King Of The Fruit - Durian

Nutrition facts of DURIAN
(pronounce as DU' RI' YAN')

Durian fruit is delicious, soft, succulent and very popular for its unique characteristics. Durian is widely revered as the "King of Fruits" in the South-East Asian countries.

The tree is tropical in origin and belongs to the genus Durio, family of Malvaceae; a large family which also includes hibiscus, okra etc. It is native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia and grows up to 50 meters in height depending on the species. While there are 30 known species of Durio exist only nine of them have been identified as producing edible fruits. Durian tree starts bearing fruits after four or five years after plantation.

Durian is a seasonal fruit; its season lasts typically from June till August, which coincides with that of the other tropical specific fruits like mangosteen, jack fruit, and mango. This fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. It can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to four kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Shapewise, it varies from round to oblong; color of its husk (rind) is green to brown; and its flesh has creamy-yellow to saffron color depending on the species.

The flesh or pulp can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and is used as flavor base in a wide variety of culinary and sweet preparations in Southeast Asian cuisines. Round to oval shaped seeds can also be eaten when cooked and tastes like almond.

Edible flesh emits distinctive odor which can be described as strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact; this unusual stinky flavor and intense odor of the fruit have prompted many people to express diverse and peculiar opinions ranging from deep appreciation to intense disgust about durian.


Fruit Description:

* Durian tree: grow up to 27 m
* Fruit Shape: oblong
* Length: 20-35cm, diameter: 18-22 cm and weighs from 1-9kg.
* Rind: thick, semi-wood with stout, sharply pointed spines; color: yellowish-green.
* Edible Pulp/ flesh: After opening the fruit you will find 5 or less compartments containing the creamy-white or yellowish edible pulp with custard-like consistency.
* Seeds: 1 to 7 chestnut-like seeds, 2-6 cm long with glossy, red-brown color.

Health Benefits:

* Durian is extremely nutritious because it is rich in vitamin B, C and E and with high iron content. Eating durian is alleged to restore the health of ailing humans and animals.
* A preparation from its roots and leaves is prescribed by traditional doctors for fevers and jaundice.
* Decoctions of the leaves and fruits are applied to swellings and skin diseases.
* Durian fruit helps lower cholesterol.
* Durian is a strong blood cleanser.
* The ash of the burned rind is taken after childbirth.
* Durian contains high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, known to alleviate anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and create feelings of happiness, by raising levels of serotonin in the brain
* Durian contains high level of soft protein which makes it a good muscle builder.
* Durian has a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac.
* Durian is recommended as a good source of raw fats.


Nutritive Value per 100 g

* Vitamin A: 20-30 I.U.
* Ascorbic Acid: 23.9-25.0 mg
* Vitamin E: "high"
* Calcium: 7.6-9.0 mg
* Phosphorus: 37.8-44.0 mg
* Potassium: 436 mg
* Thiamine: 0.24-0.352 mg
* Riboflavin: 0.20 mg
* Niacin0.6: 83-0.70 mg
* Iron: 0.73-1.0 mg
* Sugars(approx.) 12.0 g
* Protein: 2.5-2.8 g
* Fat: 5.33g
* Fiber: 3.8 g
* Total Carbohydrates: 30.4-34.1 g
* Calories: 144

excerpt from: www.nutrition-and-you.com

Note: Durian fruit is highly nutritious it is not advisable to eat this fruit in excess. Pregnant women or people with high blood pressure are traditionally advised not to consume durian. The seeds are believed to possess a toxic property that causes shortness of breath.

Nutritional Foods - Enter the Dragon Fruit

Getting to know the Dragon fruit

The Pitaya is more commonly referred to as the dragon fruit. It is an extremely beautiful fruit that has dazzling flowers and an intense shape and color. The dragon fruit is usually a dark red color, although some types of this fruit are pink or yellow. The skin of the dragon fruit is a thin rind. The skin is usually covered in scales, and the center of the fruit is made up of a red or white, sweet tasting pulp.

It not known exactly where the dragon fruit originated, but it is thought to have come from South America. The French are believed to have brought the dragon fruit to Vietnam over a hundred years ago. Dragon fruits were grown there to be eaten by royalty and very wealthy families. Now, the fruit flourishes in American states such as Texas, and is also grown in Mexico and other South American countries such as Argentina and Peru.

The dragon fruit is cultivated in tropical regions around the world. The plant of the dragon fruit can grow from around a few inches or centimeters to up to twenty feet (around six meters). It flourishes in hot regions with a heavy rainfall. Periods of cold will kill the plant, and it loves the high temperatures found in tropical countries.

The flowers of the dragon fruit plant only bloom at night and usually only live for one night. Pollination happens at this time to allow the fruit to emerge. The flowers of the dragon fruit give out a very beautiful scent, and the smell can fill the night air wherever the plant grows.

The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. The flavor is very refreshing and sweet. Dragon fruits are delicious chilled and can be served in fruit juices and fruit salads or made into jam. They can also be juiced and added to alcohol to make a very delicious drink.

Health benefits

The health benefits of dragonfruit cactus fruit are many and varied. These nutritional benefits include dragonfruit health benefits which help to lower blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes. Dragon fruit health benefits and the great dragonfruit nutrition benefits make dragonfruit cactus fruit popular all over the world - dragon fruit is now being discovered in the US and that market is growing as people realize the special health benefits of dragon fruit and its great nutrional benefits like its high antioxidant amounts and vitamin C levels. Dragon fruit (most commonly as the dried dragonfruit cactus fruit) is a great fruit to incorporate into a diabetic diet plan and lots of diabetic recipes can include dragonfruit. While dragonfruit is not a type 2 diabetes cure, it may offer diabetics a substantial health benefit towards lower blood glucose levels. Dragon fruit vitamin C and dietary fiber are both positive nutritional benefits of dragon fruit among others. The amount of vitamin C in dragonfruit cactus fruit is substantial, and you can see up to 10 times the amount of vitamin C in dragon fruit which has been dried vs. the fresh dragonfruit cactus fruit. Of course the dried dragon fruit nutrients are much more dense than in the fresh fruit!

This healthy food is rich in vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C. Here are the rest of the nutrients that you can get from the dragon fruit.

• Protein, Niacin
• Fiber,Iron
• Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Vitamin A

It also has antioxidants, and we all know how antioxidant helps our body to prevent certain diseases or even cancer. This is one vitamin-packed fruit.The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out, like eating a sherbet. And best eaten when chilled. It has a refreshingly sweet taste. SO the next time you're looking for a new and healthy fruit to eat. Look for the dragon fruit. The name is too big to forget.

How to Eat Dragon Fruit

It really seems that sometimes it seems the number of ways people choose how to eat dragonfruit are about as many as there are people who enjoy eating dragonfruit cactus fruit. If you are someone who enjoys eating dragonfruit fresh, you can spoon the dragonfruit flesh out of the skin like you are eating dragonfruit as a papaya. You can slice the dragonfruit, blend dragonfruit in a smoothie, eat dragonfruit with lemon or lime, add dragonfruit to a fresh fruit salad. Some people prefer eating fresh dragonfruit chilled, some prefer their dragon fruit cold. That's just how people like eating dragon fruit fresh!

Save the human being...no more pork

Please stop eating pork...

Excerpt from The Commission on Scientific Signs of Qur'an & Sunnah

The Scientific Fact:
It was through modern science that people came to know the wisdom behind Islam prohibiting certain stuffs. This prohibition was made before the discovery of the microscope. The prohibited stuffs are; dead animals where bacteria find an environment to grow, blood that contains even more bacteria, and finally swine whose bodies are magnets of some morbid strains that cannot be removed by any means of purification. The body of the swine is a place where many parasites, bacteria, and viruses grow and can be transfused to human beings and animals. Some of these parasites are limited to pigs such as dysentery balantidium, spirals trchinella, solium taenia, and cysticercosis. Some of these maladies are common for men and animals like influenza, buski fasciolopsis, and ascaris. Balantidiasis is known to be widespread among the swine herders and those people who mix with them. This malady may become epidemic under certain circumstances. This happened in one of the islands of the Pacific after a hurricane which spread the dung of swine all over the island. Wherever swine exists, such plagues and maladies erupt even in highly advanced countries. This is counter to their claims of the possibility of purging it through modern techniques which make the prohibition of pork invalid. In certain countries, the consumption of pork has become widespread and normalized as in Germany, France, Venezuela, and the Philippines. The consumption of the infected muscles of the swine causes trinchinellosis as the female of this worm lays its eggs in the walls of the swine’s bowels. The eggs that may reach 10 thousands would be carried through the blood to the muscles where they stay and grow up. As for dysentery balantidium it infects man when he eats the infected muscles of the pig. This worm can grow up to be seven meters long inside the bowels of the person. With its head, it can cause damage in the bowels of man and cause severe shortage of blood plasma. It grows and multiplies rapidly When man eats any food that contains the eggs of cysticercosis, he gets infected because the eggs flow with the blood and stay in any organ. The taenia saginata that grows in cows would never cause as much damage as this one.

Facets of Scientific Inimitability:

It is known that a swine is a filthy animal both in its behavior and in how it chooses its food. Bearing this in mind, idolaters considered it to be the killer of the symbols of goodness. Myths from ancient Egypt tell us that it was a swine that killed Horus. The Cananites even tell us that it was a swine that killed their god, Adone. The Greeks believe that a swine killed their god Adonis and Atis. In ancient Egypt, herding swine was viewed as being one of the most degrading jobs. People who had such a job were not allowed into the temple and were not allowed to marry any woman except one from their own class. Anyone who touched a pig was required to have a bath. It is prohibited for the People of the Book to eat it, yet, they violate this prohibition. Speaking about its prohibition, the Qur'an declares that it is filth. The word ‘filth’ covers all types of filth and also explains that consuming it is harmful too.

This prohibition is mentioned in three places in the Qur'an; Almighty Allah says: [He has forbidden you only the Maytah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.](Al-Baqarah: 173) And, [He has forbidden you only Al-Maytatah (meat of a dead animal), blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols etc. or on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, and not transgressing, then, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.] (An-Nahl: 115) And, [Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytatah (the dead animals - cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allah's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns - and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal - unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) ­ and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An­Nusub (stone altars). (Forbidden) also is to use arrows seeking luck or decision, (all) that is Fisqun (disobedience of Allah and sin).] (Al-Ma’idah: 3)

The prohibition covers all its edible parts, including its fat. The prohibition of fat for Jews only shows that it is counted as meat, since Almighty Allah says: [And unto those who are Jews, We forbade every (animal) with undivided hoof, and We forbade them the fat of the ox and the sheep except what adheres to their backs or their entrails, or is mixed up with a bone. Thus, We recompensed them for their rebellion [committing crimes like murdering the Prophets, eating of Riba (usury), etc.]. And verily, We are Truthful.] (Al-An`am: 146)
Prohibiting the meat also makes the fat prohibited even if used as fodder for an animal that will be later consumed by a person. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, no one ever imagined that such harm existed.

Who could tell such a thing except Allah; the All-Knowing the All-Wise. Almighty Allah says: [But your people (O Muhammad) have denied it (the Qur’an) though it is the truth. Say: "I am not responsible for your affairs. For every news there is a fact, i.e. for everything there is an appointed term (and it is also said that for every deed there is a recompense) and you will come to know.] (Al-An`am: 66-67)

STILL NOT CONVINCE, take this excerpt...

Potentially fatal bacteria found in pigs, farmworkers

Federal agencies urged to check for MRSA (picture above) in meat

By ANDREW SCHNEIDERP-I SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

...Federal food safety and public health agencies are being urged to begin checking meat sold across the country for the presence of MRSA, a potentially fatal bacteria. Scientists have found the infection in U.S. pigs and farmworkers.Members of Congress and public health advocates are demanding that the government determine whether highly infectious MRSA has entered the food supply.MRSA -- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- can be extremely dangerous, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Monina Klevens examined the cases of the disease reported in hospitals, schools and prisons in one year and extrapolated that "94,360 invasive MRSA infections occurred in the United States in 2005; these infections were associated with death in 18,650 cases."The infection has been reported among livestock and farmworkers in Europe, Scandinavia and Canada, but the U.S. government has yet to test animals in this country.Last week, the Seattle P-I's "Secret Ingredients" blog disclosed that Tara Smith, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa Department of Epidemiology, and her graduate researchers found MRSA in more than 70 percent of the pigs they tested on farms in Iowa and Illinois.In what is apparently the first testing of swine for MRSA in the U.S., Smith and her team swabbed the noses of 209 pigs on 10 farms. They also found the bacteria among livestock workers employed by those hog operations. On Friday, at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in ....

After all these are you still defending pigs...Come on. For the sake of all human being...please stop eating pork. When you stop eating pork, pig will be no more thus no more deadly diseases.
Find an alternative meat which is cleaner and healthier///

Kek Lapis Sarawak...traditional cake from Malaysia

Fact about Kek Lapis Sarawak (Sarawak's Layer Cake)

It is a tradition in Sarawak, Malaysia to serve Sarawak Layered Cakes on special occasions. In the Malay language they known as Kek Lapis Sarawak, Kek Lapis Moden Sarawak, Kek Sarawak or Kek Lapis. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such as Eid ul-Fitr, Christmas, Deepavali, birthdays and weddings.

People in Malaysia practice an open house on festival day. A unique feature of Sarawak's open houses is the modern layered cakes.

History

Modern Sarawakian layered cakes were introduced to the people of Sarawak from Indonesia officially around 1988. The Indonesian version has been known since the Dutch colonial era; its most famous varieties are the Lapis Legit, a spice-flavored multilayered cake, and Lapis Surabaya.

Puan Rabiah Amit is well-known in Malaysia as an expert in making modern Sarawakian layered cakes. Around the year 2000, Puan Rabiah Amit introduced this cake to the whole of Malaysia. She also wrote her own recipe book, Kek Lapis Sarawak, which was published in the year 2003. Her journey in introducing this modern layered cakes in Bintulu, Sarawak began in 1989. She became a teacher (guru) to her neighbors, teaching them how to make these beautiful cakes.

Characteristics

Sarawakian modern layered cakes can be divided into two categories: cakes with ordinary layers and cakes with patterns, motifs, or shapes. All must have at least two colors. The cake can be baked in an oven or microwave. The batter uses butter or vegetable oil, milk and eggs, and requires a strong arm or electric mixer to be properly prepared. The baked cake has a high, firm texture and the layers are fastened together with jam or a similarly sticky sweet substance. More detailed cakes often require special moulds to maintain the perfect layer thickness.

Fact about Pizza

Pizza's History- brief

The truth is the Italians did not invent pizza, although they did improve upon it and make it famous. It is written that the Italian interpretation of pizza most likely evolved from cooking concepts started by the Etruscans who occupied Italian areas in the north and the Greeks in the south. From about 730 B.C. until about 130 B.C., Greeks, who were considered to be some of greatest bakers in ancient times, occupied the southernmost regions of Italy. The Greeks baked round, flat breads and garnished them with oils, garlic, vegetables and other foods, leaving a rim of crust to serve as a "handle."

1. The first pizzas were known as focaccia and were simply flat breads with herbs. After focaccia, came "Casa de nanza," which means "take out before." This early form of pizza was created as a peasant's food and was designed like the French crepe and Mexican taco as a food to be eaten without utensils, as a way to use fresh produce made locally and as a way to get rid of leftovers.

2. Pizza as we know it could not have came into existence until Europeans got over their fear that tomatoes were poisonous. Tomatoes were brought back to Europe by explorers who found the fruit in Mexico and Central America.

3. So when did the word "pizza" first appear? "The term pizza is clouded in some ambiguity, though it may derive from an Old Italian word meaning a point, which in turn led to the Italian word pizzicare, meaning to pinch or pluck. The word shows up for the first time in print as a Neapolitan dialect word--piza or picea--about 1000 A.D., possibly referring to the manner in which something is plucked from a hot oven."

4. "The world's first true pizzeria is though to be 'Antica Pizzaria Port'Alba,' which opened in 1830 in Naples, Italy, and is still in business today." "Modern pizza is attributed to baker Raffaele Esposito of Napoli (Naples) in the Italian region of Campania. In 1889, Esposito of Pizzeria di Pietro (now called Pizzeria Brandi) baked pizza especially for the visit of Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita and for one of the pizzas embellished the classic Pizza Alla Marinara with mozzarella and basil. The pizza was very patriotic and resembled the Italian flag with its colors of green (basil), white (mozzarella), and red (tomatoes). This pizza was named Pizza Margherita in honor of the Queen and set the standard by which today's pizza evolved and spread to Northern Italy and beyond, firmly establishing Naples as the pizza capitol of the world."

5. "Pizza was imported to the United States by Italian immigrants. For many years, pizza was mostly available in cities with large Neapolitan populations [New York, Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia, Baltimore etc.]. The ingredients immigrants found in their new country differed from those in the old: In New York there was no buffalo-milk mozzarella, so cow's milk mozzarella was used; oregano, a staple southern Italian herb, was replaced in America by sweet marjoram; and American tomatoes, flour, even water, were different. Here pizza evolved into a large, sheet-like pie, perhaps eighteen inches or more in diameter, reflecting the abundance of the new country." The first pizzeria opened in the U.S. was in New York City in 1895 by an Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi. The pizzeria is Lombardi's and it is still open. It wasn't until American soldiers returned from WWII that pizza became a national phenomenon. Returning American GI's brought back a taste for the pizzas they had had in Naples along with the assumptions that pizza, like spaghetti and meatballs, was a typical Italian dish, instead of a regional one.

When a brain is hungry

Foods for the brain

Brain power is characterized by how alert, energetic, and concentrated your brain is in response to a task. Information in your brain passes through neurotransmitters, which are manufactured by the nerve cells using precursors. Different neurotransmitters will have different impacts on your brain activity. For example, serotonin is the calming neurotransmitter that usually makes you more relaxed, drowsy, and fuzzy-headed. While dopamine and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters that make you more alert, more attentive, motivated and mentally energetic.

Food affects your brain power by affecting the production of neurotransmitters in your brain. By supplying amino acids, which are used as precursors to manufacture neurotransmitters, and by affecting the entry of the amino acids into brain, foods can have a significant impact on your brain activity. High-carbohydrate foods in general tend to subdue brain activity. Protein foods, on the other hand, can counteract carbohydrate food induced sluggishness. In addition, foods and herbs can have effects on brain activity by affecting blood circulation - the supply line of oxygen, nutrient, and hormone to the brain.

What are the brain foods

"Brain foods" are those foods which improve brain function. A diet heavy in omega-3 fatty acids, for example can help keep the blood vessels of the brain clear of blockages and allow nerve cells to function at a high level. So you may want to eat your fish twice a week (A major source of omega-3s) or take a supplement.

It is equally important, however, to recognize the foods that diminish brain power. Alcohol and some other drugs just kill brain cells directly, but there are many less obvious brain-attacking foods. Artery clogging foods can lead to restricted blood flow to the brain, and high-glycemic-index foods can cause terrible blood-sugar swings that make both your body and your mind irritable and sluggish.

The list of good brain foods for mental function are: Avocados, Bananas, Beef, lean,Brewer's yeast,Broccoli,Brown rice,Brussels, sprouts,Cantaloupe,Cheese,Chicken,Collard greens,Eggs,Flaxseed oil,Legumes,Milk,,Oatmeal,Oranges,Peanut butter,Peas,Potatoes,Romaine lettuce,Salmon,Soybeans,Spinach,Tuna,Turkey,Wheat germ,Yogurt

Easy to make, good to eat...Muesli

Another choice for breakfast...Muesli

Created by a Swiss physician around 1900 muesli is the absolute perfect breakfast food.The main ingredients in muesli include oats, nuts and fruit (usually berries).Milk or yogurt is usually added to create the perfect breakfast.

Muesli has a good complex to simple carbohydrate ratio, essential fatty acids, protein, calcium as well as more vitamins, minerals as well as antioxidants. Muesli will fill you up, tastes delicious and provides the long lasting energy you need to make it the best of the top 5 breakfast foods.

Healthy Cheap Muesli Recipe That You can Do

Buy cheap bulk rolled oats from your local grocery store. You can also buy other rolled grains such as barley and wheat. Buy some of your favorite nuts such as walnuts, pecans and almonds chopped or whole.

You can buy dried fruit or head to Costco and buy frozen berries, mix them all together and boil for a few minutes on your stove and you have a tasty, complete breakfast to give you energy for the rest of your day.

Fast Foods Facts

Facts about Food Facts: Teens Guidelines

Fast food Popularity

Fast food is any food that is quick, convenient, and usually inexpensive. You can buy fast food just about anywhere that sells food and snacks. Vending machines, drive-thru restaurants, and 24 hour convenience stores are probably the most common places to find fast food. It's so popular because for under $5.00 you can usually get a filling meal. However, fast food is inexpensive because it is usually made with cheaper ingredients such as high fat meat, refined grains, and added sugar and fats, instead of nutritious foods such as lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Is fast food bad?

There is no such thing as a "bad" food. All foods can fit into a healthy meal plan. It's true that fast food is usually high in fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium, but eating fast food every once in a while is not going to cause you problems. If you eat too much fast food over a long period of time, though, it can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.

Is some fast food healthier than others?

Many fast food chains are revamping their menus to respond to customers comments. For example, some chains no longer serve foods with trans fat, and many have menu items that contain fruits and vegetables. If you are having fast food more than once a week, try to make healthier choices. Here are some tips:

* Choose foods that are broiled over fried such as a grilled chicken sandwich instead of fried chicken or chicken nuggets.
* Choose soups that are not cream based (For example: If the name of the soup includes the word cream, such as "Creamy Tomato Soup", avoid ordering it).
* Have low-fat salad dressings instead of the full-fat kind.
* Have a salad or soup instead of fries.
* Use mustard or ketchup instead of mayonnaise.
* Order smaller entrée portions. For example: instead of a large sub, try a small sub with a side salad or piece of fruit.
* If you are getting a side, order a small, or kid sized portion. A large fry has approximately 500 calories and 25 grams of fat, while a small fry has about 60% less fat and calories (230 calories and 11 grams of fat).
* When ordering a sub or sandwich, select leaner meats like turkey or grilled chicken instead of fried items such as burgers or steak, and cheese sandwiches.
* Choose water, low-fat milk, or diet sodas instead of regular sodas, fruit drinks, milkshakes, or whole milk.
* When ordering pizza, add veggies instead of meat, and get thin crust instead of deep dish.
* If fruits and veggies are available, try to add them into your meal. For example, have lettuce and tomato on sandwiches or burgers.

Please remember:
Try to balance fast food with other nutritious foods throughout the day and make healthier choices whenever possible. There are many healthy food choices that are easily available, tasty, and don't cost very much that can be eaten on the go.

Breakfast

Important meal of the day...Breakfast

It has been said many times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After a long period without eating your blood sugar levels will be low. Skipping breakfast can mean your body will start to crave something sweet and you'll end up snacking on unhealthy foods.

Start the day with a filling and nutritious meal and you will give your metabolism a kick start. You'll feel full until lunch time with no temptation to snack your way through the morning. Some studies have also shown that eating breakfast (high carbohydrate/low fat) can make you more alert and assertive to face the day.

Overcome the reasons not to have breakfast and make it part of your day. If you're too busy in the morning, prepare as much as you can the night before. If you can't stomach anything first thing try just a glass of pure, unsweetened fruit juice, a banana, yoghurt or slice of toast. Get into the habit of trying different dishes at breakfast and enjoy it! Here are some examples that you can try...

Breakfast Cereals

Go for a low-calorie muesli (no added sugar or salt) or a high fibre cereal - such as Weetabix or Shredded Wheat with semi skimmed or skimmed milk. Add some fresh fruit - a sliced banana or dried apricots - to add natural sweetness and help you resist the sugar. (They also count towards your daily fruit and vegetable quota). Check out our Tried and Tasted Breakfast Cereals.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Fresh fruit salad will provide a slow release of energy to get you through until lunchtime and also give you a healthy top up of vitamins and minerals. This healthy choice will motivate you to make healthy choices throughout the day. Peel and slice a few of your favourite fruits, top with a dollop of natural bio-yoghurt and enjoy with a slice of bread and honey. Alternatively, if you've got a blender, pop the peeled and cored fruit in with the yoghurt and teaspoon of honey and make a delicious fresh smoothie.

Egg and Soldiers

Egg and soldiers isn't all bad. Eggs are an excellent and compact source of nutrients, are relatively low in calories (75kcals each if boiled / poached) and contain very little saturated fat. Use wholemeal bread for the "soldiers" and resist the butter / spread - try marmite instead! Accompany with a glass of fruit or vegetable juice.

Basic info about Food

Few pointers about FOOD

Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be eaten or drunk by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure. Items considered food may be sourced from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food items through hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching, and fishing, with hunting, foraging and other methods of a local nature included but playing a minor role.

Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of preparation, cooking methods and manufacturing. This also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to economically survive by-way-of food, not just by consumption.

Many cultures study the dietary analysis of food habits. While humans are omnivores, religion and social constructs such as morality often affect which foods they will consume. Food safety is also a concern with foodborne illness claiming many lives each year. In many languages, food is often used metaphorically or figuratively, as in "food for thought".

Simple Tips

In order to effectively use foods for our health benefits, the following issues need to be considered:

* Keep up with the most recent scientific findings and make use of them for our health benefits
* Try to use variety of whole foods as much as possible instead of isolated dietary supplements for your health problems - they are safer, cheaper, and usually more effective since they can provide multiple and balanced disease fighting capabilities
* Choice of foods is important: since healing power of a food is depending on the content of pharmacologically active constituents that differ among foods, and certain foods may need to be avoided due to their disease encouraging activities
* How do you prepare and eat your foods can affect their pharmacological effects
* Concerns about multiple health conditions: foods that benefit one health condition may be harmful to others
* Overall nutritional values of foods