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Food prices up 0.2 percent in December

Posted in : General Information

(added a month ago!)

Food prices up 0_2 percent in DecemberFood prices rose 0.2 percent in December 2011, Statistics New Zealand said today. Higher prices for fruit and vegetables (up 2.5 percent) and meat, poultry, and fish (up 1.2 percent) countered a fall for non- alcoholic beverages (down 2.5 percent).

In December 2011, prices were higher for potatoes (up 14 percent), pumpkin (up 75 percent), and apples (up 14 percent). Higher pumpkin prices reflected a supply shortage. Strawberries recorded seasonally lower prices - down 21 percent for the month. However, they were up 25 percent on a year earlier.

The rise in meat, poultry, and fish prices reflected less discounting for fresh chicken pieces (up 3.9 percent) and sausages (up 6.2 percent). The fall in non-alcoholic beverage prices resulted from lower prices for soft drinks (down 2.3 percent) and fruit juice (down 5.9 percent).

"Soft drink prices usually fall in December, with more discounting leading up to the Christmas break," Statistics NZ prices manager Chris Pike said. For the year to December 2011, food prices increased 2.9 percent, compared with 1.9 percent for the year to November 2011. Four of the five food subgroups had price increases in the year to December 2011: grocery food (up 3.5 percent), meat, poultry, and fish (up 3.7 percent), restaurant meals and ready- to-eat food (up 2.4 percent), and non-alcoholic beverages (up 4.4 percent). The fruit and vegetables subgroup decreased 0.9 percent.

The food price index measures the rate of price change of food and food services purchased by households. Statistics NZ visits shops across New Zealand to collect prices for the FPI and check package sizes.

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Reduce Fat But Eat Fresh Food

Posted in : Fresh food

(added a month ago!)

Eating the right food to lose weight is one thing but just as important is eating the right food to keep you healthy. Sure you'll feel fitter when you lose weight but that doesn't mean you are healthy or that your body is functioning properly.

We live in the age of processed food which is not good for you. Nearly everything you see in a food store nowadays is processed stuff. The makers have played around with the original so much and added so many preservatives, flavours, artificial tastes and colourings to it that it's a wonder it can be classified as food. That includes those frozen and takeaway meals too

Sometimes I think food manufacturers are more occupied with the colourful packaging than the contents. After all, they're in it for the money. But we should eat to be healthy. No matter how much you might like it, the processed stuff is not good for you. You need to think fresh food - fresh meat, vegetables and fruit. It's still around. You can still buy it. And it's  the real thing. People have been living on it since civilisation began.

You should have serves of veggies and fruit every day. You don't have to eat meat and if you do you don't need a lot of it. What is really important is getting plenty of fibre in your diet. Fibre is really important because one of it's benefits is to keep you regular on the toilet.

Not having enough fibre can encourage nasties like constipation, piles – even cancer. You don't want to walk down that road. So whether you're on a diet or not eat good food, dine on the real thing and not some man-made concoction that's been processed to the point where it resembles plastic. And enjoy the smells of fresh food, like the aroma of a mango or a peach, or the taste bud tantalising smell of roast meat. The processed stuff doesn't usually smell and if it does it's not natural.

Imagine, if everybody cut right down on processed foods how many plastic bags and containers that would save to help the environment. And how the number of illnesses on the planet like piles would reduce.

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Junk food ban’s still on, but chocolate milk is safe

Posted in : General Information

(added a month ago!)

Chips, chocolate and fruit bars are out, but complaints from Calgary parents have seen one popular kids’ beverage put back on the menu at local public schools. Starting Monday, elementary students returning to class from the holiday break will only be able to purchase items from the cafeteria or vending machine that fall into the “choose most often” category in the Alberta Health Services nutritional guide.

This would have prevented kids from drinking the ever-popular chocolate milk, but Calgary Board of Education administrators have found a new, low-sugar offering after parents expressed concern about the removal, said superintendent for learning innovations Cathy Faber.

Older students will still have access to some items from the “choose sometimes” category. Despite concerns from a local nutritionist and some parents about other items that are no longer available, Faber said her team is moving ahead with a policy she says is three years in the making. “All of our vendors have been notified and we will be checking to ensure full compliance,” she said.

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Meat processing industry expects higher sales due to increased state spending

Posted in : Processed food

(added a month ago!)

“Our sales will probably pick up [in 2012] because the election is nearing,” Mekeni Food President Prudencio S. Garcia said in a telephone interview on Saturday. Mr. Garcia explained that processed meat sales historically increase during the last quarter of the year before the election. The country’s mid-term election is set in May 2013. The government’s pledge to spend more this year, he added, will be “a big factor” for the projected growth.

According to earlier reports, the budget department has committed to spend P140 billion on infrastructure projects beginning this month. “If the government will push through with its announcement to spend more, it will be good for us,” said Mr. Garcia. “When the government spends, money will go down to the people. In turn, that would propel spending on the part of the consumers.”

Citing these reasons, Mr. Garcia believes that Mekeni’s profit in 2012 will grow by 6-9%. In 2011, the company recorded at least P1 billion in sales. Mekeni Food is also looking to expand its export network this year.

“We are interested in China but there are trade issues that have to be settled. However, I think the government is already working on that. We will see,” he said. Last October, Mekeni Foods started exporting to the United Arab Emirates, shipping 14,000 kilos of meat products to Dubai for its first order.

Meanwhile, Mr. Garcia said the company would focus on improving products other than its hotdogs, a bestseller that already enjoys strong sales. The Pampanga-based meat processor makes hotdogs, sausages, hams, bacon, tocino, longganisa and tapa.

The company, established in 1986, halted operations temporarily because of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. In 2001, Mekeni Foods obtained a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines, which allowed them to put up a state-of-the-art facility. -- CHCV

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Health, Wellness, Diets, Fads

Posted in : Health and Diet

(added a month ago!)

Aah, diets, perhaps one of the most talked about topics in our society today! Every skinny, just right, slightly overweight, fat, and obese person today at one time or another talks about or tries a new diet.

In order to be healthy we must maintain a good body weight for our size. Health and wellness is a huge industry in this country and some people will try any type of new diet on the market to see if it has the magic cure. Unfortunately, most of the time it is just another fad diet that would never really work to begin with. Then we are out more money that we have poured into this diet hoping for, that is right, a miracle that will make us skinny again.

Why does society want us to be skinny? Why can we not be medium size or a little chunky as long as we are well and healthy? Not one of us was put on this earth to look like everyone else. We all have our own unique ways and looks about us that make us different. What a boring world we would live in if we all were the perfect size and looked like the person next door.

It is however, very important to be healthy and a lot of us cannot achieve this if we are drastically overweight. If we choose to find a diet that is going to work for us it must be one that is not a fad, but one that gives us the nutrients for our bodies to remain healthy. This is not a quick fix problem, either. We must get the vitamins, minerals, and proper nutrients that our bodies need so that we can remain disease free!

There are some excellent diet plans out there. The problem is finding the right one. If you use common sense you will know that a diet that stops you from eating will not be a good thing. If losing weight is what is needed then find a diet that is not just all the fad, but rather one that is going to decrease your appetite but still show you how to eat properly and remain healthy as you lose.

Research and find one that is going to help you and quit worrying about looking like the perfect model down the road. Lose slowly, keep it off, and at the end of your healthy diet you will look good and feel well inside and out. That is what a healthy diet is meant to do!

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Fatty food bad for you? It may be a no-brainer

Posted in : Processed food

(added a month ago!)

Colon hydrotherapy, as a system of healing and wellness, gained popularity way back in the 1930s. Due to lack of research, not many people were convinced of its impact on general health and wellness. However, in the last couple of years, more and more people have undergone detoxification through colon hydrotherapy and enumerated its various advantages. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in colon hydrotherapy and its benefits.

However, people have many misconceptions regarding this therapy. Often, people feel that if they do not suffer from any of the symptoms of constipation, they do not stand to gain anything from colon hydrotherapy. Doctors tell patients that bowel habits are varied. So, there is a belief that having a bowel movement once a day or once in two days or even once in a week is normal. Then, there are concerns that colon hydrotherapy may be painful or uncomfortable.  

Colon hydrotherapy or colon cleansing is a process in which water is pumped into the colon to flush the colon of toxins, waste buildup and mucus. Following colon hydrotherapy or colon irrigation, the colon is completely cleansed of all toxic buildup and waste matter.

Who can benefit from colon hydrotherapy?

It must be remembered that colon hydrotherapy is not just for the severely constipated. In fact, many practitioners agree that patients approach them not due to the lack of bowel movements but due to problems like lack of energy, fatigue, gas, heartburn and irritable bowel. Food sensitivities and food allergies are also common among patients who seek out the treatment. Some patients may suffer from skin breakouts, psoriasis, eczema while others may be grappling with constant weight problems. In some cases, people with a history of colon problems opt for colon hydrotherapy. Athletes turn to colonics to improve metabolism. Often, the treatment is pain motivated as people suffering from headaches, abdominal pain, aching joints and migraine turn to detoxification for relief. Colon hydrotherapy sessions may be recommended for medical reasons like pre-surgery and post-surgery, stool samples and barium x-rays.

Benefits of colon hydrotherapy:
Colon cleanse: Buildup of toxic wastes interfere with assimilation and elimination. When toxic waste deposits are removed from the colon, it begins to behave ‘normally'. In this sense, colonics is a rejuvenation treatment.

Boost health of colon muscles: Toxic buildup makes the colon sluggish. However, when the colon is cleansed, there is significant improvement in peristalsis (muscle contraction of the colon). Undergoing colon hydrotherapy is somewhat like subjecting the colon to a great workout session.

Reshape: When the colon contains unwanted waste deposits, it becomes distended and disfigured. This in turn leads to larger waste buildup. Colon hydrotherapy gets rid of any bulging pockets of waste and enables the colon to regain its natural shape.

Overall health: The colon is at the very bottom of our health and wellbeing. When the colon is cleansed of toxins, digestion improves and metabolism elevates. Immunity is rejuvenated. As a result, there is an increased sense of well being and health.

Hydration: Following hydrotherapy, water is absorbed through the colon. Blood circulation increases. Toxins are flushed out and this puts an end to uremia and toxemia. It also increases elimination of waste through the kidney and the skin. Thus, cardiovascular health improves and the circulatory system becomes more efficient.

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How Liver Toxins from Processed Foods Influence Fat Gain

Posted in : Processed food

(added a month ago!)

For anyone intent on losing or controlling their body fat, it's crucial to possess a firm comprehension of your liver's work as it relates to a person's weight.  Since the liver has many functions, there are a number of areas to cover when discussing the way it functions in weight control, but here we will dwell on how liver toxins from processed foods influence fat gain.  

The liver is perhaps the most important single organ in the body for fat control.  It metabolizes fat, protein and carbohydrates, removing them out of your system before they have a chance to go into fat storage.  Another of its tasks is to remove toxins from the body.  Toxins come in many forms, from chemicals in unfiltered drinking water to air pollutants such as cigarette smoke, but we are going to concentrate on ingested toxins in processed foods and some of the other foods the majority of us eat on a regular basis.  If the liver is working overtime eliminating toxins from the system, it will not have time to do the job we want it to do; that is, to efficiently eliminate fat.  Some of the processed foods that influence fat gain are:

*    Processed foods.  These are made from actual foods but are infused with chemicals and preservatives.

*    Junk foods.  They contain not much in the way of real food, but are made up of processed foods, chemicals and hydrogenated fats, and take in among other things donuts, soda, and most cold cereals.

*    Preservatives.  These additives, used to prevent food from spoiling, come in the form of nitrates for preserving meats, sulfur dioxide used on dried fruits to other fruits and vegetables to prevent rotting, and additives in margarine, fruit juices and carbonated beverages.

*    Coloring.  The American food industry uses thousands of tons of food color every year, and the majority of these agents are derived from coal tar, virtually all synthetic.  Among the foods that coloring is added to are butter, margarine, carbonated beverages, jellies, and maraschino cherries, to name a few.
*    Sweeteners.  Most processed foods include artificial sugar substitutes such as saccharine and aspartame, which are required to carry a warning label on all products it contains.

*    Flavorings.  You will find over 2000 of these food additives in use, and usually are comprised of a large quantity of chemicals.

*    Refined flour.  The brown husk on the grain has been removed, leaving the white, refined starch.  These refined starches are quickly broken down into sugar and absorbed immediately into the bloodstream, which will cause glucose levels to increase, resulting in increases in body fat.  Some of the products that fall in this group are white bread, white rice, pasta, and many junk foods.  Whole grain products are absorbed much more gradually into the bloodstream than refined starches because of the bran around the starch.

These are several of the things that we eat that are in processed foods that influence fat gain.  Obviously in our modern day world it would be impossible to avoid them completely, but luckily the human body is well equipped to deal with these toxins, so long as it doesn't become overloaded.  If in time your liver becomes stressed to the point it can't in fact do its job, a condition called fatty liver develops, which are deposits of fatty tissue within the liver.  This can cause, among other things, a severe lack of the ability to metabolize fats, resulting in greater weight gain.

The target is to not permit the liver to degenerate into this condition, and if we would severely limit these processed foods that influence fat gain, we would experience dramatic results in how our liver functions.  It's not easy, but by watching what we purchase, or get on one of the excellent delivered meal programs such as Diettogo, these toxins are going to be reduced immensely.

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Best Health - Vegetarian Diet

Posted in : Health and Diet

(added a month ago!)

Many people follow vegetarian diet but there is no definite diet pattern. People who follow vegetarian diet are distinguished into following categories.

Vegans or totally vegetarians
Lacto vegetarians
Ovo lacto vegetarians and
Semi vegetarians

The vegans follow diets that include food only from plants like fruits vegetables, seeds, legumes, grains, and nuts. The diet of lacto vegetarians consists of plant food along with cheese and dairy products. The ovo lacto vegetarian diet can contain eggs. Semi vegetarians consume plant foods, eggs, dairy products, fish and chicken but exclude red meat.

Nutritional aspect of vegetarian diet

Vegetarian diets are either low or totally free from  animal products. So they are low in saturated fats and cholesterol, and reduce the risk of obesity and many diseases like diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, certain types of cancer and coronary heart diseases. However there is a lack of certain minerals and vitamins in this type of diet for which one needs to properly and carefully plan the diet. If essential nutrients are included in the vegetarian diet then it can be made healthy and nutritionally good. However one should not include too much calories and saturated fat in the diet, otherwise it may have a negative effect on our health.

Nutrients that should be included in vegetarian diet
A vegetarian diet should include an array of nutrients for optimum result. It should include proper amount of proteins, minerals and calcium

Protein: For vegetarian diet adequate amount of protein can be derived from plant sources. Plant protein can alone provide the necessary amount of amino acid that is needed by your body. Vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes and nuts contain nonessential and essential amino acid. Soy protein is also a good source of protein that can be considered as an equivalent to the animal source and can alone supplement the protein requirement of the body.

Iron: Red meat, egg yolk, liver are the richest source of iron and cholesterol. So vegetarians can be low in iron intake. To supplement this deficiency you need to consume lots of beans and spinach. Dried fruits and brewer’s yeast can also be taken as they are good source of protein derived from plants.

Zinc : Zinc  is required for growth and development of your body. Plant sources of zinc are nut, legumes and grains. Supplements should not be taken more than 15 to 18 mg. if supplements are taken more than 50 mg then it can lower the HDL cholesterol in man.

Vitamin B-12: vitamin B-12 is mainly found in animal source. In vegetarian diet it is found in fortified breakfast cereals, in some brands of brewer’s yeast, fortified beverages of soy, and from vitamin supplements.

Vitamin D: vegetarians are generally devoid of vitamin D as there are no convenient sources. However exposure to sunlight, milk fortified with vitamin d, some fortified soy milk provide little amount of it.

Calcium: Vegetarians can absorb more calcium than non vegetarians. Some convenient sources are spinach, broccoli, legume, soyabean products and kale

Vegetarians consume fewer calories than non vegetarians. So they are needed to consume different kinds of foods and adequate calories to fulfill  the energy demand. They should lay stress on consumption of unrefined grains and fortified cereals. Vitamin A and vitamin C rich foods are also of great importance. Consumption of dairy products should be limited to fat free or low fat products and consumption of cholesterol should also be limited within 300 mg per day.

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3 Reasons to Avoid Eating Processed Foods

Posted in : Processed food

(added few months ago!)

Once you set out to do something worthwhile, be sure that you go about it in the right way. Seeking to succeed with avoid eating processed foods isn't any exception. Having a plan, a guideline, a "road to run on", can make a big difference in whether one does something right and succeed, or do it wrong and fail. If you don't do it right, the end results are generally disastrous. By continuing to eat processed foods you may wind up gaining more unwanted weight, perhaps even endangering your health.

The 3 suggested basic factors listed below will better inform you about the dangers associated with the consumption of processed foods. Initially, most of us eat processed food everyday as they are available and convenient.

You'll really need to realize what processed foods are what why they are endangering your life, because that will help to avoid becoming dependent of them to prepare your meals. Not getting this done correctly could further jeopardize your health. So do not make the miscalculation of ignoring this crucial step!  Secondly, many processed foods items contain sodium with is a leading cause to heart disease

Nearly as vital as most of us eat processed food everyday as they are available and convenient. Whenever dealing with eating processed foods is to read the labels and check to see if it contains sodium as many processed foods items contain sodium with is a leading cause to heart disease. I'm telling you, this is simply not something to miss. It'll help to improve your daily health and limit your chances of heart disease, and everyone involved in avoiding processed foods wants that.

Third, many processed foods contain trans-fats, eating too much trans-fats leads to heart disease, stroke, heart attacks and sometimes kidney failure. And finally, when working with avoid eating processed foods, make certain you not only read the labels of various processed foods but understand what the ingredients are. This would give assistance with determining the bad processed foods from ones that are not so harmful, and that is a significant component of identifying processed foods. Neglecting to do this could mean that you might decrease your overall health -- and we can likely concur that will be a very bad thing!

As stated above earlier, should you wish to succeed at avoid eating harmful processed foods, you want to be sure you don't make mistakes that can cause a person to end up gaining more unwanted weight, and even endangering your health. What you really would like is follow a well balanced diet that avoids dangerous processed foods, which goal you can attain by carefully adopting the three steps outlined above.

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Healthy Eating and Food Pyramids | Health and Diet

Posted in : Health and Diet

(added few months ago!)

"You are what you eat," it says in the vernacular. Health and diet, it is difficult sometimes to decide for those who interested in healthy eating and want to establish a sensible diet plan. An almost unbelievable variety in the stores confused the consumer as well as the ever-changing food, mineral and dietary supplements for which advertising is done intensively.

Tastes differ
Kids like other foods than adults. Older people have a different energy than young people who work physically or exercise a lot. Who wants to lose weight or diabetic, it must observe other rules as a man who is underweight. And not everyone wants to live vegetarian and buy organic food store in the future only.

The state of nutrition science follows the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) in Bonn, which has designed a three-dimensional food pyramid. This model is based on sound scientific evidence and takes into account the ten rules of the DGE for the supply of nutrients. The model was developed in close cooperation with representatives of the aid presence 'service, developed with the Federal Ministry of Consumer Affairs, as well as scientists and experts from the field.

Nutritionally useful food
The food pyramid shows which foods are classified as nutritionally recommended, such as fruit, vegetables, fish, low fat dairy products, lean meat, canola oil, drinking water and mineral water. Consider to be less valuable among other things, energy drinks, soft drinks, sweets, lard, butter, eggs and fatty meats. These foods should be eaten only in moderation, according to DGE.

As in many other areas of life, it also applies to the food to strike the right balance - matching their age, energy and health. For a useful compiled diet (with or without the calories table), the desired weight is achieved and maintained long term. Moreover, can prevent diseases and disease processes may be positively influenced. Therefore, health and diet is important to note in order to achieve a healthy and ideal body shape that you want.

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