Where exactly are we going?…

Published May 16, 2012 by rugarekufa

Sometimes I just pose for a while and think, where is this world going with everything including food? It was quite fascinating in the early times to see new developments and technologies, but I wonder why I am beginning to really get scared nowadays. I am starting to think that everything is just moving too fast, like its the eleventh hour or something…just saying. Anyway , I would really like to bring to your attention a few details that you may not have been aware of.

It’s like over time, man has been on a journey/voyage. From the beginning people have drifted from what they initially ate in search for something better. We started with the natural foods, in the garden of Eden, with the foods that God himself thought was best for mankind, but as man thought himself smarter he began his own journey of food experiments. Man began to mix certain foods together, introduced chemicals,started using more improved means of preparing foods and devised new methods of food preservation. Over the years, scientists have been informing people on the different hazards that have been discovered in what happens to be what man made for himself out of  his great intelligence and master mind.

 

In the beginning, there wasnt any fat to prepare food. Man had fire to prepare his food (healthy eating), but the smarter man came and invented deep fat frying, more smarter man discovered the complications of using too much fat on the human diet, and now we are back to the initial HEALTHY EATING which seems to be the starting point(Garden of Eden) and now the talk of the moment in this modern world. If you pose for a little while and think about this,you will really see what i’m talking about. Where exactly are we going. Is this God’s way of showing us that we can never improve on what He Himself made and succeed without any complications. I mean, from every improvement that man has made, complications are poping out ranging from obesity and high blood pressure to different kinds of cancers.

I’m personally beginning to think that what man has made for himself is beginning to hunt him down little by little. Now we are back to the natural and organic foods. It’s as if man has experimented and now we are on our way back to where we started. We are now recommended more than ever to eat many fruits and vegetables as well as drink a lot of water. Elimination of sugars and fats in diets, the very items that man initially incooperated into his own diet really proves to me that we are on our way back to where we started. At first processing foods was a revolution that was greatly accepted, but as the years went by ,people now demand less processed foods in believing that, the lesser the processed , the better. Medical science can prove the same thing as well, as people started off with roots and herbs and then later moved to different chemicals and antibiotics. Recent research has revealed that certain roots, barks and leaves are now being recommended more than ever. It’s as if man has exhausted everything, experimented, came to a point where he discovered the implications of what he had made and is now on the journey back to the natural.

Going green is the talk of the moment. People are becoming more and more , I mean by each day particular about nature, which was his original duty by the way. He is now more concerned about taking care of nature and eliminating as much processing in food, which he initially started hoping for better results and is beginning to eat his foods in more of its original state as in the beginning. We’ve just taken a voyage, experimented and discovered many different things and now we are on our way back. People are beginning to understand that by too much food processing so many vitamins, minerals and other food constituences are lost or damaged in the process, which gives him more work of trying to replace those minerals lost (fortification), until he realised, “but hey, i could have avoided this in the first place” Sometimes we just need to step out of a situation inorder to see things much more clearly.

It’s like history continues to repeat itself.

Food quackery

Published May 9, 2012 by rugarekufa

I really think  the duck above knows better. There is so much mixing up of information nowadays. People are so tired of too much information. “Try this , it will work for you!” “Hurry get yours today!”,,,people have moved from one product to another in the hope of finding the remedy to their problems. The only way to escape this dangerous web is to know and get your facts right.

We all are aware of the fact that different foods contain different macro and micro nutrients and at different amounts. Knowing this, how then can one single food item be an answer to all a person’s problems. Sometimes we really act out of desperation to the extent that we do not even think about what these people are saying. Food quackery is not only an expense to the consumers since people are so willing to pay anything for a miracle product especially after suffering for so long, it is also a very big threat to the consumers’ health. Some of these products that are regarded as solutions are problems themselves. Products that are not phamaceutically tested and confirmed safe are easily finding ways into the market these days. This is a total risk for the vulnerable consumer as people may begin to ignore proper help for miracle products.

Today’s consumers have become so impatient that they want immediate solutions. The people who are in advertising have themselves become “Convincing Proffessionals”, they know exactly what to say at the right time,,,poor consumer. Lose upto 5kg in a week, get a clear skin in 3 days…it’s simply too good to be true. Most people are only conserned about making profits and not the consumer. Certain scientists have revealed that several tests were carried out on certain product that had claims of containing certain health attributes and to their horror only eighteen to twenty percent of those products actually contained those attributes.

It’s very shocking. Germs are getting smarter by each day, becoming resistant to several chemicals, we also need consumers to start being smarter as well. In this world…the fact is nothing too god can just come on a silver plattert. A product that will simply burn fat whilst one is relaxed? well maybe but exercise is the best option. No pain no gain. Falling for such claims will only lead to disappointment, loss of money, deterioration of health and even loss of life.

To overcome this, one has to seek medical advice…information provided by health professionals who will not at the end of the day prove to be a health robber. It is advisable to search for certified scientific backup on the product, one has to make sure the claimers are a reliable source and if the claim is too good to be true, already an alarm needs to start ringing in one’s head. It is time to take charge and be the master of one’s own health.

“It is indeed time to stop all this”

Tooth Friendly…

Published April 19, 2012 by rugarekufa

Do your teeth look like the one above? If that is the case now is the time to change all that. Brushing teeth is good but it is not the only way or means to take care of your teeth.

The diagram above is an illustration of the foods that make the tooth happy and those that make teeth sad. In other words foods that are good for teeth and those that are bad for teeth. We will begin with the pros. Fruits and vegetables are the best for healthy teeth. These foods have natural sugars which are not harmful to teeth and contain calcium, magnesium ,zinc and other elements that make teeth stronger. Milk is also a good source though it is not in the picture. Milk is a good source of calcium which encourages strength in bones and teeth.

Sweets including chocolates are quite a good treat and everyone loves them. For this very reason I am definitely not in a position to say do not consume any but as usual i will say consume in moderation just like any thing else. Too much of anything becomes a hazard. Children love toffees. A single toffee will do no harm…but will surely cost your child their teeth if eaten just before bed and especially if the teeth are not brushed then we have a big problem here.

The toffee will stick to the teeth and the bacteria will have an allnight party. As bacteria feed on the sugar, they release acid which eats away the tooth enamel. Before this actually occurs plaque forms on the tooth which is a strong adhesive material which cannot be removed by normal brushing of teeth but one will have to go to the dentist to have this removed. Fizzy drinks are also other culprits. These contain a lot of sugar and the acid in them corrode the enamel. Again remember moderation is key. You may not believe this but coke contains acid with a pH(hydrogen potential) of 2, which is very high. This means that the acid is very concentrated that it corrodes the tooth enamel…what more the intestines..which are made up of protein??? anyway we will not get into that at the moment. To those who did not know the picture below shows what plaque looks like.

You would never want to get to a point whereby you begin to hide that beautiful smile when your teeth start to look like this. It is the little things that count. A step by step tooth care will really save one from severe tooth loss. If it happens by chance that you are tempted to consume those sweet and sticky foods, make sure you brush your teeth. I was shocked at one point when i visited the dentist…anyway i will not get into that…I’m sure you would not really want to hear that.  When proffessionals say visit the dentist at least in every three months they really know what they are saying. There are certain things that the tooth brush can not take out. Continous teeth negligence will eventually lead to tooth loss. Believe me this is something that you do not even want to think about.

We wouldnt want things to get this far hey…It’s better safe than sorry!!!!

 

 

 

 

jnk

What did you eat today?

Published March 28, 2012 by rugarekufa

Hi again. There is one thing that really bothers me when it comes to food you know. Why is it so easy to make the wrong choices? I am sure by now you really know what i am talking about. Is the guilt concience starting to attack you now??? Why??? Please don’t tell me you just did what i told you not to do again!!!

Did you just stuff yourself with another doghnut and wiped your mouth so that i wouldn’t know? Well hiding away from me will do you no good, i am doing this for you!!. Anyway lets leave that for now. Today there is a short interesting puzzle that we will do together but then you will need to figure out most of the stuff yourself.  I am sure by now you are quite aware of the right food choices and are clearly able to distinguish these from the wrong ones.  I am going to have two categories of food and would like you to do a simple exercise whereby you choose the better food choice and email me why. This is just to prove that my educating efforts are not in vain.

It’s a good thing that this time you are the one who is going to do most of the work. So here is how it works..choose the better food choice  from number 1 to 4 , choose the healthiest of the 2 for each number and give me a reason for your answers. I will send you the correct answers in my next post and if you have got them all right…come and collect your reward. Remember first one gets it all.

          1.                                                    

                

2.

       

3.

              

4.

                   

I really hope you will make the right choices. Remember First one gets it all and do not forget to give reasons for you choices…

food and advertisements

Published March 21, 2012 by rugarekufa

Who really decides what people eat? Well said and done..”eat healthy”. Now and again people are encouraged to make their food choices wisely. But coming to think of  it, “Do the majority of people really freely make that choice?”. Think about it, i dont know but i constantly question myself.

I personally came to a point i realised that one can perfectly make a free food choice on one condition .i.e. provided the money is there. Most people eat for sustainance. It’s something that people do not want to talk about but it’s reality. In this world everything comes with a price especially the good things. Advertisements and the rest of the media constantly tell consumers to eat “low gi” foods..hopefully the average consumer knows what that is. But the thing is, is this really done out of concern for the human race or for money.

The thing is the general population survive from hand to mouth and thus do not have the space to make such decisions because they can only afford to fill their stomachs and hardly afford the “choice” part. Think about it.

Yes it is important to eat healthy and to stay healthy but it is only the minority who can afford the gym fee and healthy eating programs. If only someone could do something about it. People look at obese people and consider them reckless but have they ever considered the above facts.

I think there is need for a new and better approach when it comes to the way in which these messages are portrayed. I personally want to look and eat healthy but as a student its not everything that i can afford.

So from what i have written i think, only a few people are able to freely make such food choices because most people  have their pockets suggesting for them what to eat, others do not really care anyway..they just do what they want. In this last group of people, its either they can afford but are not concerned or they care but at the same time can not afford.

Anyway i hope that in future, something will be done.  It’s become a known factor that the more expensive the item the better the quality/the healthier. This also applies to food.  Food is a neccesity and if there is a possibility that food can save lives then i guess it must be accessible to everyone…In my dreams!!!i guess

Overcome cravings!!! You can do it too.

Published March 14, 2012 by rugarekufa

Have you ever asked yourself this one question? Why do we eat? I never really ask myself that question. It’s usually about satisfying my need at that particular moment. I am hungry and I just want to eat. I feel like having this to day, and never to touch it in the next coming weeks and not even bother. Sometimes the decision is imposed on me by my environment or surroundings..for example its a fine afternoon and i walk past  KFC and tell myself that getting one of “THOSE” is not a very bad idea afterall or worse still see someone holding one of those extra large ice-creams and before i even get the chance to think  HEALTHY or NOT the route of my original direction has already changed and i am headed for the ice cream shop.

Sometimes i think about it (health conciousness), but the force of the craving proves to be greater than the facts that i have for just that moment and i simply let myself it what i want. But the danger posed by such actions are countless nowadays therefore i have started the journey myself to actually think before i put something in my mouth nomatter how hungry i am. I have realised that a journey of a thousand miles only begins with a single step.

A situation may seem so difficult and difficult to tackle but i have learnt that it all starts in the mind ,it begins by making up one’s mind and from there it becomes a habit. I personally never thought i would one day be able to actually fight a craving. It was extremely difficult for me at first but because this nutritional saga has become unavoidable in this day and time. It’s so everywhere that one can not avoid seeing the information. It’s inscripted in bold over magazine covers, advertisements encouraging healthy eating appear now and again and ofcourse the internet, to the extent that i have become unconciously aware of my eating habits. I find myself very selective when it comes to food nowadays.

It’s really high time we start being the masters of our appetites. Take charge when it comes to our surroundings. In most cases food detects to us what to do. It tells us what to do instead of us making choices. It’s time for that to change. If i can…then you can too.

Even when it comes to healthy food choices…THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!!!

 

 

 

 

Need a flatter tummy?

Published March 7, 2012 by rugarekufa

Does your tummy look like that? All your jeans have automatically become low cuts even though they were not initially designed to be. You can not even tuck the tummy inside the jeans, it’s just too big. Now you’ve decided to walk around and pretend the bulge is not there and keep hoping that one day you will wake up and TARRAH!!! the tummy is gone. Guess what, that is not going to happen unless you make it. I know you hate exercise, or maybe you do not really have time for it, well guess i’ve got the answers that you need. I’m sure you will not exuses anymore as this method does not require a seperate time from your meal time therefore there’s really no need to set some time aside. For now i will share with you some of the major causatives.

I really elieve that mothers have a major roll to play when it comes to the eating habits of the family. However there are major draw backs to this suggestion. Nowadays the time factor has become a big issue. Mothers are working too and the last thing they want to do is to start cooking when they get  back from work, therefore fast foods have become a major part of people’s diets. Not healthy at all especially when eaten in excess. Besides the fact that they have become extremely busy, people are becoming more and more lazy these days.

Due to lack of time AGAIN!!! people do not have the time to eat all the time. therefore people tend to eat fewer LARGER meals per day.This they do and make sure that they will not eat in the next eight hours. This slows down the body’s metabolism which means there will be an excess of unused energy. It is very easy for the body to deposit fat around the abdorminal area,which is why the tummy bulges the fastest.

If you think that it is the end of the world because your tummy is getting bigger by each day, well i’ve got good news for you. We are going to lose those calories in the fastest manner possible. To begin with:

Eat Smaller Portions. Most of us miss it here. When one eats smaller meals at least 6 times a day, the body’s metabolism is increased. This means that all the energy is used up at that moment.

There will be no excess to bulge your tummy. Whilst we are still on the small portion factor remember to take your time whilst eating. Take time to chew and try to eat away from the tv or whilst reading. When your focus is somewhere else then it will take time to get full. But when one concentrates on their food they can pay attention to their satiety feeling. Try to eat at least 3 hours before going to eat. Quit those mid night snacks. But if you really crave for one try fruits, veges and grains. People believe that “HEALTHY”=”BORING”, well this is not always the case as there are so many delicious snacks nowadays.

Try snacking on the above and you will never go wrong. Avoid fatty foods and too much carbohydrates and sugars but try to have everything in moderation. Never give your body what it will not use up and remember to drink a lot of water.

“Valentine specials-Food and Love”

Published February 15, 2012 by rugarekufa

Take a very good look at the pictures below…

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As we all know this week is a very interesting week for many…especially those in love. Even though some say there is no love as sincere as the love of food.Well its a good thing  for those that are sincerely in love with each other because i have found that love is not only feeling that one feels but it is actually affected by hormones acting behind the scenes. It is like a chain reaction, in the sense that these hormones are actually stimulated by certain chemicals in food and these hormones inturn trigger each other , one after the other until “love is thick  in the air”

The most amazing part about this is that, when all these processes occur in our bodies we are nhot even aware of it. The pictures above are a reflection of valentine recipes. These recipes are not just regular or simple recipes but are actually made up of ingredients that accerelate the release of the hormones that i am going to mention in detail below.

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is an amine naturally occuring in the brain and also in some other foods especially chocolate. This chemical is found when falling in love and produces the “head over heels effect”.

PEA triggers the release of nrepinephine hormone which causes sweaty palms and a pounding heart. It acts like natural caffeine. Foods that contain this chemical are Almonds and nuts, apples, avocados, bananas, fish, lean meat, poultry,tofu and most green vegetables.

The chemical dopamine known as a neurochemical. It was proven by scientists that this is the chemical that is associated with mate selection. This chemical’s release is triggered by food items like dairy products, meat, soy, leafy green vegetables, legumes and fruits.

Oxytocin is triggered by dopamine and is also known as the cuddle hormone. Foods that trigger its release are protein rich foods, eggs, chicken, beans, apples, bananas, beets, watermelons and the wheat gem.

The hormone testerone is believed to exist in males alone but the truth of the matter is that traces are also found in females. Only when these levels are slightly higher in women is when we see ladies with beard ,a hoarse voice and other male features. This hormone is intimately linked with proteins. The release of this hormone is triggered by food items like red meat, eggs, cheese especially hard cheeses eg parmesan, beans, lentils, spinach, beef,chicken,fish,shellfish,oatmeal,nuts,seeds, dairy products, oats. Foods high in zinc levels like beef , lamb, pork, turkey, chicken, seafoods like crab, lobsters and salmon and peanuts.

Omega3 rich foods as well for example fish is a good choice. The following foods have a negative effect on testerone: fatty foods, high sugar foods, products high in caffeine and too much alcohol. So avoid such foods inorder not to spoil the perfect love mood, especially to the married. 

As you have seen the valentine recipes are not just designed and published but have their ingredients carefully selected for the reasons mentioned above. So make sure that you make it a point to give your loved one the treat that they deserve. Afterall this will benefit you as well as they will inturn not only show you love because they should but because they really feel it inside them due to the magic ingredients’ effect.

Eat healthy

Published February 4, 2012 by rugarekufa

To start with, remember that each and everything you eat has its consequences. This happens in the negative especially when one does not use up the energy that they consume. We are what we eat therefore we need be the masters of our appetites.

Health is directly proportinal to food consumption. If one eats everything and anything, the body has no choice but to take it all in.It is a fact that we eat with our eyes..so when it comes to healthy eating, one can only consume that which isappetising and appealing to the eye. Therefore more food presentation methods must be devised.