Steps to Better Health

It's possible to learn HOW to better your health in only 4 steps and this article will show you how. Each step is a bite-sized nugget of healthy living information you can actually use.

Let's get started.

Step 1: Nutritional Supplements 

In my opinion, they are very necessary and very beneficial- especially when combined with healthy eating habits. It's very difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs through food alone, but combining proper nutrition with nutritional supplements is very powerful. 

That being said, the one supplement everyone should be taking is a good multi vitamin/mineral. Look at it as added insurance- eating well is crucial, but now that you're also taking a multi, you can rest assured you're getting the nutrients your body needs. 

Step 2: Nutrition 

Good nutrition is SO important. You are what you eat...remember that. Make a conscious effort to gradually improve your eating habits, eating more of the good foods (nuts, berries, peanut butter, olive oil, greens, chicken, whole grains, etc.) and less of the bad foods (fried food, saturated fat, fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc.). Reading the label of what you're eating will tell you a lot. 

You may think you lack the needed will power, but you'll be amazed at what happens when you start to gradually improve your eating habits. 

Step 3: Exercise 

Exercise is the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to better health. There are so many benefits of exercising, including stronger bones and improved libido- it's a no brainer to start doing it. Your goal should be to exercise 3-5 times a week with a combination of cardio exercises and strength training (but no more than 1 hour per workout session). 

It's been measured that if you add 3 pounds of muscle to your body, this added muscle will burn as many calories as if you ran 1 mile. Muscle burns calories! 

Step 4: Stress Management and Sleep 

Stress management and getting good sleep each night round out your path to better health. Until you find a way to manage your stress, it will continue to do damage to your body. Two tips you might want to implement include prioritizing your day each morning and practicing deep breathing exercises (yes, you probably already knew this, but have you tried it?). 

Getting enough sleep each night is equally important when you consider your body uses this time to repair itself. You should aim for 7-9 hours each night. Two tips you might want to implement include exercising and avoiding late night eating. 

Now that you have the basics, expand on this information. Step 1 research more about Nutritional Supplements, Step 2 research more about Nutrition and so on. I guarantee after the 4 steps you'll feel more confident about reaching your health & fitness goals.

Making a Good Espresso

Drinking espresso has become a way of life for most people, particularly those who have heavy schedules and who take time out to relax with a cup of freshly brewed espresso or coffee.

Coffee is so popular it is believed that it comes next to water as a popular drink. The whole world loves a good cup of coffee that annual consumption can reach to as high as 400 billion coffee cups all over the world.

Most avid coffee or espresso drinkers can have a cup of espresso a day or even more, without knowing where this rousing beverage came from. That heavenly brew comes from coffee beans that are sourced from evergreen trees that are grown all over the world. The evergreen tree is widely grown in Latin America, Indonesia, Hawaii, Southeast Asia and in Africa. 

While the word espresso may have come from an Italian word meaning express or fast, it really is a misnomer since espresso or brewed coffee have to undergo a process before one can enjoy its freshly brewed taste. To make a good espresso, one has to start with a good coffee variety that must have undergone proper grinding. A good espresso maker handled by a capable barista can yield an espresso that can taste heavenly. The goodness of an espresso can be determined even from its aroma alone.

Coffee drinkers who are serious about making good espresso should invest in a good espresso machine. Good espresso machines come in a variety of brands, sizes and prices. You need not spend more to get a good espresso machine because there are good espresso makers that are reason ably priced. When making the espresso, always remember to turn on the espresso machine and allow it to heat properly. Establishments that have fast espresso orders do not really put off their machines to make sure it is properly heated for every espresso order.

When buying coffee beans, it is better to grind them as you use them because keeping them even in a tight container after grinding can result to a loss of aroma. Attention should also be placed on the type of grinder being used, with conical burr grinders preferred than flat burr grinders. The grinder with a conical burr is preferred because it can grind the beans without heating them and lessening their aroma in the process.

While the kind of coffee beans used for the espresso must be chosen well, baristas should also make sure that only filtered water is used for the espresso as the water’s mineral content can affect the taste of the espresso. 

When one finds a good coffee blend, the tendency is to buy more for storage. When you do this, do not commit the mistake of keeping coffee in the freezer or refrigerator. It is best to store them in a container that is foolproof and clean and place them in a dark and cool area.

Espresso Machines - Making The Best Coffee At Home

Think about having a fresh, coffee-shop-quality espresso when you get up in the morning – without having to leave the house. This is what your very own espresso machine can provide, but it is important to make sure you buy the right product, and know how to use it when you get it home.

Espresso is a syrupy, traditionally Italian, speciality coffee. Coffee shop owners will tell you that making mouth-watering espresso is just like pulling the perfect pint of beer. It requires patience, practice, and is much harder than it looks. Good quality espresso machines can make it easier by controlling the temperature and the internal mechanisms more exactly.

These machines function in several different ways. If, for instance, you value authenticity, and have strong arms, a Piston-driven espresso maker could be for you. The design for this fully-manual espresso machine comes from as far back as 1938. Many are now sold for decorative value in addition to making a good cup of espresso coffee,

There are various types of semi-automatic espresso machines. In all cases the water is delivered via a pump mechanism, but the grinding, preparation and insertion of the coffee must be done by hand. These may be more difficult to find, as recently automatic or super-automatic machines are becoming more popular and cost-effective.

Automatic espresso machines are very similar to the semi-automatic version, but the temperature and amount of the water is also controlled automatically. Super-automatic espresso machines are still mostly for the high-end of the market. These basically only require you to put the coffee beans in! They may also have many extra features, such as milk frothing or filter coffee making. However, some coffee fans believe the super-automatic espresso machines produce poor quality espresso.

Prices for espresso machines range from below fifty dollars to over two thousand dollars. The most expensive are pump-controlled espresso machines, which are generally only used by coffee shops. If you are purchasing one of these, clearly it is vital to find a reputable provider with experience. Thanks to the Internet home espresso machines are becoming more easily available, even from non-specialist shopping websites.

The best advance the Internet has brought though is the increase in consumer reviews of espresso machines. This helps you to purchase based on the experience of others, rather than the sales materials provided by the manufacturer.

Once you have invested in the best espresso machine that suits your tastes, you will need to buy the best quality coffee beans. There is no point blaming the espresso machine if you have scrimped on this vital component! Espresso machine providers often offer their own range of coffee beans, which may be much wider than that available at your local supermarket.

An espresso machine is a perfect investment or gift for somebody really passionate about coffee. You should be willing, like the coffee shop connoisseurs, to put some time and effort into making the perfect cup. If you do this, and choose your espresso machine carefully, you could be well on your way to coffee heaven!

Low Carb Recipes Made Easy

The low carb diet is now considered as one of the commonly applied form of diet among the series of diet fads. It is therefore no doubt that as many people were drawn to it, many companies that are concerned about the low carb diet have developed their low carb services by providing some of them to the people especially to the low carb dieters.

Speaking of the low carb services, many companies are now providing some products like the low carb breads, pastas, drinks, and others along with low carb recipes. With the accompaniment of low carb recipes, the low carb recipes then becomes one of the most favorite low carb services of the consumers. As such, many low carb dieters today often look for some of the available low carb recipes.

As we all notice, low carb recipes even invaded the domain of the internet. During the early times, prior to the advent of the internet, the low carb recipes are only found on several low carb books and other paper based resources. But today, wherever you look at, there are so many available low carb recipes on the web.

Low carb recipes are now one of the common features of most of the online companies that deal with nutrition, foods, health, etc. Many resources for this one of the hottest thing in the diet arena are now opening to provide some of the available low carb recipes. There are even companies that offered this kind of service that even create their own low carb recipes just to serve the recipe junkies. In fact, on the web there are so many low carb recipes that are given for free, but there are also that requires some registration before one can fully access the site.

Since the term “low carb recipes” is such a general term, that it may apply to different areas, it is then interesting to know that some of the accessible collections of the recipes provided by the online companies and even the nutritional and health books and other resources, include some of the low carb recipes that are among the personal favorites, some were even sent to most of the collectors, and others are taken from the best low carb cookbooks.

And the many collections for the low carb recipes generally include some low carb recipes for treats and desserts, gravies and sauces, meats and entrees, appetizers and snacks, soups and salads, veggies and sides, great egg dishes, beverages and shakes, and breads and pastas. And usually these categories for low carb recipes are even coupled with some of the helpful ingredient equivalents.

Amaretto Flavored Tea

Amaretto flavored tea is great for experiencing the smooth almond taste connected with amaretto but without the effects of the alcohol. It has a velvety feel in the mouth and makes a great after dinner tea. This amber-red liqueur is enjoyable in all its many forms including tea drinks.

If you enjoy learning about the history of things, you might find one story of how amaretto came about a little interesting.

Amaretto means “a little bitter” in Italian. Now, would you believe the first bottle of amaretto made was because of a love affair? It's certainly colorful and as rumors go, entertaining. The painter, Bernardino Luini, who created the Madonna fresco in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church located in Saronno, Italy, received the handmade gift from the innkeeper. Not unusual, except that the innkeeper's romantic interest, which inspired the creation of the liqueur, had grown while posing as a model for Bernardino.

You might also be interested to know that the almond flavor associated with amaretto comes from apricot stones, or pits. The original drink was probably made from grape brandy in which apricot stones were left to soak, or infuse. Accidents have been the catalyst for many of the beautiful and functional things we have today, but whether amaretto came about by accident, or intentional, we have no idea.

Amaretto flavored tea is made in different forms. You can, for instance, add the syrup directly to the teapot, for an ultra-fresh and delicious tea. You can also buy green and black teas with amaretto flavoring. This comes in handy if you sometimes like to disguise the grassy flavor of green tea. We like to mix things up sometimes so we frequently buy syrups to add flavors to our usual teas.

Being creative with your tea is a lot of fun and drinking amaretto flavored tea is a great new alternative to the usual tastes and flavors of traditional teas. Make sure to try this tea and remember that teas like this can be enjoyed year around, and any time of day.

Baking Flexibility

Everywhere you look, there is a lot of emphasis on cutting the fat out of our daily diets, but who wants to cut out the fat if it means cutting out the flavor? When it comes to baking, there is a way to cut down on your fat intake without changing the ingredients in your favorite recipes. If you switch to nonstick silicone bakeware, you can cut down on your fat intake with minimal effort. Because the bakeware is nonstick, you never have to use butter, shortening, or grease on your pans or sheets to ensure easy food removal.

The first silicone items made exclusively for baking were small silicone mats that fit nicely on your cookie sheet and allowed you to bake cookies with out greasing the cookie sheet or worrying about the bottoms getting burned. These little mats were a huge success and stores were hard pressed to keep them in stock. 

As the popularity of these mats grew, manufacturers decide to explore the idea of making more bakeware from silicone. They began making spoons, spatulas, and whisks that could withstand high heats and could be used with nonstick cookware with no fear of ruining the coating. Silicone utensils were the perfect choice for candy making or any other project that required a boiling and sticky liquid to be stirred. 

Kitchen supply manufacturers also introduced silicone potholders and oven gloves. Because they can withstand heats up to 500 degrees, they are the perfect insurance that you won’t get burned when you pull a hot dish from your oven. They don’t conduct heat the way that a cloth potholder does and they are much sturdier and easy to keep clean than traditional potholders. Home canners fell in love with silicone baker’s mitts because they could actually reach into a pot of boiling water to remove a hot jar of food once it was done processing. As an added bonus these durable potholders do double duty as lid grippers making opening jars a snap. 

Once silicone hit kitchens in the form of baking mats, utensils, and pot holders, kitchen experts began to see the potential of this material in everyday baking. Suddenly almost any type of bakeware that could traditionally be found in stainless steel, aluminum, glass, or stoneware was being offered in brightly colored silicone. Stores began selling muffin tins, bread loaf pans, cake pans, and pie pans. The most popular pieces tend to be the specialty designed cake pans that allow you to make cakes shaped like everything from roses to pumpkins. They even have mini cake pans that make individual, fancy shaped cakes.

The popularity of silicone bakeware skyrocketed as cooks began to see the benefits of using this material in their kitchens. Foods pop out of silicone pans with amazing ease. You never need to grease, flour, or even use cooking spray on a silicone pan and that adds up to lots of calories and fat grams saved with each meal. Because silicone is very flexible, it is easy to bend and twist it so that cakes and breads pop out easily. You never have to force baked goods out of the pan, so they retain there shape and you don’t see a lot of split and broken cakes. 

Silicone is a bakers dream when it comes to making evenly cooked delicacies. The material distributes heat evenly, so you never end up with a cake that is burned around the edges and still not cooked in the middle. It also cools down quickly ensuring that you foods will not continue cooking and possibly drying out once you remove them from the oven.

Because silicone is nonstick, cleanup is a breeze. A little soap and water and any crumb left on your bakeware disappears. It is nonporous, so it never retains any odors from the foods you cook. Completely versatile it goes from oven to table to freezer and can even be thrown in the dishwasher. Once you are done cleaning it, storage is a snap. With its flexibility, you can twist it, bend it, fold it or mash it up so it can fit in the smallest of drawers or cupboards.

If you haven’t tried silicone bakeware, add a piece or two to your kitchen. You will be surprised at its quality and flexibility.

Translation of Italian Recipeas

Translation - Translation is mostly about the conversion of a document from one language to another. The document is kept as it was originally intended and written, therefore having the same meaning.

Localization - Then translation may involve localization. This is when the translation is completed ‘and’ adjusted for the target audience. The meaning remains.

Now let’s talk about Italian food. Generally when I want to try an Italian recipe, I look for a version from where the recipe is from. Why? Because recipes get localized too! 

The Italian people keep to strict recipes. They also know that certain regions of the country are best for certain foods. For instance Naples for Pizza and Genoa for Focaccia. 

So why do any recipes get localised?

4 Reasons for Recipe Localization

1) To meet the tastes of the new market – The original blend of flavours is not quite to the tastes of the country where it has been adopted. 

2) Unable to find the ingredients – Maybe the ingredients just do not exist in the new country. Or maybe they are prohibitively expensive.

3) Unable to obtain the ingredients with the same flavours – The meat is not as salty perhaps?

4) Time – Let’s face it; people are always looking for ways to make things faster and easier.

Italian recipes are not designed to be speeded up. The pasta should often be ‘al dente’ not stodgy like in a Pizza Hut. Italian food is generally a few simple ‘good quality’ ingredients. It’s the quality of those ingredients, the ability of the chef and of course the pallet of the consumer that make the difference.

For me, the localization of recipes should only be carried out if you are unable to find the ingredients required and then it becomes a different dish. The Indian dish ‘Chicken Tikka Marsala’ is a good example. It was created from the available ingredients 25 years ago in Birmingham. Not a localization of an existing dish. Ironically, the dish can now be found in restaurants in India.

I believe that recipe translation is all that is generally required. So the next time you are searching the web for a recipe, please consider whether you want to search a little harder and try the real recipe.