Kelly's Campaign

Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

I love walnuts! It’s one of my favorite snacks and I am happy that this nut is considered healthy. Like any other kind of nuts, though, walnuts are high in calories so moderation is still the key. You can substitute it for any other snacks, meaning skip the less healthy stuff and stick to nuts instead.

Walnuts are best source for protein and are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. While most nuts are high in fat, these are mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids – the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. And compare to other nuts, walnuts have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.

Here are some suggestions in consuming walnuts:

• Choose walnuts over cookies for snacks
• Toss walnuts in your salads or pasta for additional crunch instead of meats.
• Chopped walnuts work as pizza topping.
• Walnuts in your cereal or oatmeal works too, instead of bacon or eggs.

Recently, a new branch of Yakimix opened in Trinoma.

I have eaten in their Morato branch once and that experience was good. So when friends invited me for dinner there for our annual get-together, I did not think twice and asked the husband for his permission.

Yakimix did not disappoint and I can just imagine going back there again with my family soon.

Studies have revealed that about 70% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. It means these people cannot eat or drink milk products without getting an upset stomach. This is genetic and is usually observed among Africans, Asians and people of Mediterranean descent. There are levels of intolerance; some can even take one glass of milk and not feel anything. But this condition occurs when there is a deficiency in an enzyme called lactase so lactose or milk sugar is not digested properly. Undigested lactose lingers in the intestine and ferments – causing intestinal discomfort, including abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea.

If you are lactose intolerant, here are your options:

- drink small quantities of milk at one time.

- drink milk with meals.

- use Lactaid when you consume dairy products.

- be sure to read labels and choose lactose-free products.

- try soy-milk or non-dairy milk for your calcium needs.

- Swiss cheese and cottage cheese are naturally low in lactose, stick to those.

Thanksgiving passed us by. We do not celebrate it on this side of the world but Christmas is always a huge affair. As early as now, we are already planning for the Christmas Eve dinner and we decided to make it Thanksgiving style for a change. According to my research, here are the top 5 foods that are okay to serve because they’re healthy:

1. Pumpkin – rich in Vitamin A and is very fibrous. It contains the good fats and is low in calories when eaten by itself. Yes, the other ingredients like eggs and sugar makes it high in calories! Yu can go around that by using substitutes to lower the fat content.
2. Sweet Potato – this is a rich source of anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Beta Carotene, and is an excellent source of potassium; has fibers too.
3. Cranberries – this is not readily available here but I’ll look in the supermarket to check. Cranberries are packed with Vitamin C, and rich in dietary fibers and manganese. They can also prevent urinary tract infection.
4. Green Beans – these are excellent source of Vitamins C & K and manganese, and other vitamins and minerals like folate and iron.
5. Turkey – gives the body protein and has the least fat among meats but you need to skip the skin.