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Healthy Ezine of the Week: Issue 173

Featured Article

Fad Diets

Fitness Tip

Live a Long Life
In a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sponsored review of medial data, researchers found that the leading causes of death in the United States were by and large controllable. Smoking-related deaths came in first, followed closely by eating a poor diet and living a sedentary lifestyle. They expect that overeating and inactivity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of death if Americans lifestyles do not change. The researchers used mortality data from the CDC to identify the causes and number of deaths. The findings are facts.

Nutrition Tip

Fruit and Cereal Fiber Keep Heart Healthy
A review of studies in the Archives of Internal Medicine found an association between eating fruit and cereal fibers and a reduced risk for heart disease. For every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, the risk of heart attack among the study participants was 14 percent lower and the risk of dying from heart disease was 27 percent lower. Interestingly enough, fruit and cereal fibers had a more beneficial effect than vegetable fibers in this study. The researchers think it is because vegetables that are starchy or heavily processed have been shown to have a negative effect on the heart and may have countered the positive effects of the healthier ones. The American Dietetic Association recommends eating 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily.

Nutrient of the Week

ALANINE (Non-Essential Amino Acid)
Is an important source of energy for muscle tissue, the brain and central nervous system; strengthens the immune system by producing antibodies; helps in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids.

Quick Recipe

Fruity Kabobs
Apples
Bananas
Oranges (not too juicy)
Assorted melons

Assemble on kabob sticks and serve. Chill in the refrigerator before serving for a crisp cooler on a hot summer day.

Tidbit(s)

The Hamburger Turns 100 Years Old
The hamburger may have come from unremarkable beginnings, but it has risen to an icon of American cuisine. While there is some debate over the origin of Americ'as Favorite Sandwich, most food historians agree that the hamburger made its official debut at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Back in the 1880's, a man named David Fletcher ("OldDave"), served an unnamed sandwhich. It was a simple ground beef patty between two slices of freshly baked bread, spread with a mustard-flavored mayonnaise and topped with sliced onion and cucumber pickles. In 1904, Davis traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair where he sold this sandwich from "Old Dave's Hamburger Stand" on the midway. The name "hamburger steak" had been used in America since the early 1800's to refer to chopped beef patties cooked in the style of Hamburg, Germany, so the new sandwich became known simply as a "hamburger". Want to add a little twist to your burgers? Get some ideas with the article, - Building Global Burgers.

Food Fixes

Mini Cocoa Cupcake Kabobs
Bite-size cupcakes threaded onto skewers with marshmallows and strawberries make a delightful finish to your first barbecue of the 2004 picnic season. Get a sweet-treat embedded with something good-for-you-to-eat!

Soften marshmallows that have hardened by holding the closed bag under running hot water, or dipping into a pan of hot water for a few minutes. Just make sure the bag is sealed well. The moisture that builds is just enough to soften the marshmallows right up.

Corn on the cob cut in half is crispier steamed than boiled.

For an easy way to dice onions, cut off the ends, and cut a criss-cross from top to almost the bottom with a knife. Then lay it on it's side and slice rows, and they shall fall off in little squares.

This 'n That

Free recipes for many dietary needs!

Fitness and Freebies Sister Site, focuses strictly on nutrition! Lots of great food information! BellyBytes.com