What's HOT in 2012?!


The National Restaurant Association's surveyed nearly 1800 professional chefs to predict hottest menu trend in 2012. You can find the result in below video :)


                                 

Five new government restrictions on food, medicine, and health freedom.

The following five government restrictions have gone into effect beginning January 2012.

1) Synthetic cannabinoids added to controlled substances list in California

2) California bans beer that contains added caffeine

3) California restricts non-prescription cough medicines to individuals 18 and over

4) California and Oregon ban sale, possession of shark fins

5) Unfounded superstition about the 'dangers' of tanning beds leads California lawmakers to restrict their use by individuals under 18

Although these are only for California, many other states are expected to pass similar laws.

Learn More:
http://www.naturalnews.com/034536_government_restrictions_food_freedom.html

5 Healthy Food Trends for 2012

1- Craft Beer

Americans are drinking less imported beer and gravitating toward craft brews, which in a nutshell are beers made by small, independent microbreweries, often using unique recipes and ingredients, from hemp seeds and chocolate to raisins, coffee, lemongrass and coriander. Beer has a reputation as being fattening and not the beverage of choice for health conscious consumers, but that's changing.

2- Local Seasonal Superfoods

Finally we've embraced the notion that buying watermelon in the middle of winter just doesn't seem right. Today most fruits and veggies travel about 1,500 miles from where they're grown, so they're often picked before they peak, and the minute they're harvested they begin to lose nutrients. But produce that has been grown and sold locally can be harvested at its peak, which means it will be chock full of vitamins and antioxidants, which are partly responsible for taste, color, aroma, firmness, mouth feel, and even sound (e.g., the snapping of a string bean or cracking when biting into a crisp apple). That's why local in-season fruits and veggies are not only better for you nutritionally speaking, but they're also a feast for your senses. 

3- Sorghum
Whole grains are white hot, and as options like quinoa and black rice becomes mainstream consumers will be looking to expand their whole grain repertoire. By all indications sorghum is primed to move into the spotlight. This gluten-free whole grain, which requires less water to grow than corn, has long been a staple in Asia and Africa. Published studies have found that sorghum's antioxidants and other natural properties may fight cancer and lower cholesterol, and its incredibly versatile. 

4-Plant-Based "Dairy"

Dairy products are generally made from the milk of mammals like cows or sheep, but "milk" can also be made by pressing a variety of plant-based foods, from grains like brown rice and oats to a variety of nuts and seeds. As the movement toward plant-based diets builds we"ll surely be seeing a crop of new products. For example, many stores now carry almond milk yogurt and sunflower seed milk. 

5- Exotic Herbs and Spices   

In cooking, baking and even mixology we'regoing gaga over exotic and ethnic spices like sumac (Mediterranean), charnushka (also called black cumin used in North India, Iran, and Egypt), hyssop (a Biblical herb used to make bitters), and ajowan (a relative of dill and caraway used in Indian cooking). Experimenting with natural seasonings is a great way to fall in love with eating healthfully. In other words you don't have to choke down plain, steamed veggies or flavorless meals. 

Juicing?!

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 

Available on Netflix!

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well- with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. What emerges is nothing short of amazing - an inspiring tale of healing and human connection. Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves. 

Written by Jamin Mendelsohn

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Tel Aviv University: Diet Research - Benefits of Dessert for Breakfast

Highlights

► Diet-induced weight loss results in compensatory changes that encourage weight regain. 

► Breakfast composition may overcome the obesity-related defect in ghrelin suppression. 

► Diet induced increase of ghrelin, appetite and cravings were prevented by enriched breakfast. 

► Enriched breakfast may be a strategy to maintain weight loss and prevent weight regain over time.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have found that a well balanced 600-calorie breakfast that includes proteins, carbohydrates, and even dessert can help dieters to lose much more weight. Their ability to maintain their target weight and a healthy diet is increased as well.

The diet strategy involves indulging in the morning, when the body's metabolism is at  it's peak and we have the potential to work off calories throughout the day, say Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz, Dr. Julio Wainstein and Dr. Mona Boaz of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Diabetes Unit at Wolfson Medical Center, and Prof. Oren Froy of Hebrew University Jerusalem.

When an individual tries to avoid sweets entirely they then can create a psychological addiction to these foods in the long-term, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. By including dessert items to an ordinary breakfast helps control the cravings for sweet foods throughout the day. A 32 week-long study, detailed in the journal Steroids showed that participants who added desserts such as cake, pie, ice cream, or cookies to their breakfast had lost an average of 40 lbs. more than a group that avoided these foods. 

Breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. Ghrelin levels are most effectively suppressed after breakfast compared with other meals throughout the day. The researchers hoped to determine whether the meal composition and time had an impact on short and long term weight loss , says Prof. Jakubowicz.

Background

Although dietary restriction often results in initial weight loss, the majority of obese dieters fail to maintain their reduced weight. Diet-induced weight loss results in compensatory increase of hunger, craving and decreased ghrelin suppression that encourage weight regain. A high protein and carbohydrate breakfast may overcome these compensatory changes and prevent obesity relapse.

Methods

In this study 193 obese (BMI 32.2 ± 1.0 kg/m²), sedentary non diabetic adult men and women (47 ± 7 years) were randomized to a low carbohydrate breakfast (LCb) or an isocaloric diet with high carbohydrate and protein breakfast (HCPb). Anthropometric measures were assessed every 4 weeks. Fasting glucose, insulin, ghrelin, lipids, craving scores and breakfast meal challenge assessing hunger, satiety, insulin and ghrelin responses, were performed at baseline, after a Diet Intervention Period (Week 16) and after a Follow-up Period (Week 32).

Results

At Week 16, groups exhibited similar weight loss: 15.1 ± 1.9 kg in LCb group vs. 13.5 ± 2.3 kg in HCPb group, p = 0.11. From Week 16 to Week 32, LCb group regained 11.6 ± 2.6 kg, while the HCPb group lost additional 6.9 ± 1.7 kg. Ghrelin levels were reduced after breakfast by 45.2% and 29.5% following the HCPb and LCb, respectively. Satiety was significantly improved and hunger and craving scores significantly reduced in the HCPb group vs. the LCb group.

Conclusion

A high carbohydrate and protein breakfast may prevent weight regain by reducing diet-induced compensatory changes in hunger, cravings and ghrelin suppression. To achieve long-term weight loss, meal timing and macronutrient composition must counteract these compensatory mechanisms which encourage weight regain after weight loss. ^{1 2}

Journal Reference:

1. Daniela Jakubowicz, Oren Froy, Julio Wainstein, Mona Boaz. Meal timing and composition influence ghrelin levels, appetite scores and weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese adults. Steroids, 2011; DOI:10.1016/j.steroids.2011.12.006
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039128X11003515

10 Tips To Healthy Eating

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.
   Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
   Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.
   If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.
7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

SOURCE

How to Cut Down on Sugar

When you eat foods with lots of sugar you may get a lot of calories, but only a few nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. You can reduce the sugar you eat and drink without giving up sweetness. Here are ways you can cut down on sugar when you shop for foods and make foods at home:

At the store, read ingredient labels to find the number and types of sugars that have been added to the food. There are many kinds of sugar that are used to make a food sweet and crisp. Look for words that end in "ose" or "ol" like dextrose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, glucose, lactose, mannitol and sorbitol. These are all forms of sugar. Syrups such as corn sweetener, sorghum syrup and high fructose syrups are sweeteners that are often added to drinks. Brown sugar, molasses and honey may be "natural" but they all give you the same calories as regular table sugar. Ingredients are listed in order by weight, from most to least. When a type of sugar or syrup is the first ingredient, you know there is more sugar in that food than any other ingredient. Some foods may contain many kinds of sugar. When they are added up, the total may be more than any other ingredient in that food.

Some breakfast cereals have 4 or more teaspoons of sugar added to each serving! When you buy unsweetened cereals you may save money and you can add your own sweetener at home. Sprinkle fresh, canned or dried fruit on your cereal to sweeten. Even sprinkling half a teaspoon of sugar or honey is better than eating a cereal that may be half sugar. Canned fruits that are packed in heavy or light syrup may give you 1 to 2 teaspoons of added sugar if you eat the syrup. You can save the sugar calories by buying fruits packed in juice. You can also drain off the syrup before you serve the fruit.

When you cook you can cut down on the amount of sugar you use, too. Sugar is needed in some baked foods like cakes to make them light and tender. If you cut out all of the sugar, the product will be tough and flat. Most recipes will come out fine if you cut down on the amount by one-quarter or one-half. Experiment with your favorite recipes to see how much sugar you can cut out and still have it look and taste good. Try new recipes that are low in sugar.

Try fruits and unsweetened fruit juices more often in meals and snacks to cut down on sugar. Fruits have natural sugars, but they also give you important vitamins and minerals. Plan to have fresh fruit in season for desserts. Use dried fruits to sweeten cereals and baked goods. Slice a banana or fresh peach instead of using jelly on a peanut butter sandwich. Make your own sodas with unsweetened fruit juice and seltzer water.

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Adapted from: Gacoin, L.T., Nutrition for Young Children, Connecticut Cooperative Extension.