Benefits of Frozen Vegetables

Why frozen vegetables can be the healthy choice

There is no denying that frozen vegetables are very convenient and save a lot of time for busy cooks, but they do provide other benefits as well. In an ideal world we would all eat organically grown vegetables that were harvested immediately before cooking, but unfortunately this is not possible for most people. We have to use canned or frozen vegetables for convenience or when the vegetables we want are out of season and, unlike most canned vegetables, frozen ones keep much of their nutritional value and can even be healthier than the fresh vegetables sold in supermarkets.

Commercially frozen vegetables

Vegetables picked for freezing are usually processed at the peak of their ripeness when they contain most nutrients. Although some water soluble nutrients such as the B vitamins and vitamin C tend to be broken down by blanching with steam or hot water this step is necessary to prevent degradation by enzymes or bacteria. The vegetables still contain quite a lot of nutrients unlike some of the ‘fresh’ produce we find in our supermarkets. These vegetables are usually picked before they have ripened so they do not have as long to develop the vitamins and minerals that you find in fully ripened produce. Although they may show outward signs of ripening, they do not develop their proper nutrient content. A further problem is that they are likely to be exposed to heat and light on the long journey to the supermarket and this can further diminish their vitamin and mineral content. You may need to think about how to block lectins too to make sure you absorb the most from the vegetables. Unless you are able to buy really fresh and ripe vegetables, you will be better off buying frozen ones to ensure you give your family the highest level of nutrients.

Freezing vegetables at home

If you are able to grow your own fruit and vegetables you will know that you are frequently faced with a glut of certain vegetables. Most vegetables can be frozen and it makes sense to freeze them at the peak of condition for use later on. Most vegetables should be blanched before freezing and you will need a wire basket to contain them. Blanching is done by plunging the vegetables into rapidly boiling water which you then bring back to the boil as quickly as possible. Time the blanching period (which varies with different vegetables) from the second that the water reaches the boil again. When the blanching time is up, the vegetables should be plunged into iced water to cool quickly so they do not cook any more, drained and dried. Always remember to label bags or containers of frozen produce with the contents and the date they were frozen.

For large amounts of produce, a chest freezer will be more practical than an upright if you have the room for one. Freezers are capable of freezing different amounts of produce at a time, so if you are intending to do much home freezing you need to look carefully at the chest freezer range to ascertain which will be most suitable for your needs.

Frozen vegetables, whether commercially or home frozen, should be eaten within a few months as they will inevitably lose some of their nutrient content. Steaming or microwaving vegetables is preferable to boiling because it reduces the loss of water soluble vitamins.

ANLENE TOTAL: Nano-Calcium + Glucosamine = Healthy Bones & Joints

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From the Expert in Bone Nutrition comes a new formula containing twice the Calcium vs. regular milk and added Glucosamine to help protect not only your bones but your joints, as well! Anlene Total’s unique combination including Nano-calcium & Glucosamine helps maintain strong bones AND helps fortify cartilage in joints, protecting them against damage caused by everyday physical activities.

I have always been a milk drinker and would drink any kind or brand of milk. I most likely have tried all the different brands of milk in the market. Fresh milk, full cream milk, carabao’s milk, goat’s milk, low fat milk – name it, I have tried it. With a tetra pack of milk always in my lunch bag, it’s no wonder I was dubbed a “fresh milk addict” during my youth. Naturally, I assumed that my bones are very healthy with all the calcium I packed in since childhood. However, when I reached my mid-30s, I started to feel aches and pains too. After sitting on my desk for an hour or two, I would feel this dull ache on my back and legs and would have a hard time getting up. I used endoca hemp salve for short term relief but I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Anlene is clinically proven to reduce bone breakdown within 4 weeks.

 photo AnleneChocolate_zpse3d25694.jpgThinking that it was due to the 15 pounds or so that I gained after two kids, I switched to low fat milk. Since my husband was also recommended extra doses of calcium when he was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, we both started our Anlene Choco habit. At home, we use the ANLENE Chocolate Milk Powder. When he goes to the office, he would bring with him a tetra pack of ANLENE Chocolate Milk Drink (so glad they offered this in the market – so very convenient for us!)

 

 

ANLENE TOTAL: Newest Formula from The Bone Nutrition Expert

Now our favorite brand has come up with a new formula for better bone health. AND, they sent us boxes of Anlene Total for review. Forgive me if I sound biased but we have really been drinking their other products (also Anmum when I’m pregnant) and even if they had not sent the sample products, we would still grab them off the grocery shelf to try this latest one. As expected, Anlene Total has a smooth creamy milky taste perfect on its own but can also be mixed with chocolate or with fruits for a delish smoothie. I do hope they come out with a chocolate variant too.

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Aside from the scientifically formulated complex of essential bone strengthening nutrients and twice the Calcium vs. regular milk, their newest formula, ANLENE TOTAL, also contains Glucosamine to help protect not only our bones but our joints as well.

Anlene Total’s unique combination including Nano-calcium & Glucosamine helps maintain strong bones AND helps fortify cartilage in joints, protecting them against damage caused by everyday physical activities.

Glucosamine supplements were also prescribed to my husband to help ease his osteoarthritis. Just as rusty hinges need oil, we need glucosamine to lubricate our joints. Although glucosamine is naturally found in our body, our ability to produce it is reduced as we age. Hubby and I are well in our late 30s and so our joints are getting a little ‘rusty’ from all the years of pressure due to our everyday activities. Now we’re glad that we could have both doses of Calcium and Glucosamine in just one drink.

Healthy Bones for A Healthy Life

Getting enough bone nutrition is just the first step to maintaining healthy and strong bones for a healthy life. Bones become stronger with use and exercise, so do choose a fitness program that would best suit your lifestyle. Speaking of lifestyle, make sure also that you embody a healthy one. Keep in mind that every cigarette or tobacco you smoke and every alcoholic drink you take in excess robs your body of calcium and minerals – so keep away from them.

Take that first step to a healthier life, drink two glasses of ANLENE Total everyday!

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Dental Hygiene to Teach Your Children

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is your responsibility as a parent to teach your children the tools they will use for their entire lives. You will be the biggest influence in their childhood, and the habits you teach them will likely stick with them forever. One of these important things that you need to teach them is good dental hygiene. By going to the Fresno children’s dentist and teaching your children the following things, they will have the right habits for healthy teeth and a healthy mouth. Eventually growing up with minimal problems about going to the dentist, so they’re able to go to dentist practices like dentist Milltown without a fuss or anxiety.

What Your Children Need to Learn

The first thing you must teach your children is how to care for their teeth. This includes brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. Most children want to avoid visiting the dentist even though some like this Dentist in Fishers are great with kids, so this can be a good motivating factor when they try and avoid these tasks. To brush, they need to use toothpaste on an appropriately sized toothbrush. Teach them to brush their teeth from all angles, and to brush the surface of their tongues as well. This process should take at least two minutes. They should brush at least twice a day – in the morning and at night, and can brush more if the opportunity presents itself. Flossing should be done once a day, though this is more commonly neglected. They need to get a long strand and wrap most of it around one finger, holding one end in the other hand. As they floss around every tooth, they can unravel the floss to have new string available. This will help strengthen gums and keep stuff out from between the teeth. Mouthwash should be done with brushing; the mouthwash should be swished around in the mouth for thirty seconds. Doing all this is sure to impress your Dentist Endicott and will, of course, avoid potential issues from arising due to poor oral hygiene. The other habits your children need to learn are to eat food that is good for the mouth. Drinking milk and getting calcium will strengthen bones and teeth. They need to avoid sugar and dark drinks to keep the teeth healthy at all times.

Going to the Dentist

Take your children to the Fresno children’s dentist as soon as they are old enough. The growth of their teeth needs to be monitored and any problems need to be caught early on. The dentist will also teach your children the importance of good dental hygiene and can give you any additional tips on how to teach these things to your children.

PAMORA FARM: Where Free-Range Chickens REALLY Roam Free and are Toxin-Free

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Mommies with the PA and MORA of PAMORA Farms, Mr. Gerard Papillon and Ms. Tina Morados. (photo courtesy of Mommy Jem of www.esupermommy.com)

A few weeks ago, we were treated to a fine lunch at Brasserie Ciçou in Annapolis Greenhills to sample the products of PAMORA Farm and to know more about their method of raising free-range chickens.  The pretty Sous Chef Summer prepared a menu that showcased the different products of PAMORA.

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Traditional Home-made Pâtés

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We started off with green salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, pickles and mustard served with freshly baked bread and an assortment of PAMORA Pates.  These pates are manufactured the traditional way using old-fashioned recipes from the grandmother of Mr. Gerard Papillon.   Select parts of free-range chickens are seasoned with herbs, black pepper, and sea salt and blended into paste.  The paste is then sterilized in glass jars where it is preserved for a couple of years.  Pamora currently has six varieties of these home-made pates:  Chicken Liver Pâté, Chicken Breast & Liver Pâté, Chicken Gizzard Pâté, Chicken Liver & Gizzard Pâté, Chicken Breast Pâté, and Chicken Breast & Gizzard Pâté.  We were able to sample all six of them.  They all tasted great but, frankly, my untrained palate couldn’t distinguish the difference in their tastes.

The REAL Free-Range Chicken

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For our main course, we were served Roasted Coquelet with Mashed Potato.  The chicken meat was very tender and flavourful.  To preserve the natural taste of the PAMORA free-range spring chicken, Chef Summer used only rosemary, garlic, sea salt and pepper to season it.  The chicken was then slow-cooked for hours and then roasted to a perfect golden brown right before serving.  What’s great about this chicken dish is that it isn’t only delicious but is also very healthy with less fat content and absolutely none of the chemicals found in commercially raised chickens.

PAMORA prides itself in being the home of REAL FREE-RANGE chickens.  By REAL we mean that chickens roam freely in their natural environment and feed only milled yellow corn and whatever organic food they find in the field.  Unlike commercial broilers which are grown abnormally fast in 28-35 days, PAMORA free-range chickens are grown at a minimum of 70 days to optimize taste and meat quality.  To keep the chickens healthy, PAMORA farm uses herbal medicines formulated from oregano, chilli, garlic, ginger, guava leaves and other herbs.  Expert veterinary and technical consultants also regularly visit to ensure that farming methods are at par with international standards.

REAL Free-Range Chicken Eggs

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To cap off our lunch, we were served with a Trio of Creme Brulee consisting of Vanilla, Chocolate, and Green Tea.  I was about to dive into the Chocolate Creme Brulee when Mr. Papillon told us to start with the Green Tea, then the Vanilla, and save the Chocolate for last.  The Chocolate’s very strong taste would have drowned the taste of the other flavours.  The crème brulees were made from PAMORA’s free-range chicken eggs. These are REAL brown eggs laid by REAL free-range chickens.  I’m highlighting the word REAL due to the fact that some brown eggs sold by big brands are actually laid by commercial broilers whose feeds were infused with carotene to give their eggs that brown tinge.  Tsk, tsk!

With everything I learned over lunch about the difference between commercial broilers and free-range chickens, I’ll be feeding my family a lot less of the commercial ones and more of the chemical-free free-range ones.  Now I understand why my kids’ pediatrician recommends native chicken and brown eggs. Next time you go to the grocery, opt for the healthier choice and get free-range chicken instead.

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My own home-cooked meals using PAMORA Free-range Chicken: Chicken Tinola, Chicken Burger Steak with Mashed Potato, and Roasted Rosemary Chicken. (Recipes and cooking tips to be posted soon on www.foodiemomster.com.)

ABOUT PAMORA FARM

PAMORA Farm is a free-range chicken farm located in Barangay Garreta, Pidigan, Abra.  Established by the husband and wife team of Gerard PApillon and Tina MORAdos in March 2000, Pamora Farm now produces thousands of dressed free-range chicken each month to meet the demand of the growing market.  It has also become an Eco-Agri Tourism Destination that gives guests an authentic farm experience and that promotes Abra’s tourist sites.  Visit http://www.pamorafarm.com to know more about what PAMORA offers.

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WHERE TO BUY PAMORA PRODUCTS

Pamora Chickens, Eggs, & Pates are available at Santis delicatessen, Terry Selections, Rustan’s Supermarket, Shopwise, Metro Market!Market!, RFI Farm Outlet (Holy Spirit QC), Joji Berry (Crossroad 77 Mother Ignacia QC), NCCC – Davao, Champetre Restaurant (BGC), Brasserie Cicou (Greenhills), Resorts World Manila, Ilustrado Restaurant (Intramuros), El Nido Resorts, Amanpulo, Saturday Market, Ayala Alabang Village, and Golden Acres Farm, Inc.

A Healthier Way To Get Your Boost

Image courtesy of metrue / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of metrue / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are the top choices for early morning drinks that jumpstart a busy day with coffee holding the top spot. Since it contains the most caffeine with as much as 138mg of caffeine in a single cup, coffee naturally is the drink of choice for those in need of that quick boost. It becomes a different matter though when you start drinking coffee as if it were water.

There are other ways to get your caffeine fix that are much healthier. Drinking tea is one way to get your energy boost. A cup of tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee but it beats the latter in the amount of antioxidants it contains. Tea contains flavonoids that supposedly protects against heart diseases, stroke, and even cancer. Some types of tea are even purported to boost metabolism and lower body fat. Also, tea is less acid-forming and much friendlier to your tummy.

If you simply can’t live without your cup of joe, try to limit your coffee intake to two cups a day then get your boost from tea the rest of the day. Instead of having a cappuccino with your afternoon snack, brew some tazo chai instead.