, the healthier our bodies tend to be.

Yes, we all know how important following a clean diet is, but is that all it takes to be truly healthy or are there certain foods that give your health that little extra boost? Study after study has shown that there are certain healthy foods that do more for our bodies than others.

Sure, all fruits and vegetables are good for us, but they’re not all equal in terms of how good for us they are and what their health benefits are. There are a lot of foods that are considered healthy, but when it comes to how good for us they are, they’re not all born equal.

So, with that in mind, the question is, which foods can give your health a major boost?

Avocado

One of the most popular foods in the food industry right now – avocado is the new A-lister in the salad bowl. Unlike most other fruits – yes, avocado is a fruit – avocado is high in healthy fats instead of being high in carbohydrates.

Avocado is incredibly high in nutrients compared to many other fruits (and vegetables). One small avocado contains 20 different vitamins and nutrients, including Vitamins K, E, B6, and C – how incredible is that? Avocados also contain more potassium than bananas – potassium is something that most of us aren’t getting enough of.

Then there’s the fact that if you’ve got high cholesterol, eating avocado on a regular basis can help to lower it. As well as being able to reduce the risk of heart disease – the leading cause of all deaths across the world.

Cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is something that we should all be getting more of in our diets. Why? Because apple cider vinegar has many different health benefits, from helping to balance blood sugar to making shedding those extra pounds a little easier.

Of course, the idea of drinking cider vinegar may not appeal to everyone, but if you’re willing to add it to your diet in one way or another, it can have a big impact. A simple way to get cider vinegar into your diet is to cook with it – many people add it to rice to add flavor, for example.

Fruit infused water

Over the past couple of years, fruit infused water has become a huge deal in the health industry, and with good reason. Not only does fruit infused water taste incredible and offer fantastic hydration, but it also has many health benefits. Then there’s also the fact that it tastes amazing – water can be a little boring on its own but infusing fruit into it can make it much more enjoyable to drink. Fruit infused water is also known as detox water because certain types of infusions can help to detoxify the body. For example, studies have shown that by drinking lemon and cucumber water, the body is able to remove toxins more quickly, boosting your health. Research has also shown that certain fruit combinations also allow the body to lose weight more quickly, due to the effect that detoxing has on the body.

Then there’s the fact that infused water helps to keep your organs, skin, and hair healthy. Studies have shown that people who drink fruit-infused water tend to have healthier skin and hair than people who don’t. This is because of the vast amount of vitamins and nutrients that are packed into fruit infused water.

Fruit and vegetable skin

There are some fruits and vegetables that we naturally eat the skin of, such as grapes, berries, and cucumber. However, there are other fruits that we tend to peel, as for some reason we’re under the impression that their skins aren’t nutritious, but that isn’t actually the case.

Various studies have shown that when we strip fruits and vegetables of their skins, we’re actually removing one of the most nutritious parts. For example, because of their bright color, most fruit and vegetable peels are a good source of beneficial phytochemicals. Then there’s the fact that fruit and vegetable skins tend to be higher in fiber than the fruit or vegetable themselves.

Scientists have also found that many fruits and vegetables are more beneficial at protecting against health conditions, like cancer, when eaten whole. Take apples, for example, studies have shown that unpeeled apples have a greater effect on cancer cells than peeled apples. Who knew that eating the peel could make a fruit or vegetable so much more nutritious?

Raw garlic

In ancient times, garlic (particularly raw garlic) was often used to treat a range of health conditions. Although nowadays garlic is most commonly used for cooking, for thousands of years it was most commonly used in medicine. From the Egyptians and Greeks to the Romans, various civilizations relied on garlic for its medicinal benefits throughout history.

Just 28 grams of garlic contains a potent mix of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C and B6. The combination of nutrients found in garlic is able to treat a range of health problems, from the common cold to high blood pressure. Studies have also shown that eating garlic on a regular basis may also help to prevent the onset of dementia in seniors.

Manuka honey

Honey is naturally antibacterial and antibiotic and has many health benefits. Manuka honey, however, is even more beneficial. Wondering what’s so special about Manuka honey? Well, it’s honey produced purely from a manuka bush, hence the name. This specialist type of honey has many benefits that normal honey does not, which is why it’s so popular in the health industry.

Research has shown that Manuka honey has up to four times the vitamins and nutrients or normal honey, meaning that it’s four times more beneficial. All raw honey is high in amino acids, vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc, among other things. However, Manuka honey is much more beneficial.

The health benefits of Manuka honey include for treating skin conditions, like acne and eczema, treating infections such as MRSA, using on burns and sores to speed up healing and offer pain relief, and also using to treat digestive problems, such as IBS.

So, there you have it, the foods and drinks that can give your health a major boost.

People really know me often say I eat like a horse (or pig). Well I’m not ashamed of it because I can’t really help that my appetite for food is huge. Maybe the saying “crazy hungry asians” is true. I’m for sure one of those.

Getting really hungry in the morning and having no idea what’s good for breakfast really was a problem for me in the past. It’s simple because 2 boiled eggs or a couple of toasts with coffee or a little tub of yogurt with a couple of pieces of fruit won’t fill the the big hole inside me. I need way more food than that for breakfast.

Luckily after years of struggle, I know a few good go to breakfast options for me now. They are healthy, easy & quick to prepare and of course big in portion! What can I say, all you need is a big breakfast!

Here are just a few examples:

1. Overnight oats

I had hesitation of making overnight oats for a long time. Firstly I don’t fancy cold breakfast that much. Secondly, I wasn’t sure if the oats will be “cooked properly” by just siting in the fridge overnight. Lastly, I doubted it was going to be tasty enough for me.

How glad I am to have finally tried it out. It’s just a like a magic “no need to cook”, satisfying meal. It takes no time to prepare in the morning and it’s perfectly cooked overnight! It can be super tasty by mixing everything you like together. And not surprisingly, it really feels good to have a cool breakfast in an extremely hot summer morning. If you still don’t like it cold, heat it up in the microwave – problem solved!

For someone who’s lazy and has no patience to wait like me, overnight oats breakfast is God send.

2. Eggs, avocado, nuts, yogurt, fruit and carrot cake!

A big eater often likes a lot of varieties for every single meal. When I say 2 boiled eggs or a couple of toasts with coffee or a little tub of yogurt with a couple of pieces of fruit won’t be big enough for me, it could be ok to have everything combined:)

Below is the breakfast I had a few days ago. Again, it didn’t take much time to prepare. Actually everything was immediately available apart from the boiled eggs. I was planning to cook half boiled eggs to make it pretty which takes about 5 minutes. But this time I got distracted (to do something else) and left the eggs on stove for too long so they became hard boiled.

Truth be told I love hard boiled eggs just as much as half boiled, if not more.

3. Stir fry veggies, eggs and shrimps (or omelette)

This is another favourite quick and easy big breakfast of mine. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. Basically I just throw all left over veggies in the fridge and stir fry with eggs and shrimps (or bacon). Kale, mushrooms, red pepper are a few of my favourite vegi choices. Like overnight oats, kale is something that I slowly adopted over the years and grew to love it.

They say eat the rainbow is good for you. So what colour am I missing here? Oh blue. Maybe I can have some blue berries later. There aren’t any fresh blue berries left in the fridge but there are still some frozen ones in the fridge. What about some blue berry nice-cream in the afternoon? Hmmm…. yum!

Oh dear. Why I’m always thinking about food? Help.