Why Fruits are good for health?

Fruits are good source of fiber , vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant. Dietary fiber is very important for our digestive system. Antioxidant will help us to prevent cancer
.
Do all the fruits are good for health?


It depends on your age, the time and amount you consume and your health condition. Apple, grapes, kiwi, berries, pineapple, orange, apricot, plum are in general you can eat any time. Don't eat few fruits just before going to bed. Banana, mangoes, jack fruit, papaya, avocado, are good to have two hours before going to bed.
Eating fresh fruit Vs juice

Eating fresh fruit is always better, but again it depends on how you are preparing the juice, and also how much convenient to consume. For example when we are making strawberry smothie or milk shake we wont remove anything from fruit and as juice we will consume more too. But in case of commercial apple juice we are not going to get any dietary fiber and also more sugar is added. Select your choice considering what else you had too.

Kiwis love tomatoes best

Tomatoes have crept passed the humble potato as New Zealand's favourite vegetable for 2010.
The latest Household Economic Survey figures show New Zealanders bought $99 million worth of tomatoes last year, only slightly ahead of potatoes, at $98.9 million.
Although scientifically classed as a fruit, Horticulture New Zealand counted the tomato as a vegetable for the survey.
While the race for top vegetable was a close one, bananas lead the competition for favourite fruit by a mile.
New Zealanders bought $142 million worth of bananas, $40 million more than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. 
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock said it was disappointing to see an imported fruit product claiming such a significant portion of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. 
"At least the mighty Kiwi apple is our second favourite, but the most important information to come out of this survey is it shows New Zealanders are buying more fruit and vegetables, and that's good for the whole country."
The survey shows there has been a significant increase in spending on apples, from $84m in 2007 to $98m in 2010.
Other highlights on the fruit list include pears jumping from ninth place in 2007 to sixth, watermelons moving five places to 11th, up from 16th in 2007, while blueberries feature on the list for the first time at 14th place.

what are carbohydrates

 If bread is the staff of life, carbohydrates are the stuff of a healthy lifestyle. Carbohydrate-rich foods—breads, cereals, pasta, rice, beans, grains, potatoes and many fruits and vegetables—are key to good nutrition.

 Carbohydrates...

• Give you energy
• Can aid in proper digestion (the fiber-rich foods)
• Provide essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and C, plus potassium (found in fruits and veggies)
• Supply some B vitamins, iron and fiber (mainly whole grains and enriched breads and cereals)
• Can help you manage the amount of fat and calories in your overall diet because carbs naturally tend to be low in fat

Types of carbohydrates	Where are they found?
Whole Grains	Brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain breads and crackers, whole grain ready-to-eat cereals like shredded wheat
Starches (complex carbohydrates)	Cereal, potatoes, pasta, macaroni, rice, bread
Dietary Fiber	Whole grain cereals and breads, ready-to-eat bran cereals, dried beans and peas, fruits and vegetables
Sugars (simple carbohydrates)	Fruit juices, fruits, milk, yogurt, sweetened cereals and baked goods, jam and syrup

Wise Carb Choices

Choose foods every day from the Grains, Fruits and Vegetables and Milk groups. For a 2,000-calorie diet, the suggested amounts are:

• 6 ounces from the Grains Group
• 2.5 cups from the Vegetables Group and 2 cups from the Fruits Group
• 3 cups from the Milk Group

See pyramid servings for more information.
Make half your grains whole grain foods.
Enjoy sweet treats in moderation as part of an overall healthful diet without overdoing it on calories.
It's easy to build a carbohydrate-rich diet when you select a variety of foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Grains Group	Oz Equivalents
1 small bagel	is equal to 2 oz
4 whole grain crackers	are equal to 1 oz
1 cup whole wheat pasta	is equal to 2 oz
1 oz ready-to-eat cereal	is equal to 1 oz

Vegetable and Fruit Groups	Cup Size Equivalents
1/2 cup orange juice	is equal to 1/2 cup
1 cup mixed greens salad	is equal to 1/2 cup
1 cup cooked vegetables	is equal to 1 cup
1 apple	is equal to 1 cup
1/2 cup strawberries	is equal to 1/2 cup
1/4 cup raisins	is equal to 1/2 cup

Milk Group	Cup Size Equivalents
1 cup milk or yogurt	is equal to 1 cup
1/3 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)	is equal to 1 cup
1-1/2 oz Swiss cheese	is equal to 1 cup
1/2 cup pudding (made with milk)	is equal to 1/2 cup

Carb Challenge

Most of us have no problem getting enough carbohydrates in our diets. The real trick, though, is to swap in more whole grains in place of other choices. Some popular ways include:

• Start at breakfast with whole grain items like muffins, bagels and/or cereal.
• Select whole grain breads for sandwiches at home or when ordering out.
• Choose whole grain crackers, like Triscuit or Wheat Thins, for snacking and entertaining.
• Try brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
• Rev up your recipe repertoire with some whole grains such as bulgur, oatmeal, wild rice or barley.

Learn About Label Terms for Sugars and Dietary Fiber

Here's what food product labels tell you about sugar and fiber:

Good Source/Provides/Contains Fiber	At least 10% of the daily value for fiber per serving (at least 2.5 grams but less than 5 grams of fiber).
High/Rich/Excellent Source of Fiber	20% or more of the daily value for fiber per serving (5 grams or more of fiber).
Sugar Free	Less than 0.5 grams sugar per serving.
No Added Sugar	No sugars (or any other sugar-containing ingredients) are added during processing or packaging. The product might not be reduced calorie, low calorie or sugar free; check the label.

Pancakes

Prep time

10 min

Total time

15 min

Makes

4 servings, about 2 (4-inch) pancakes each

what you need

1 cup flour

2 Tbsp.  sugar

1 Tbsp. CALUMET Baking Powder

1/2 tsp.  salt

1 egg

1 cup  milk

2 Tbsp. oil

Make It

MIX flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
BEAT egg with milk and oil in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended and smooth.
LADLE batter onto hot griddle or into hot skillet, using 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake; cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other sides. Serve with syrup.

 

VELVEETA Tuna Noodle Casserole

What You Need

2 cups medium-size pasta, uncooked

1 pkg.  (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cans  (5 oz. each) tuna in water, drained, flaked

1/2 cup milk

Make It

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water the last minute. Drain; return to pan.
STIR in VELVEETA, tuna and milk. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; cover.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until heated through. Stir before serving.

Financial for child education

In a fast moving and growing world where by an eye blink now we are at year 2010. We need to prepare for our child education where in 10 years time the education scheme will definitely going through changes and increase in requirements. One thing for sure, the education fee will definitely will increase. So, what are our plans to better prepare to overcome these changes and challenges?

I will cover our future education scheme in a another topic in a near future. Now, I would like to discuss and share my thought on financial for education. In general, most parents already invested in insurance for their child education. Before we could commit of these insurance, investment and saving, we have to have a plan for our child education. I've list down the checklist below:

1. What is your education plan for your child future? an engineer, a doctor, a pilot, an academician and entrepreneur

2. You may want have a plan A and plan B, which worst case scenario, if plan A does work then you could easily switch to plan B almost immediately.

3. Once you chose the education plan then you have to commit on financial commitment which my recommendation, put aside minimum of 10% to 20% of your gross salary for this plan.

4. Diversify your financial commitments into 3 main categories; protection (insurance), investment and saving.

5. Monitor your child education and ability which you may see his/her potential and adjust your financial commitment accordingly.

Lastly, every single cent you spent on our child education will give you a peace at heart and you will never regret.

Mexican Recipies

Use these great mexican recipies from the  comfort of your home and have a feel of the great country from the south of the border
Corn Salsa - mexican recipies

• 16      ounces        Corn; Canned -- Drained (1 cn)
• 4      ounces        Green Chilies; Canned -- Drain
• 1      each          Jalapeno Chile -- *
• 1/4  cup           Green Bell Pepper -- Chopped
• 1/4  cup           Green Onions w/tops -- Sliced
• 2      tablespoons   White Wine Vinegar
• 1      tablespoon    Vegetable Oil
• 1/4  teaspoon      Salt

*  Jalapeno chile should be seeded and finely chopped.
Mix all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until
chilled, about 1 hour. Makes about 2 1/3 cups Salsa.
Corn Tortillas - Mexican Recipies

• 2      cups          masa harina
• 1 1/3  cups          warm water

Stir masa harina and water together until dough holds together in a ball. Turn onto a working surface that has been dusted with masa harina. Knead quickly into a smooth ball. Divide dough into twelve pieces. Roll one piece into a ball. Place between two sheets of wax paper and flatten slightly. Press tortillas (still in wax paper) in a tortilla press until tortilla measures about 6 inches in diameter. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, stacking tortillas, still sandwiched in wax paper, under a damp tea towel until ready for use.
When you're ready to cook the tortillas, preheat a seasoned cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Remove wax paper from tortilla and heat on griddle, turning frequently until it looks dry and has a golden color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Corn-Salsa Pita Sandwiches - Mexican Recipies
--- Sandwiches: ---

• ears of corn
• 1 1/2  cups          shredded red cabbage
• green bell pepper -- chopped
• tomato -- chopped
• bacon slices -- cooked
• pitas
• 1 1/2  cups          cheddar cheese -- shredded
  • • • • --- Salsa: ---
• 1      cup           sour cream
• 3      tablespoons   lime juice
• 2      tablespoons   chopped onions
• garlic clove -- minced
• 1      teaspoon      chili powder
• 1      teaspoon      ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon      sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon      salt
• 1/4  teaspoon      cayenne pepper

* Only fresh corn will make this sandwich taste its very best, but use
well-drained canned corn if necessary.
SALSA: Mix all the salsa ingredients well and chill.
SANDWICHES:
1. Remove husks from corn, remove corn silk and snap off ends of
stalks. Have a pot of salted water boiling rapidly. Drop in corn ears,
cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2. Remove corn from water, drain, and cut corn from cob.
3. Combine finely shredded cabbage, green pepper, tomato and cooked crumbled bacon in a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the salsa mix, blending well.
4. Cover and chill mixture. When ready to serve, fill pita bread with corn mixture, top with remaining salsa and shredded cheese.