Benefits of Drinking Water Daily

Water is absolutely vital to good health. Next to air, water is the most essential element to our survival. Without it, humans would die in a few days. There are many benefits of drinking water daily because the human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. An estimated seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration. It is scary since water is plenty available. People just don't realize the benefits of drinking water daily are for the human body. The body cannot work without it, just as a car cannot run without gas and oil. Here are some of the benefits of drinking water daily. For example, all the human cells and functions depend on water for their functioning. Water is the base for saliva, for the fluids surrounding the joints, for the regulation of the body temperature and blood circulation, for the digestion and absorption of food, for the moving of the food through the intestinal tract and the elimination of waste, and the regulation of our metabolism.

Other benefits also include the prevention of diseases: colon, bladder and breast cancer and other types of ailments and disorders that affect the systems of our bodies. And the good news is virtually free. You can drink over 4,000 glasses of tap water for the price of a six-pack of cola.

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HOW MUCH WATER

For a long time, water has been undervalued and we haven't been very educated about it. Water is so vital to our health that it is worth pointing out its benefits. Few people know, for example, that the body can use up to 10-12 cups of water a day for breathing, digestion, elimination and perspiration. If you don't replenish it daily our body will become dehydrated and this situation can worsen many health conditions. In order to avoid this situation, let's see how much water is really enough in order to enjoy its benefits.

Experts have always said that eight glasses (8 ounces) per day is enough but I would say it can be more for athletes and for those living in warmer environments to compensate for the bigger loss of water they had through perspiration as well as the regulation of body temperature. So, I would say that the best rule would be to drink one cup of water for every 20 pounds of body weight. If you exercise or work in hot climates, it can be more. The color of your urine is a good indication. If it comes out pale yellow it's an indication that you drink enough water.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATER

The benefits of drinking water daily include the improvement of many health conditions. Such as: exhaustion, nutrient absorption, toxins removal, circulation, angina, heartburn, hypertension (blood pressure), immune diseases and many more. Other benefits are related to the kidneys. Kidneys need water to filter out waste and toxins from the body. A lack of water would allow the kidneys to dump their work to the liver and what happens is that the liver will not perform as well by not metabolizing the fat as it should do. Increasing your water intake is not really a choice on the contrary. Finally, for those having weakened immune systems, water contaminants can have more harmful effects as well as to anyone. To make sure water contaminants stay out, let water filter do it for you.

Benefits of Drinking Water Daily

Article by Gilles Coulombe B.A. B.LL D.S.A. Gilles Coulombe is the webmaster of NewHealthFrontier.com a site about a wide range of health problems proposing for each of them natural solutions for a longer and healthier life. For more information, go to My Site [http://www.NewHealthFrontier.com]

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Natural Coconut Oil

When people think about eating coconut oil they often envision clogged arteries and bad health, but the fact is that natural coconut oil is a very healthy food and may even be the healthiest oil you can eat. Here are seven reasons why you might want to add this healthy oil to your diet:

1. Your Body Doesn't Turn It Into Fat

Coconut

Yes, believe it or not coconut oil won't make you as fat as other types of oils. That's because it contains medium chain triglycerides which the body can easily burn without converting to fat. Most of the other types of oils used for cooking contain longchain triglycerides which the body typically stores as fat. In simple terms, your body can convert this oil to energy faster and has no need to store it on your hips.

2. It Can Increase Your Metabolism

Interestingly enough, coconut oil may even help you lose weight because it can increase or metabolism. This helps your body burn fat more efficiently and some say that it may actually triple the calories you burn for up to six hours after eating it with a meal. In fact, an issue of woman's world magazine called coconut oil the "high metabolism secret".

3. Natural Coconut Oil Has Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

In much of the living under a rock, you know that adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet is quite desirable. But what many people don't know is that traditional cooking oils contain omega six fatty acids which we already get way too much of. The problem then results that we have an unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega sixes. One way to rectify this would be to use natural coconut oil in your cooking instead of cooking oils as the coconut oil is filled with the Omega 3's.

4. Coconut Oil Will Energize You

Combine those healthy omega three fatty acids with your increased metabolism and the ease with which your body can convert coconut oil into energy and you've got a healthy energy boost. In fact, many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have found that adding coconut oil to their diet has helped them gain more energy.

5. It's Great For Your Skin And Hair

Not only can you eat it, but coconut oil is great for your skin and your hair. It can relieve rashes and other skin problems and help to give your skin a younger appearance. In addition to being a great moisturizer, it also has antioxidant properties that can actually protect the skin from aging due to free radical damage. Not only that, but it smells great too!

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

While most other oils are only good for greasing up your food, coconut oil has added health benefits. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and it does not oxidized easily. Oxidization of oils can cause free radical damage and many of your standard cooking oils will oxidize very quickly when stored at room temperature (probably within a month). Coconut oil, on the other hand will stay good for up to a year at room temperature. In addition, coconut oil can help your body absorb other vitamins like vitamin E.

7. Coconut Oil Is One Of The Best Oils You Can Use For Cooking.

Did you ever put olive oil in a pan to heat it up and it starts to smoke? Not only does this make your food not so great, it's not good for your health either but coconut oil has a higher smoke point which means you can use it to cook in higher temperatures. You can cook anything in it and it adds a delightful taste your food - not too sweet and "coconutty" like you might think - in fact, I've used it to cook meals with and my family hasn't even noticed!

When it comes to natural Coconut oil, there really can't be healthier food. Unfortunately we've been misinformed about coconut oil for years so many people do not use it. However, it has been used in the tropics for cooking and healthcare for centuries with good results. So why not get a tasty, healthy boost and add some coconut oil to your cooking today?

7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Natural Coconut Oil

There's no reason why you should suffer from poor health and lack of energy. If you're ready to gain back your youthful vitality and take control of your health, then visit http://www.naturalhealthbuzz.com where you can learn more about healthy living and how food affects your health as well as the way you look and feel.

How to Eat Coconut Oil For the Best Health Benefits

If I ask you to recommend a recipe using coconut cream, you probably thought of curry. What if I change it to coconut oil, what recipe comes to your mind then? Indeed, both provide similar nutritional and health benefits but coconut oil provides stronger health benefits due to its concentrated healthful components.

This nourishing fat protects you against heart disease (yes, contrary to what we're led to believe), diabetes, cancers, liver and kidney diseases, osteoporosis, dental decay and skin infections, viruses, yeast and fungi. It does wonders to your skin and hair too. And an excellent tool to help you lose that excess body fat.

Coconut

Let's take a look at how you can eat coconut oil to reap its full health benefits.

Raw Coconut-Flavored Diets

Salad Dressing - Dribble the oil over your favorite salads to enhance the aroma and texture. But when you serve chilled salads, it's best to mix the oil with olive oil to help lower coconut oil's melting point so it won't solidify easily when in contact with chilled salads.

Spread - I love to spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the flavorful tropical oil on two slices of wholemeal bread with a generous sprinkle of ground flaxseeds. It's a simple yet appetizing spread with high nutritional values.

Cooking with Coconut Oil to Reap Health Benefits

Sauteing, stir-frying and deep-frying - Coconut oil can withstand cooking temperature up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) without breaking down into toxic substances or releasing free radicals due to its very stable saturated fat structure. Basically, you can cook anything and in any way you want as long as you don't overheat it.

No matter what kind of oil, once overheated, will produce toxic by-products that can cause cancers. How do you know if you've overheated the oil? Look out for this telltale sign - it starts to smoke.

Also, foods deep-fried in it don't absorb as much oil as in other vegetable oils. So, you don't have to worry about ingesting excessive coconut oil that may turn into your fat deposits and leave an oily aftertaste when reaping its health benefits.

Baking - Learn to substitute butter, vegetable oil and shortening with coconut oil in baking as it adds sweet-smelling coconut fragrance to baked goods. As a guide, use three-quarter cup of the oil to replace 1 cup of shortening. Don't worry about setting the oven temperature at slightly above its smoke point. The moisture in the food will keep the inside temperature well below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius).

Adding to Beverages

You can simply mix it in your hot beverage, be it tea, coffee, hot chocolate or hot soup. Though it doesn't mix well and float on the surface, it won't taste oily or leave an oily aftertaste in your mouth. In fact I enjoy the rich coconut taste in my drink very much.

Eating Coconut on Its Own for Health Benefits

I recommend a daily dosage of 3 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil for greater health benefits for adults when you prefer to eat the oil on its own. But it'll be fine if you keep to just 1 or 2 tablespoons daily.

I'm merely giving you some ideas over here to help you obtain coconut oil's health benefits. You can in fact, generate more ideas when you explore cookbooks and recipes, create your own recipes, and learn from your friends.

How to Eat Coconut Oil For the Best Health Benefits

Laura Ng shows you more details on how to eat coconut oil for health benefits so that you know exactly how to improve your health, lose your unwanted body fat, remove your acnes, and smoothen your skin more naturally and effectively. Uncover more health-promoting foods at her natural health guide now and take your health to the next level.

My 5 Minute Healthy Chocolate Fudge Recipe - Yes It's Healthy

As a Certified Nutrition Specialist, I like to find ways to prepare delicious foods that most people can't believe are actually healthy for you. If you have a sweet tooth like me, I'm sure you've tried to find ways to still enjoy sweet treats, but also try to make them healthier than typical junk food desserts.

The major problem with most so-called "healthy" desserts is that most companies attempt to make them healthier by reducing the fat content and thereby increasing the sugar content or artificial sweeteners... there's nothing healthy about either of those!

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Below is my famous healthy chocolate-peanut-butter fudge recipe that takes only 5 minutes to make and is really simple. The great thing is that I use no added sugars, no artificial sweeteners, and all healthy fat sources. You'll see why below.

My healthy chocolate-peanut-butter fudge recipe (peanut butter can be omitted if you prefer plain chocolate):

• Extra dark chocolate bar (3-4 oz bar works well -- look for at least 70% cocoa content, between 70-85% -- this minimizes the sugar content)
• 4 or 5 Tbsp of your favorite organic nut butter (almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter all work well)
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup of organic coconut milk (great source of healthy saturated fats from medium chain triglycerides - MCTs)
• 2 tbsp rice bran (additional healthy fiber source)
• 2 tbsp oat bran (more healthy fiber including soluble fiber)
• 1/2 cup raw pecans, almonds, or walnuts (yes, more healthy fats, antioxidants, and tons of vitamins/minerals)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional based on your tastes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a little stevia to lightly sweeten (stevia is a natural non-caloric sweetener as opposed to harmful artificial sweeteners)

Start with the coconut milk, nut butter, and chocolate bar in a medium saucepan and put it on the lowest heat possible. Continuously stir as the chocolate, coconut milk, and nut butter melts together. Once these melt together add in all of the other ingredients and stir together very well.

Once everything is mixed well together, spread the mixture onto some waxed paper laid out in a baking dish and throw it in the fridge to solidify.

Now you have some of the healthiest chocolate fudge ever known to man!

Keep in mind that you still need to keep your serving portions small because this is still a calorie-dense snack even though it is super-healthy. The good news is that it is lower in sugar and calories than typical fudge and has loads more nutrition than any typical fudge.

Enjoy! Tell your friends that Trainer Mike Geary gave you this recipe.

My 5 Minute Healthy Chocolate Fudge Recipe - Yes It's Healthy

Check out these 5 tips to Get a Flat Stomach faster with no bogus diet pills or useless "abdominizer" gadgets.

Good luck with your fitness goals!

Mike Geary,
Best Selling Author - The Truth about Six Pack Abs

Pastries in Filipino Cuisine

There's no better way to cap off a hearty Filipino meal than with something light and sweet for dessert. No, not ice cream or milkshakes, although those are great too-we're talking about native Filipino desserts. If you think sweets have no place in Filipino cuisine, you can't be further from the truth. From simple sugar-raised doughnuts to elaborate cakes, there's always a sweet Filipino food that's sure to satisfy that sweet tooth.

But one dessert that deserves a mention is the Filipino pastry. Although not as popular as our kakanin or rice cakes, Filipino pastries are a steady favorite in many regions. They're also a great start if you want to bake your own Filipino desserts recipes. They don't require as much attention as kakanin, but they give you just the same sweetness. Here are some of the most popular pastries in Filipino cuisine, plus some recipes to help you get started.

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Buko Pie

It's hardly surprising that one of our favorite desserts comes from our top fruit export. Outside the country, buko pie is sold in pre-packed frozen slices, so we're lucky to get it here fresh and hot, not to mention cheap. It is a popular pasalubong for people who go south of Luzon, particularly to Laguna, Quezon, and Batangas. The filling is made from young coconut flesh mixed with macapuno, coconut milk, cream, and sometimes caramel. Most bakeries carry a cheaper version of the pie made from sweetened coconut juice and flour. If you feel like making your own, here's an easy recipe you can try.

Buko Pie

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

2/3 c shortening

1 egg yolk

¼ c cold water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vinegar

4 c shredded coconut meat

300ml condensed milk

2/3 c cornstarch

1 c coconut water

Procedure: Preheat your oven to about 435oF. In a bowl, combine the salt and flour and cut in the shortening until they form pea-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolk, water and vinegar, then add to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough is soft and pliable. Split the dough into two balls, one part a bit bigger. Roll out the bigger dough until it's slightly bigger than your pie plate. Fit into the plate and let hang over the sides. Roll out the smaller dough, then set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients and cook until thick. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, then pour into the crust. Cover with the smaller dough, seal the edges, and bake for about one hour.

Boat tarts

For a quick, cheap sugar fix, boat tarts are your best option. These are small, open pastries with a filling of caramel, ­langka (jackfruit), mango, or some other sweetened fruit. You can find them pre-packed in most groceries and cafeterias. They are a popular dessert for school lunches, mainly because they are fairly cheap and go well with most Filipino food recipes. If you can pull off a simple cake, boat tarts shouldn't be a problem.

Pili Nut Tarts

Ingredients:

1 kg all-purpose flour

½ kg ground pili nuts

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup condensed milk

1 cup ice water

Procedure: Mix the flour and sugar, and cut in the butter until they form small pea-sized balls. Slowly add in the water, stirring along the sides to help the dough hold together. Form the dough into small balls, then roll out about 1/8 inch thick. Press into tart molds and prick the sides and base with a fork. Bake the dough for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the condensed milk, sugar, and ground nuts. Pour into the baked crusts and top with pili slices. Return to the oven and bake until the filling turns golden brown.

Macaroons

Filipino macaroons are made with coconut shavings, which make them chewier than flour-based American ones. It's actually one of the easiest Filipino cooking recipes, so it's a great starter recipe for beginners. This one puts an unusual twist on the basic recipe.

Pandan Macaroons

Ingredients :

1 cup desiccated coconut

½ cup coconut cream powder

1 tsp pandan extract

¼ cup melted butter

1 ¼ cup sugar

¼ cup bread crumbs

3 eggs, separated

1 ¼ cup warm water

green food color

salt to taste

Procedure: Preheat your oven to 320oF. Grease a baking pan with butter and sprinkle a little flour to coat. In a bowl, mix the water and coconut cream powder, then set aside. Beat egg whites until they get foamy, then beat in the yolks. Combine the bread crumbs, desiccated coconut, sugar, salt, and butter. Add in the egg mixture, dissolved coconut cream, food color, and pandan extract. Mix well and pour into the pan. Spread evenly and shake down to compact the batter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the sides are browned.

Pastries in Filipino Cuisine

Carlo Villamayor is the owner and co-author of the Filipino food [http://www.kusina.ph/] blog, Kusina.ph. A devoted cook, he makes it his personal mission to spread the joy of Filipino recipes [http://www.kusina.ph/low-fat-filipino-desserts-recipes/] with food lovers the world over. Bon appetit!

8 Natural Ways to Promote Hair Growth

Promote hair growth? Are there ways to do this? Many people suffering from hair loss and bad hair are desperate to find natural ways to grow their manes back.

Well if you wish to encourage the rapid growth of your mane then there are a few things you will need to do. Most of these can be done from items found in your own home and are relatively inexpensive.

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Here are the eight ways to help grow a longer and thicker mane.

1. Begin by massaging your scalp every day for a few minutes. Simple use your fingers and not your nails massage in small circles. Start from the base of ten head to the front of your head.this simple massage will promote hair growth.

2. If you want to bring back life and shine to your hair you can rinse it with the juice of 1 lemon and a cup of water. This will bring vibrancy back to dull hair. Another trick along these lines is rubbing one egg yolk on your hair, leave it on for an hour and then wash it off.

3. To help encourage the growth of healthy tresses, rub your hair with olive oil and then brush your hair gently with a wooden brush. Do not brush your hair when wet as it can damage it. A wide toothed comb will go a long way to grow longer locks

4. If you trim your hair every month it will help promote hair growth. Even if you only cut the tips it will prevent damage and remove split ends. Some experts say if you sleep on one side more than the other that side will grow longer and faster. This is due to the nightly massaging of the scalp on the pillow which promotes blood flow to the scalp which helps promote hair growth.

5. If you have beer in your home, let it go flat and then apply it to your hair, wrap your hair in a towel for an hour and then wash it out with shampoo. This will prevent split ends from occurring.

6. Using Coconut milk is another great way to promote hair growth. Simply massage small amounts of either canned or fresh coconut milk to your hair and try to keep it on overnight; simply wash out in the morning. This will help your hair grow longer, thicker and make it soft and shiny.

7. Applying an egg to your hair is an excellent way to add nourishment and shine. Apply a whipped egg at least once a week and then wash with mild shampoo.

8. One product you can purchase in a store is Mira hair oil; this product has herbs and oils that promote hair growth. Use it overnight to get the best results.

These are the eight ways to grow longer and thicker locks. In a few short weeks you will see your mane taking on new life and vibrancy.

8 Natural Ways to Promote Hair Growth

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Gluten Free Recipes For Kids

Having kids is not an easy job. Daily tasks can sometimes seem so overwhelming. Having five kids of my own, I can completely relate with the day to day frustrations. Fortunately, I do not have any teenagers, yet. With five kids, meal time can be quite chaotic. But how much harder is it, when you must have gluten free recipes for kids as well?

Let's face it. American kids live off of pizza, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and the list of junk goes on and on. All of this garbage food is making obesity in children a norm. Not only that, but it is all full of gluten. With children that are on a gluten-free diet, it makes it very challenging to cook for them. Despite these challenges, there are actually a lot of options out there that are great gluten-free recipes for kids.

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Let's begin with fruit as a snack. Fruit is naturally sweet and vitamin packed, unlike all of the foods listed above. What about a smoothie? Smoothies are extremely tasty, with the natural fruit sugar, and are very filling. Making that smoothie dairy-free, gluten-free, and all natural ensures that all food allergies are addressed and health is taken into consideration. Smoothies are very easy to make and will leave kids asking for more. When I make smoothies, it seems there is never enough to go around.

What ingredients make a great smoothie? The ingredients all depend on your kids' personal preference. We love to combine peaches, strawberries, blackberries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Some days, I am too lazy to juice oranges and will just exchange coconut milk for the juice. Other days, I do not want to add blackberries. And just recently, I decided to use coconut milk, a very small portion of a banana, and strawberries together. You can't go wrong with smoothies. All you need is some fruit, a blender, and an ability to experiment!

For lunch, a chicken nugget recipe does not need to be thrown out the window. Just use common sense and make them all natural. They are easy to make and taste great. All you need is cubed chicken, eggs, a gluten-free flour blend, paprika, and pepper. Dip the chicken in the eggs and the flour. Place them on a pan and sprinkle paprika and pepper. They take a very short time to bake. Once they are done, the kids are scrambling to the table to get as many as possible.

For dinner, spaghetti is one of the many gluten-free recipes for kids. When making spaghetti, simply buy gluten-free pasta. I have a favorite brand that I use all of the time, which has a good flavor and texture. Then, I make my own homemade spaghetti sauce. All I use is tomato puree, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Throw that in with some hamburger, and dinner is served.

I have a harder time making dessert. I have some gluten-free dessert recipes that are good, but I struggle with getting the texture of the dessert just right (it can be a little dry). I have figured out how to make a good gluten-free, dairy-free, banana cream pie filling and pie crust. The texture is good and the flavor leaves you craving more. What kid wouldn't go for a great dessert recipe? All of the ingredients that are needed are coconut milk, eggs, evaporated cane juice crystals, a gluten-free flour blend, vanilla, and a natural buttery spread. It is easy to make this pie filling.

So, don't give up on finding great gluten-free recipes for kids. It is actually easier than it seems at first. It is a blessing to give up gluten. Just think no more greasy pizza, nitrate filled hot dogs with buns, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and macaroni and cheese. Throw out the preservatives and cook all natural foods that your kids will come back to over and over again. When they are parents, they will be thankful that you took the time to take care of them and fed them all natural gluten-free foods.

Gluten Free Recipes For Kids

Jennifer Rigby invites you to visit Natural Cooking Recipes. While there, check out all of the Gluten Free Recipes For Kids that fit your children's gluten-free needs.

Homemade Deep Conditioners For Soft, Shiny, Healthy Hair

Over the years I have tried several different deep conditioners, homemade as well as store bought. The store bought conditioners are generally less expensive, last longer and are less messy, but, the majority of them did not leave my hair as soft and manageable as I prefer; they also have a chemical smell to them.

Homemade deep conditioners are usually made of items you find in the grocery store. In my many experiments with using them, I have noticed a dramatic difference between outcome of store bought conditioners, such as softens, manageability, shine and overall healthy appearance. The concerns I have with the homemade conditioners are they are really expensive to make, can get really messy when applying, really only last for the one application, and sometimes even if you use the exact same ingredients, they outcome may be slightly different; I've also had people complain about feeling as if they wasted valuable food when using homemade deep conditioners.

\"coconut Milk\"

I would recommend experimenting with homemade deep conditioners, but personally, I would never make this my only form of conditioning my hair, because I am one of those people that would prefer to eat my food. Here are a few recipes to try. Feel free to tweak them to your liking.

1 small jar of real mayonnaise, 1/2 of an avocado ....

Mix with your hands or with a hand held mixer in a medium bowl. After applying to towel dried hair, place a shower cap on the hair. For a more deep conditioning apply a hot towel around the cap; let sit for 20 minutes then rinse. You can also do a deep conditioning with mayonnaise by itself. Just remember to use real mayonnaise and not salad dressing.

1 avocado
1 can coconut milk
Mash avocado and slowly add coconut milk until smooth and the consistency of hair conditioner. Work through hair to ends. Rinse after 15 minutes then shampoo....

1 teaspoon baby oil
1 egg yolk
1 cup water
Beat the egg yolk until it's frothy, add the oil then beat again. Add to the water. Massage into the scalp and throughout your hair. Rinse well

1/2 a banana,
1/4 avocado,
1/4 cantaloupe,
1 tablespoon wheat germ oil and
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
For extra conditioning, squeeze in the contents of a vitamin E capsule. Leave in hair for 15 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with hand held mixer. Continue until mix is slightly thicker than yogurt. Apply to towel dried hair. Rinse well.

Homemade Deep Conditioners For Soft, Shiny, Healthy Hair

For more hair care tip you can order my book by going to http://www.sweetnaturebyeddie.com

About The Author:

I am a healthy hair care specialist, creator of Sweet Nature by Eddie comprehensive healthy hair care system, author of Relaxed or Natural, You Can Have Beautiful, Healthy Hair, and the owner of http://www.fabulousblackwoman.com

Annette Sym Recipes

Annette Sym's story is truly an inspirational weight loss story. She lost her weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle - and by losing weight I don't mean 10 or 20 pounds - She lost around 70 pounds. She replaced her unhealthy eating habits with exercise and low fat foods. She hates dieting and so did not want to miss out on eating her favorite foods to lose weight. Instead she came up with low fat recipes for almost everything - low fat versions for butter chicken, curries, burgers, cheese cakes and even for chocolate cakes. Annette has a sweet tooth and she loves cakes and she still eats them regularly them - thanks to her low fat recipes.

Her healthy eating was the secret behind her dress size - from size 24 to size 12. The amazing thing in this true story is the fact that she lost seventy pounds and managed to keep it off for nearly 2 decades. Had she opted for pills or diets or any other such fads there is no way she could have managed to keep it off for such a long time.

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After losing her weight, Annette decided to put together all her recipes into a cookbook and sell the book - She self published her book as she could not find a publisher to back it. Her book is called 'Symply Too Good To Be True'. All her recipes have the nutritional information as well (Calories, saturated fat, fat etc etc).

The book was an instant success - people loved the book, because all her recipes tasted good but had hardly any effect on their waist lines. She recently published the American version of this cookbook and this too is a huge success.

I recently bought a copy of the book and now my cooking styles have changed dramatically - Same taste (actually better) but much less fat. Here is an example - I love Thai food - lot of coconut milk in Thai recipes - 40-odd grams of fat a cup - but with Annette Sym's Recipe, it is only 4 grams.

Annette Sym Recipes

Sandy Naidu is a work at home mother. Sandy's website, DotComMothers, features interviews with women business owners. She recently interviewed Annette Sym of Symply Too Good - Annette Sym Recipes. This business mom is the queen of low fat cookbooks. Read her story at Annette Syms Recipes.

Tembleque de Coco

I want to share with you a classic Puerto Rican desert recipe. This one is a treat, it is light coconut custard that shakes like Jell-O. That is why it's called tembleque, which can be loosely translated as jiggling. Here is the recipe:

o 2 cups of coconut milk

\"coconut Milk\"

o ½ cup of cornstarch

o ¾ cups of sugar

o ½ teaspoon of salt

o 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

o Ground cinnamon (optional)

In a saucepan, at medium hi, heat the coconut milk, the sugar and the salt. Dilute the cornstarch with some of the coconut milk and add to the saucepan. Stir continuously until it boils then simmer until it thickens. Pour mixture into a mold or single serving cups whatever you prefer. Let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle cinnamon over it before serving.

Here are some tips to watch out for on this dish. Cool the mixture before refrigerating or cover it with a plastic wrap so a skin does not develop, much like pudding. In addition, before serving you might have to separate the tembleque from the mold with a knife. While cooking once the mix thickens remove immediately from the heat or you will get a tembleque without the jiggle that is more bread pudding than jell-o in consistency.

Tembleque is a classic Puerto Rican desert recipe that's both easy to make and great tasting. For all you desert lovers be on the lookout for another great recipe I will give you very soon. Until then, keep making your great cooking easy.

Tembleque de Coco

To learn more visit Hugo Felix at The Minute Gourmet, the making great cooking easy web site, today! Also visit Hugo’s blog at http://hugoseats.blogspot.com/ for some lively discussion on making fast cooking great.

Benefit of Using Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a lot of health benefits which include bone strength, stress relief, skin care, maintaining cholesterol levels, increased immunity, weight loss, proper metabolism and digestion as well as relief from heart diseases, kidney problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, HIV, dental care and hair care. The advantages of coconut oil could be attributable to its presence of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid as well as its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal and soothing properties.

Hair Care
For hair care, coconut oil is among the most effective natural nutrition. It assists in the healthy growth of your hair, providing it with a shiny bounce. Regularly massaging this product in the head ensures that the scalp has a lack of lice eggs and lice, dandruff and dry scalp.

Coconut

Skin Care
For the skin, this substance is also an outstanding massage oil for your skin. It serves as a valuable moisturizer on every type of skin including ultra dry skin. The advantage of coconut oil to your skin is similar to what mineral oil does for the skin. However, in contrast to mineral oil, no chance is there of having any unfavourable side effects when you make use of product. Therefore, coconut oil is a solution that is safe for putting a stop to flaking and dryness of skin. In addition, it delays sagging and wrinkling of the skin which typically become very prominent when you age. Additionally, the substance assists in the treatment of a variety of skin problems such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis as well as other skin conditions. Therefore, the oil is included as a basic ingredient of a variety of skin care products including creams, lotions, and soaps that are utilized on a daily basis. In addition, the oil assists in preventing degenerative diseases and premature aging which occurs as a result of the antioxidant properties it contains.

Heart Diseases
A misconception exists among a number of individuals the coconut oil is bad on the heart. This is in view of the fact that it contains a huge amount of saturated fats. However, that is incorrect and the oil is valuable to the heart. The oil contains approximately 50 percent of lauric acid, which assists in the prevention of a variety of heart problems as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. The saturated fats that are present in this product are harmless and actually beneficial.

Benefit of Using Coconut Oil

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Filipino Recipes - Arroz Valenciana (Rice & Meat) Recipe - Pinoy Food

Being the staple food of Filipinos, rice is cooked several ways and Arroz Valenciana is just one of the most favored because you don't have to think of any other dishes to pair it with. It is rice and mixed meats mold into one dish. It is a special rice recipe commonly served during fiestas.

Ingredients:

\"coconut Milk\"

• 1 young chicken (cut into regular pieces)
• 1/2 kilo pork (cut into regular pieces)
• 2 pcs Chorizo de Bilbao (sliced)
• 6 potatoes (quartered)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 segments garlic (macerated)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 cup tomatoes
• 1 cup sweet peas
• 1/4 cup olives
• 3 cups rice (boiled in 2 cups coconut milk and 3 cups water)
• 1 tsp salt
• Slices of hard-boiled eggs
• Slices of sweet red pepper
• Salt, pepper and paprika (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

• Season chicken and pork meat with salt and pepper. Fry until color is slightly brown.
• In a deep pan, saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes. Then add the potatoes, chicken, pork, and chorizos. Mix well then cover the pan and allow to cook until the potatoes and meat are tender. Add water if needed.
• Add the sweet pepper, sweet peas and olives. Take out some of the stock from the pan and set aside when the vegetables and meat are done.
• Add the cooked rice to the meat mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the remaining stock and seasoning to taste. Cook on low heat until the mixture becomes quite dry.
• Garnish top with sliced hard-boiled eggs, stuffed olives and red pepper slices.

Filipino Recipes - Arroz Valenciana (Rice & Meat) Recipe - Pinoy Food

Jasmine is a native Filipino with a passion for cooking and gardening. Her love of Pinoy food has lead her to create a website to share her favorite Filipino recipes with the world.