In terms of specialty foods, web-based suppliers will almost always have a far more extensive selection than traditional grocery stores. This is one of the foremost reasons why many people are now opting to buy their gluten free groceries online. They know that they will have a number of different options for each particular product, rather than just a single, scant aisle in the middle of a physical supermarket.You can also find a number of savings opportunities over the net that are often not available at your local market. Many specialty food items tend to be quite a bit more costly than their conventional counterparts. For each product, you might well pay several dollars more per every unit that you buy. This can quickly add up, making your efforts to accommodate a household allergy a very costly one, unless you make sure to use the right shopping services.You can be assured that a specialty store has taken extra care to ensure the quality and authenticity of the merchandise. This is one very important consideration that shoppers must make when purchasing their food items. If you want pure, unadulterated products you will need to shop through a trustworthy supplier who is dedicated to the provision of goods for your specific purpose. While some foods do not contain nuts or tree nuts, such as packaged oatmeal, these things may be processed in factories in which these items are present. Thus, even a simple bowl of oatmeal can cause a nasty allergic reaction in someone whose physical system is averse to these things. The same is true of products that are manufactured for those with gluten allergies. When using a specialty web-based supplier, you know that you will be getting exactly what you require.Your goods can be delivered right to your doorstep on a regular basis. This is another benefit of the internet shopping process. People do not have to fight through long lines or navigate a lot of aisles in order to find what they need. Their goods can be selected electronically instead and then conveniently brought to their very own homes.Many website offer a lot of valuable cooking and recipe information. If you are just now learning how to cook for yourself or someone else who suffers from Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease or any other food-related condition, learning how to prepare delicious and interesting meals can be quite a challenge. Many of these sites offer recipe ideas and cooking instructions that can help to make these special diets far more enjoyable.You can even link up with like-minded individuals when shopping for your gluten free groceries online. The friendship and moral support that is derived from online shopping communities is another advantage that is hard to overlook. You can start grocery shopping online with the link provided. Purchasing gluten free groceries online is a great way to connect with others in your community with similar dietary restrictions and health goals.
Will You Lose Weight With Hoodia Diet Max?
Hoodia Diet Max is one of the more popular supplements that contain extract from hoodia gordonii, a plant that looks like a cactus, found in the deserts of Africa. Legend has it that when men from the native tribes of South Africa would go hunting, which can take days at a time, they would take hoodia gordonii with them because they found that the plant was a natural appetite suppressant, and that eating it would keep them full longer and get hungry slower. When news of this began to spread, hoodia gordonii products began to grow in demand, and Hoodia Diet Max is one among others that promise fast weight loss safely and effectively.
The hoodia gordonii plant has become endangered and is now a protected species due to its high demand, and since the plant cant easily be cultivated in other countries and climates, this makes getting real hoodia gordonii extract a bit of an ordeal for the countless manufacturers eager to earn money and provide all the people anxious to lose weight with their own versions of hoodia. This is why you hear more and more stories about fake hoodia products, items that contain too little hoodia to give any real effect, and sometimes these products have absolutely no hoodia at all.
Hoodia Diet Max is actually one of the products known for offering only a very minute quantity of hoodia gordonii extract. A website called diet-pills-reviews.co.uk reports that Hoodia Diet Max only contains about 25 milligrams of hoodia extract per serving, and that you will need as much as 400 mg to really experience appetite suppression and weight loss. This means that Hoodia Diet Max is similar to those homeopathic b12 injections benefits, where the solutions sometimes contain less than 54353370f real vitamin B12. Despite this reading, Hoodia Diet Max still remains one of the most popular hoodia-based products, largely because of its lower price when compared to the other products that promise a higher concentration of hoodia extract, and also because it is widely advertised and promoted all over the Internet.
Real hoodia gordonii extract may really be effective in helping one lose weight by decreasing the appetite, which will naturally make you eat less, but you may only experience real benefits with a higher concentration than what Hoodia Diet Max offers. Consult your doctor first on which hoodia products you should try, and on whether your body can really benefit from taking hoodia in the first place.
NOTE FROM UNDIET: we provide our readers with the information above as part of our quest to provide you with the most up-to-date information but do advise that you check this out for yourself by comparing various sources.
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Healthy Dip – Prepare Your Own Hummus Recipe
Mediterranean cuisine has introduced us to our a different kind of healthy dip or spread. Hummus is a popular alternative to sour cream dips or cream cheese spreads. Some people buy hummus from a specialty shop already prepared. However, because the cost of preparing a hummus recipe on your own is very inexpensive and so easy to make, you could whip up your own hummus dip in just a few minutes and save yourself a bit of cash also. And the varieties – you can make lemon or garlic flavored or even a super spicy dip for the adventurous palate. You can add spinach or roasted peppers or even roasted eggplant.
Ingredients
There are two basic ingredients – chickpeas and tahini. In some other recipes, garbanzo beans are listed as the main ingredient. Chickpeas and garbanzos are the same thing, garbanzo being the Spanish term for chickpea. Tahini is the other main ingredient used in every hummus recipe. These are sesame seeds that are ground until the seeds achieve the consistency of a paste. You can make this yourself in a food processor or pick up a jar of tahini.
Hummus recipe preparation
Preparing the hummus dip does not require any culinary expertise and preparation can take as little as 5 minutes. You just place the ingredients in a food processor, run the small appliance until the chickpeas are crushed and processed to achieve the desired consistency. If you need to add liquid to get the hummus to the desired consistency you can add extra-virgin olive oil, broth, water or even tomato juice. Taste and add salt to taste (if needed). Truly – it takes less than 5 minutes.
Nutrients
As this dip is made from beans (chickpeas or garbanzos beans) and seeds, hummus is rich in protein. The two ingredients both come from the plant kingdom like the main ingredient of any quinoa recipe. Thus both hummus and quinoa recipes are loaded with protein. Other nutrients in a hummus dip are iron, folic acid and monosaturated fats. With sesame seeds in the tahini paste, the hummus dip is a good source of amino acid. Again, like quinoa, hummus is a good source of protein and dietary fiber.
Due to the simple way to prepare the dip and the availability and affordability of the ingredients, you can serve hummus dip very frequently. If you want to have hummus dip with a twist, add other ingredients for a different taste. Hummus is also good for vegetarians and goes well with chips, breads and fruits.
NOTE FROM UNDIET: We like hummus also because it is a good way to have a healthy spread or dip when having a Starch meal. We generally will add vegetables to the hummus to cut down on calories and to add a nice flavor.
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Five Tips To Ease Hip Pain Symptoms
Whether your aching hip is caused by a pinched nerve or a fracture on the pelvic bone, you can do one or more quick and easy tips to ease the pain and other symptoms you might get like a dull throbbing or a numb sensation. Try the five tips below to get relief from pain and help your hip get back to perfect condition again.
1. Get off your feet.
You may think it’s strange to rest your feet when it’s your hip that’s aching, but actually walking and moving around requires hip movement, and any unnecessary motion can bring a fresh burst of pain. Mild cases of hip pain can get better after a few hours of rest, while severe injuries may need a couple of weeks or more.
2. Lie on your back when resting and sleeping.
Hip pain can get worse if you put too much of your body’s weight on it, so refrain from lying on your side or on your stomach, both of which puts more pressure on the hips. Lying on your back is actually the best position, not just for hip injuries but also for leg and foot problems or even a pinched nerve upper back.
3. Avoid repetitive exercises.
Although you are required to get enough rest to let your hip heal, you will still need to do the right exercises to speed up recovery by conditioning your hip muscles and stimulating good blood circulation. Moves like kicks and twists should be avoided. Instead look for routines that will strengthen without being repetitive, such as Pilates and Yoga. Exercises for pinched nerve in hip also focus on correct posture and won’t subject you to high impact, so go for stretches over repetitive moves to treat hip pain.
4. Use ice wraps and cold packs.
This is the best step for getting instant pain relief for the hip. An ice wrap can soothe the pain signals released by the sensory nerves and decrease swelling. Ice packs made with ice cubes and a towel or Ziploc bag is also as effective but may be more difficult to keep steady on the hip than an ice wrap.
5. Gently massage the hip area.
A hard massage can be too painful for an aching hip, so use light gentle strokes with your fingers and palms instead. A soft touch can be far more calming than strong pressure, so relax and keep your strokes light when massaging your hip.
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Healthy and Easy Fruit Dessert Recipe
Desserts can often be a tricky area when living a healthy lifestyle. Luckily, there are many desserts that call for natural ingredients that can actually provide health benefits to your diet and can work with your plan on how to lose weight fast through nutrition. One of my favorite desserts involves using papaya, mango, pineapple, a little coconut milk and some pistachios. Because of its ingredients, this dessert is not only a healthy option but is also gluten free and can be eaten by people who suffer from diabetes (depending on their current blood sugar levels). This dessert tastes delicious and is high in vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene. Plus, it is quick and easy to make.
The first thing to do is slice up a ripe pineapple, mango or papaya. You can mix up a combination of the fruit or choose just one. Place the slices into a bowl or on a serving platter.
Next, you will drizzle coconut milk (or lite coconut milk) on top of the fruit. For about every 16 slices of fruit, you should use approximately 4 teaspoons of coconut milk.
Lastly, add about 2 tablespoons of pistachios. Most people like when the pistachios are chopped up into smaller pieces, but chopping or not chopping is up to your personal preference. If you are short on time, the dessert can be eaten immediately. However, if it is a hot day it is usually better to pop it back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make it cooler before eating.
This is also a good recipe to serve to kids on a hot day instead of popsicles. Just prepare the fruit and coconut milk and stick it into the freezer for about 2 hours. You can add the pistachios when your kids are ready to eat or leave them off for your picky eater. If you are adding the pistachios, I have found that slightly mashing the fruit up inside of a bowl makes it easier for the kids to eat the fruit and pistachios at the same time. For more health and fitness tips, visit Know My Body.
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How The Benefits Of Flax Seed Can Give Side Effects
To those who are not familiar with it, flaxseed can sound as exotic as quinoa, acai berries, noni fruits or any other health food making health headlines recently. Flaxseed certainly counts as one of the most nutritious foods around, with its rich fiber and omega 3 fatty acids content, but if you’re not careful, the flaxseed benefits can lead to side effects. Let’s find out what the flaxseed side effects are so you will know how to avoid them and experience only the many health benefits.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, and stomach pains are some of the digestive problems associated with eating flaxseed, and it can be rather confusing, for isn’t the high fiber content of flaxseed supposed to treat gastrointestinal disorders? In the right amount and when taken correctly, the dietary fiber in flaxseed can do wonders to treat and prevent digestive problems, just as incorrect and excessive amounts can lead to said problems. Too much fiber leads to a laxative effect and diarrhea, but in some cases, very high doses may even cause intestinal blockage and constipation. To prevent this, stick to the dose approved by your doctor or nutritionist, such as one to two tablespoons of flaxseed a day, and never consume more than five tablespoons at a time. To help your body use and dispose of the fiber properly, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet with water-rich foods like berries, tomatoes, and leafy green vegetables.
Although whole flaxseeds are said to be the healthiest, you may be better off enjoying flaxseed oil or ground flaxseed benefits, both of which are easier for our bodies to digest. However, take care not to exceed the maximum dose for these flaxseed varieties, for they may still cause gastrointestinal problems in large amounts.
Decreased Blood Coagulation
The normal act of blood clotting is essential for open wounds to stop bleeding, but when the blood starts clotting inside the body, this can lead to serious problems, including heart attack and stroke. This is why some people need to take medicines like Warfarin to keep blood clots in their veins from developing and growing larger.
Unfortunately, flaxseed is just one of the healthy foods that inadvertently affect the circulatory system, much like how the side effects of hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure. Large doses of flaxseeds are known to give an anticoagulant effect on the blood. This is why consuming flaxseeds in high doses should be avoided by those on anticoagulant medication and who are going through surgery in a matter of days. Flaxseeds may cause the blood to “thin” out and keep the cells and platelets from naturally clotting, so consult your doctor first before taking flaxseeds if you are taking special medication or have surgery coming up.
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Three Natural Remedies to Lower Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a chronic health problem that contributes to coronary artery disease and stroke. Patients with high cholesterol are often prescribed medications to help lower bad cholesterol, or LDL levels. For people with borderline levels medications are not always need. Simple changes in diet and exercise habits may be all that these people need to reduce their cholesterol. For any extra boost patients can try one of these three natural substances.
- Niacin: niacin, is also known as vitamin B3. This vitamin has caught the attention of the medical community and naturopaths for its potent cholesterol fighting qualities. Niacin has been clinically proven to help protect against heart disease by boosting HDL, or good cholesterol, levels. Many patients may find this supplement difficult to tolerate due to its uncomfortable side effect, niacin flush. This sudden sensation of warmth and redness in the skin can be decreased is a baby aspirin is taken 30 minutes before you take your niacin. There are also extended release formulations of this supplement that may decrease the severity of the niacin flush.
- Fish Oil: fish oil supplements contain heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids that are known to lower triglycerides. Add fish to your diet or try a supplement to improve your cholesterol naturally. Click here to learn how much fish oil you should take to help improve your heart health.
- Soy Products: soy is being carefully studied for its potential to improve cholesterol levels. It is gaining popularity as part of a diet known as the portfolio diet which is a diet strategy that uses a combination of soy and other foods to lower lipid levels. Try adding soy to your diet in combination with a low fat diet for reduction in your lipid levels.
The best natural remedy for high cholesterol levels is a healthy diet and routine exercise. For those that need an extra boost, try one of these three supplements to see your cholesterol numbers rapidly improve.
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Using Long-term Storage Beans Instead of Oil and Butter
You can’t bake without 0il and butter – right? Most cookie and cake recipes require some oil or butter and while that’s okay, the fact is that oil and butter, when used in excess, can be a cause of high cholesterol and can add more calories to your diet as well.
What can be substituted for oil and butter that does not have the same high cholesterol – high calorie effect? You can use pureed bananas, pumpkins or applesauce in your baked goods but they do impart their own unique flavors. What low calorie food could you use that won’t change the flavor of your favorite chocolate cake recipe? Well, I’m here to tell you about how the long-term food storage beans in your pantry can be a wonderful substitute for oil and butter. If you think this is unbelievable, you will just have to try it out for yourself. Now, you can definitely find a use for that huge bag of beans that you have recently gotten.
Here are some useful tips for oil and butter substitution:
1. Substitute oil for bean puree on a 1:1 ratio. Bean puree is simply beans that have been put in the blender and pureed.
2. Substitute drained cooked beans for butter.
3. Use a 1:1 ratio when employing beans as substitute for oil and butter.
4. Use the beans exactly how oil and butter are supposed to be used in your recipe.
While using beans as an oil and butter substitute may seem a bit far-fetched to you, I guarantee that it really works. Go ahead and try it, and you will definitely be amazed at the difference, or rather, the lack of difference. If you want to also check out other ways where you can use other food storage items, then you can click this link: twitter – daily bread food storage.
UnDiet Note: the tips in this article are geared towards baking rather than grilling or sauteing. We’ve tried this method with great success in chocolate chip cookies and brownies 🙂
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Ordering Take Out Food – Making Healthy Choices
When ordering take out food from fast food chains, it’s good to know how to choose healthier options. I know that this can be a difficult thing when you are talking about fast food but consider the following options.
Burger Restaurants
When ordering take out food from burger chains, choose any one of these to ensure that you are getting a healthier option:
1. Regular, single-patty hamburger without mayo or cheese and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
2. Grilled chicken sandwich and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
3. Veggie burger and skip the bun unless it’s whole wheat.
4. Garden salad with grilled chicken and low-fat dressing.
5. Egg on a muffin if it’s a whole wheat muffin.
6. Baked potato.
7. Side salad.
8. Grilled chicken strips.
With any of the above choices limit cheese, mayo, and special sauces unless you’re doing a high protein diet.
Fried Chicken Restaurants
When you decided to drop by a fried chicken chain restaurant go for these foods:
1. Skinless chicken breast without breading.
2. Honey BBQ chicken sandwich.
3. Garden salad.
4. Mashed potatoes.
Avoid breading and fried items. Limit gravy and sauces.
Mexican Restaurants
When your choices are Mexican restaurant chains, the following foods are your best choices:
1. Grilled chicken soft taco.
2. Black beans.
3. Shrimp ensalada.
4. Grilled “fresco” style steak burrito.
5. Veggie and bean burrito.
Avoid flour tortillas unless they’re whole wheat and definitely don’t choose breaded and fried items. Limit sour cream and cheese unless your doing a high protein diet.
Sandwich Restaurants
When you decide to go for a sandwich restaurant try the following healthier choices:
1. Six-inch sub instead of twelve-inch.
2. Fill your sandwich with lean meat (roast beef, chicken breast, lean ham) or veggies.
3. One or two slices of lower-fat cheese such as Swiss or mozzarella.
4. Add low-fat dressing or mustard instead of mayo.
5. Add extra veggie toppings.
6. Choose whole-grain bread and take the top slice off your sub sandwich and eat it open-faced.
Asian Restaurants
When you choose an Asian chain restaurant select foods that include the following:
1. Egg drop, miso, wonton, or hot & sour soup.
2. Stir-fried, steamed, roasted or broiled entrees (shrimp chow mein, chop suey).
3. Steamed or baked tofu.
4. Sauces such as ponzu, rice-wine vinegar, wasabi, ginger, and low-sodium soy sauce.
5. Steamed brown rice.
6. Edamame, cucumber salad, stir-fried veggies
Avoid sweet and sour as these contain sugar. Avoid deep fried.
Italian Restaurants
Italian fast foods are likewise on the rise and can be a great choice when you want to eat healthy.
1. Thin-crust pizza with half the cheese and extra veggies.
2. Grilled (“griglia”) dishes.
3. Antipasto with vegetables.
4. Substitute grilled or steamed veggies for the pasta.
5. Order an entrée with a side of veggies.
Avoid breaded and fried items.
So you see that when you’re ordering take out food you can choose to be healthy. There’s no reason to compromise your health with foods that are not nutritious. For a convenient way to order food online, check out vellka.com.
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How To Make Shrimp Cocktail With A Food Processor And Quality Ingredients
There’s nothing quite like the refreshing and cool taste of a shrimp cocktail. There’s a bite and a lightness to it that makes it the perfect appetizer or mid-day snack. While most people prefer to order them in, it’s a great idea to make homemade cocktails from scratch. Follow these simple and easy steps and you can enjoy shrimp cocktails in the comfort of your own home.
Get your ingredients
The great thing about shrimp cocktails is the fact that their ingredients are actually really easy to find. For the sauce, all you need is chili sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, cilantro, lemon, and a bit of pepper. These are all things that you can easily find in any grocery store or supermarket. For the shrimps, it’s really best to buy them raw and fresh from a local fish market. Pre-cooked shrimp can come across as rubbery or hard and can really ruin a cocktail.
Make your sauce
While a lot of people like to make their sauce by mixing it in a bowl, you can save a lot of time by using a food processor. You don’t need to set your processor at a very high setting since nothing is being chopped or cut. The food processor can basically mix your ingredients quickly and evenly, something that might not happen if you’re making the sauce by hand.
Boil your shrimp
There are basically two ways to boil your shrimp: Plain or with light flavoring. Either way works perfectly fine since the cocktail sauce is the main source of flavor. If you’d like to add a bit of seasoning, you can put some lemon juice, garlic, chili pepper, and salt into the boiling pot before adding the shrimp. Once you put the shrimp in, all you have to do is wait until it turns pink. This indicates that the shrimp is done and it only takes a few seconds.
Cool your ingredients
This is an important step since shrimp cocktail should be served cold. The sauce and the shrimp should be placed into separate containers and then put into the fridge. It’s best to cool all of the ingredients for at least two hours so that no lingering heat remains.
Assemble your cocktail and serve
The cooled shrimp should then be mixed with mayonnaise and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Martini glasses should be lined with lettuce and the cocktail sauce should be placed on top of them. Next the marinated shrimp can be added to the mix and the entire concoction should be served right away.
UnDiet Note: you can mix the shrimp with yogurt in place of mayo or half yo and half mayo – if you would like and this Shrimp Cocktail recipe will be just as impressive.
So next time you’re pressed for potluck or dinner party ideas, consider making a fresh and tasty shrimp cocktail. Your guests will be impressed and they’ll never know how easy it was to put together. If you’d like other recipes and ideas, check out kitchopper.com for awesome suggestions that are sure to impress. It’s amazing how meals can be elevated when you just add a little shrimp!
