Wizard Recipes

Once animals could also synthesize some antioxidants, including vitamin C. But the rich plants nourishment of our ancestors content so much vitamin C that we lost in time this ability to produce this composite, maybe because of the natural selection which tends to give any unnecessary element up that is metabolically costly. (Plants are a rich source of antioxidants because they need those for the oxygen management, produced during the photosynthesis)

Of course this was a great evolution for plants, because people have become completely dependent on them for procurement of an essential nutrient and therefore, people did those vitamin C producers lots of favors, spreading there genes and extending there habitat. The antioxidants like vitamin C has an important role in the relationship between humans and plants even this is less noticeable. Our biologically plant dependency is ancient and profound, so it’s not at all surprising that plants are beneficially.

There are many studies which are proving that rich nourishment in fruits and vegetables is reducing the risk of death in case of all occidental diseases. In countries where people consume daily a pound ore more of fruits and vegetables, the rate of cancer is twice smaller then in the United States. We also know that vegetarians are less disposed to all the occidental diseases and therefore they live longer (semi-vegetarians the so called “flexitarians”- are as healthy as vegetarians). We do not know very well why this happens. It is almost sure that the plant antioxidants protect us, but this could be valid for omega-3 fat acids (other essential nutrients which our body can not produce) for fibers and for other elements and synergic relations of plants compositions, unknown jet.

As shown on the studies of whole grain it is very possible that vegetal aliments are more than the amount of composing nutrients. But probably the advantages of plant based nourishment aren’t based only on the content: vegetal products (with the exception of seeds) have the energy density lower then the rest of nourishments. Eating especially veggies you will consume probably less calories (which will protect you from many diseases). Seeds are the exception that shows us why it is important to consume more leaves then seeds; even if unrefined seeds like whole grain and fruits with a hard shell can be very nutritious, they contain more calories, because there biological role is to deposit energy.

To continue the subject of previous post, let’s now see the disadvantages of consuming these oleaginous fruits and seeds , because, believe it or not, there are some worth mentioning

Disadvantages :

-         First of all, you must know that these fruits and seeds contain 40-60 % fats, so they contain a lot of calories! Be careful when consuming these if you’re on a diet

-         The so called ‘good fats ‘ -non saturated fats- also contain 9 cal/g, meaning 45 cal/ tbsp

-         Our organism consumes less energy for fat assimilation, so calories from fats fatten more than calories from sugars!

-         Coconut and palm oil contain only saturated fats and no cholesterol, but lose all nutrients found in vegetable oils.

-         When heated, oil releases toxic products and fried foods can cause indigestion due to the formed crust. The only manner in which we can take advantage of all oil nutrients is consuming it raw.

-         Fat hydrogenation represents a process of adding Hydrogen to a non saturated fat (liquid) to make it oxidation resistant and to transform it into solid fat. So margarine is born !

-         Hydrogenated fats are very dangerous for our health, because they increase LDL, TGL, insulin resistance and decrease HDL. THESE FATS ARE CONTAINED IN LOTS OF PRODUCTS, SO BE CAREFUL AND READ THE LABEL EVERYTIME!

-         Margarine has the same amount of calories as butter, but does not contain cholesterol. As the margarine is softer, is also healthier. It contains less hydrogenated fats.

-         Fats do not dissolve in water or acid environment- this is why these ones float in the gastric liquid in our stomach. Once in our intestine, these get mixed with enzymes from the gall bladder, digestive and pancreatic enzymes, forming an emulsion that is soluble. People suffering from gall bladder or digestive problems may have serious trouble when consuming fats, so be careful!!

Fruits (nuts, olives, peanuts, almonds, avocado and coconuts) and seeds (sun-flower, pumpkin) contain a high caloric content, being rich in unsaturated fats, minerals (zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and selenium), vitamins (B and E) and proteins. These fruits and seeds can be consumed as they are or used for producing oil.

Oleaginous Fruits

Advantages:

-         Due to the high content of minerals, these stimulate the immune system and increase the body’s capacity to protect itself.

-         Decrease cholesterol level, assuring a good blood fluidity, arterial wall elasticity and a normal blood pressure

-         Improve male fertility and sperm quality

-         Nuts ameliorate PMS symptoms through B6 vitamin content.

-         Olive oil is the best absorbed by the intestine and improves intestinal transit and digestive functions, preventing constipation.

-         If you hold olive oil in your mouth for a few minutes, it maintains teeth whiteness and gum health

-         Rich in mono non saturated fats, olive oil is good for your heart, whereas sun flower oil has a high content of E vitamin, being a good antioxidant

-         Pistachio contains Iron and Calcium

-         1 fist of peanuts or nuts per day increase intellectual performances

Avocado is one of the least fruits rich in oils and E Vitamin fruits; E vitamin helps cicatrisation, maintains skin quality, improves immune system, diminish heart disease risk

Fruits are generally high in fibers, water and vitamin C. Regular consumption of fruit is associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and some of the functional declines associated with aging.

Here are some good tips about consuming fruits:

In general:

-To make it more appealing, keep a bowl with fresh fruits on hand..
-In season, fresh fruits are cheaper that you would otherwise find them.
-Also, if you have a craving, canned, dried or frozen fruits can also do it.
-Consider convenience when shopping. Buy pre-cut packages of fruit (such as melon or pineapple chunks) for a healthy snack in seconds. Choose packaged fruits that do not have added sugars.

Fruits and meals:

-With your cereals, at breakfast, you can add pieces of banana, strawberries or peaches, which add extra flavor to your meal
-Also, when making pancakes, add sliced bananas as a filling, or serve them with blueberries
-At lunch, pack a tangerine, banana, or grapes to eat! they make a nutritious lunch which can be perfect for you
-At dinner,you can use fruits also with your vegetable salad! Try a chicken, corn, pineapple salad, or add apples or pears to the your day to day salad.
-Try meat dishes that incorporate fruit, such as chicken with apricots or mango chutney.
-For dessert, have baked apples, pears, or a fruit salad.

Tips for a plus of flavor:
-Try low-fat yogurt or pudding as a dip for fruits like strawberries or melons.
-Make a fruit smoothie with low fat milk and bananas and/or strawberries.
-Try different textures of fruits. For example, apples are crunchy, bananas are smooth and creamy, and oranges are juicy.
-For fresh fruit salads, mix apples, bananas, or pears with acidic fruits like oranges, pineapple, or lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

But, to keep it all safe and healthy, don`t forget to wash fruits VERY WELL under clean, running water before you eat them! Don`t mix or keep together fruits with any kind of raw meat!

We are always waiting for the holiday, right? And we wouldn`t like to spend our limited free time on cooking, even if we`re spending our vacation at home or not! here are some tips and tricks to making your holiday regime perfeeect!

- It is absolutely mandatory to organize your vacation ahead, because,you also have to adapt your way of cooking to the new activities.

Considering the fact that vacations don`t necessarily mean being sedentary, but taking walks through the park, field trips or  practicing sports, we should combine harmoniously the two types of cooking, vegetarian and complex.

- In order to keep the figure, it is also indicated to have an `eating timetable`, even though this should come in not so handy, due to the tendency of getting up late, or partying all night :). I`m not saying that a very strict program of eating should be the solution, but, it is necessary to have organized meal hours for staying fit, getting all the nutrients and having an easy digestion.

So, breakfast remains the most important meal if the day, right? DON `T FORGET ABOUT IT!!! even though you`re getting up later than usual! if you`re planning some hiking that day, your breakfast should be even more consistent than usual! be careful with drinking too much coffee, because sun and lots of coffee don`t mix so well together, and also No Alcohol!

- Lunch also shouldn`t be skipped, but do not eat heavy ingredients like steaks with all sort of gravies or lots of meat.

Try a salad, but not only vegetables, try it with a little bit of cheese (feta) with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, green salad, maybe a little bit of onion (if you enjoy onion), or if you still consider this to be unsatisfying, you can also add one hard boiled egg, or some boiled or grilled chicken breast. It tastes great, and also offers you the nutrients that you need at lunch time in order to keep you going for the rest of the day!

-Dinner… hmm… tricky aspect. Maybe on vacations we can manage to change our day-to-day lifestyle regarding the last meal of the day, because, let`s face it, when we come tired from work, dinner represents our biggest meal (if not, WELL DONE!). So, at least now let`s try and change this. If you want to lose weight, try some vegetables, boiled or grilled. Nutritionists consider fruits  not so appropiate in the evening, because fruits offer you energy, due to their sugar content, energy that has no place to be consumed, considering the fact that your day is almost over.

If you have no problem with your weight, just have a light meal, best with 2 hours before bedtime. This can contain anything you like, in SMALL PORTIONS,  excepting, of course, fats or sugars, which are ALWAYS bad.

-Also between these  meals of the day, some snacks are welcomed. Try fruits (well washed), yogurts (but not fruity ones, because they contain a lot of sugars), maybe a healthy sandwich, if somehow you`re very hungry.

-Especially in the summer time, it is most important to keep ourselves hydrated!

Minimum 2 liters of water a day, maybe even more if you`re sun bathing or exercising a lot. But BE CAREFUL! The sodas and  coffee you consume DON`T ADD to these 2 liters, only water counts, because this is what your organism needs!

-Sugar cravings can be easily tricked by eating HONEY, instead of sugar!

So have fun, party, but don`t forget to stay healthy!