Wizard Recipes

Nutrients are certain chemical compounds that are present in foods and that fulfill one or more of the following functions:

• Supply energy for body functions.
• Build and replace cells that make up body tissues.
• Regulate body processes.

There are six categories of nutrients:

• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Proteins
• Vitamins
• Minerals

• Water

Proteins

Proteins are known as the building blocks of the body. They are essential for growth, for building body tissues, and for basic body functions. They can also be used for energy if the diet does not contain enough carbohydrates and fats.

Proteins consist of substances called amino acids. The body is able to manufacture many of them, but there are nine amino acids it cannot manufacture and must get from foods. A food protein that contains all nine essential amino acids is called a complete protein. Meats, poultry, fish, egg and dairy products contain complete proteins.

Proteins that lack one or more of these essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. Foods high in incomplete proteins include nuts, grains, and dried beans and other legumes. Foods that, if eaten together, supply all the amino acids are called complementary proteins.

For example, cornmeal tortillas topped with chili beans supply complete protein because the corn supplies the amino acids lacking in the beans. Beans and rice is another example of a food combination supplying complementary proteins.

The average adult needs about 50 to 60 grams of protein a day. For most North Americans, getting enough protein daily is not a problem; most get about twice as much as they need. Greatly excessive protein in the diet can lead to a variety of health problems, including kidney and liver damage.

Vitamins

Vitamins are present in foods in extremely small quantities, but they are essential for regulating body functions. Unlike proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, they supply no energy, but some of them must be present in order for energy to be utilized in the body.

Also, lack of certain vitamins causes deficiency diseases.

Vitamins are classified as water soluble and fat soluble. The water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and vitamin C) are not stored in the body and must be eaten every day.

Foods containing these vitamins should be handled so the vitamins are not dissolved into the cooking water and lost.

Fat-soluble vitamins (A,D, E and K) can be stored in the body, so they do not need to be eaten every day as long as the total amount eaten over time is sufficient.

Consuming too much of a fat-soluble vitamin daily, as sometimes happens when people take too many vitamin supplements, can result in toxic levels of the vitamin stored in the tissues.

Minerals

Minerals, like vitamins, are consumed in very small quantities and are essential for regulating certain body processes. Minerals that must be consumed in relatively large amounts-more than 100 milligrams daily-are called major minerals. These include calcium ,chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium and potassium. Minerals that must be present in smaller amounts are called trace minerals. These include chromium copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.

Less is known about the functions of some of the trace minerals. It is important to understand, however, that although small quantities are needed by the body, too much of any of them can be harmful.

Sodium, a component of table salt, is well known as a health problem. Too much sodium is thought to contribute to high blood pressure. Health authorities try to convince people to reduce the sodium in their diets, primarily by salting foods less.

Water

The adult human body is 50 to 60 percent water by weight. Water plays a role in all the body’s functions, including metabolism and other cell functions, digestion, delivery of nutrients, removal of waste, temperature regulation, and lubrication and cushioning of joints and tissues.

Water forms a large part of most of the food we eat and all the beverages we drink.

The body is good at regulating its own water content and tells us when we need more by making us feel thirsty. This signal should not be ignored. Even better is to drink enough fluids to prevent feeling thirsty. Required daily water intake varies greatly from person to person, depending on age, level of activity, and environmental factors such as heat.

The common recommendation of 8 glasses of water a day is not enough for some people, such as athletes and others who exercise strenuously, and is too much for others, such as older, sedentary adults.

Water is the essential element of life, representing 70% of our body. Water is vital for our survival. If we cannot live without food for 40 days, without water we cannot live more than 2-3 days…

WATER

Water does not contain calories, but only minerals in diverse proportions.

High quantities of Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium make water ideal for losing weight, increasing dieresis.

Water acidity must be between 6 and 7, to assure optimum cell exchanges.

The water quantity that should be consumed daily depends on temperature, physical activity and own body needs, all of these being regulated by a hormone called vasopresine. This hormone is produced if water quantity from the body decreases and its effects are water retention at kidney level, thirst sensation appearing.

A healthy person does not retain excess water, nor eliminates more toxins from the body. Just that the urine quantity is larger, being more diluted.

Water goes through the empty stomach faster, so, instead of drinking a glass of water before meals, it’s better for you to eat and take small sips of water all along the meal. It will keep your stomach full longer.

TEA

Tea represents the most consumed beverage in the world after water. Green or black, tea contains many antioxidants that protect against cardio-vascular diseases, inhibit cancerous cell development and tanine in green tea increases dieresis.

Tea does not have any calories if it is not sweetened. Ice tea and all kinds of ready made fruit teas contain lots of added sugars, so be careful with that

Tea can be made from many plants, medicinal or not, and can be drank with or without sugar or honey.

Here are some tips and tricks for successful cooking!

• when making a BBq, grease the grill a little bit so that it doesn’t stick to it. In order to remain juicy,

don`t poach the meat, and add salt when you serve it (or prepare the marinate  and leave it to soak

up for 24 hours for best results).

• Leave the steaks to rest for 4,5 minutes before cutting!
• Cut the steaks before you put them on the plate!

• The water for cooking spaghetti must be boiling before you add them. Also, you can add a little bit of butter or oil to prevent sticking to the pot.

• Rice gets cooked faster if kept in cold water before.

• Potatoes for mashed potatoes remain white during cooking with you add a little bit of vinegar in the water.

• Use warm milk for preparing the mashed potatoes, to give it a plus of flavor.

• Cook the soup at a small flame, to keep it clear.

• Mushrooms don`t go dark when cooked, if soaked for 5 minutes with water and vinegar.

• Grated apples remain white if sprinkled with a little bit of lemon juice.

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!