5 ways that makes the buzz word coconut water good for you

Well it’s no secret that advertising doesn’t come easily to the food and beverage industries. Apparently, more commonly heard and advertised nowadays, here are some of the things I found you can do with a coconut

1. Skin Care: Wash your face with coconut water? Yep. A popular clarifying practice in India, coconut water is said to reduce acne, control oily skin and moisturize. Already touted as a super-hydrant, coconut water is also antibacterial. In fact, beauty products like Revlon Colorstay Aqua Mineral Makeup use the water as an oil substitute. It’s important to note, however, that fresh, unsweetened water should be used when cleansing.

2. Hangover Cure: That party was great last night; the hangover…not so much. The culprits behind your splitting headache are dehydration and depleted levels of potassium and electrolytes. Enter coconut water, which is loaded with potassium (containing slightly more than a banana) and electrolytes. Want to take it a step further? Drinking coconut water before you go to bed or using it as a mixer in your drinks can preemptively cut down on hangover symptoms. Party on!

3. Cooking: Try substituting coconut water for stock or plain water when cooking rice or soups. If you’re not ready to take the full plunge, a half-and-half ratio with water will still add great flavor to your food. It’s also a healthy option when making smoothies, as it has more fiber and is lower in calories than, say, orange juice.

4. Sports Hydration: Gatorade has long reigned as the king of rehydration drinks, especially among the sporty crowd. Though it still leads in sodium content, which is important for extended workouts, coconut water holds its own when it comes to rehydration and potassium content. It’s naturally isotonic and has the same level of electrolytes as found in human blood. It’s particularly effective when used before a workout, as the potassium stems off muscle cramping. Fun fact: Coconut water was used in World War II as a plasma replacement when medical supplies were running low.

5. Weight Loss: Keeping your body hydrated is key if you’re trying to lose weight. Dehydration slows down your metabolism, meaning you’re burning calories at a far slower rate than you should. Granted, water is the ultimate hydrant, but coconut water isn’t far behind. It’s low in calories, has zero cholesterol and has very little fat. Another bonus is its high fiber content—much higher than most juices and with a lot less sugar. Though it goes without saying that coconut water isn’t a weight-loss cure-all, it’s helpful in keeping you hydrated and feeling full.

Inspired recipe: Kale and almond pesto

A new found love for the underestimated superfood “Kale” and inspiration for a non-traditional pesto, easy as 1,2,3. Makes enough for 2 small jars. Delicious and healthy!

Ingredients

• 3 handful curly kale washed and chopped without stem
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup almonds chopped coarsely
• ½ cup parmesan grated or shaved
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground

Method

1. In a food processor, add kale and whizz up for 30 secs.
2. Add almonds, parmesan, zest, juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Whizz to a paste.
3. Transfer pesto into jar or container for storing.

Tips

• Cover the surface with a little olive oil as this will keep well in the fridge for up to 1 week.

My serving suggestions

• Perfect served as condiment with your preferred crackers, thin wafers or crusty bread
• Stir through your favorite pasta
• Makes a great topping for your salmon or chicken

10 reasons why eating insects can save the world

Food writer and self-confessed gastronaut Stefan Gates traveled to South East Asia (Cambodia, Thailand & Vietnam) to discover whether eating insects can save the world. Watch this doco as it asks us to consider whether we would be willing to make bugs part of our regular diet.

Gates gives us 10 reasons why we should:

1. Insects could be the solution to world hunger. There are forty tons of insects to every human, that’s more than enough for an ongoing “all you can eat” insect buffet.

2. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation are taking this idea seriously. They are planning to hold a world congress on it.

3. They are naturally sustainable. Mealworms, for example, survive on waste wheat chaff rather than guzzling grain like our favourite meat sources.

Insects are tremendously efficient at converting vegetation such as leaves (much of which we can’t get any nutritional value from) into edible protein. The ratio of energy intake (usually in the form of grain) to protein output for beef is up to 54:1 compared to 4:1 an upwards for insects, and that grain is grown on land that could, theoretically, be used to grow more resource-efficient food for humans. As the world population heads towards nine billion by 2045, entomophagy could be a potential solution to some of the worlds food issues.

4. It is easy to farm them on a large scale without damaging the environment.

5. They provide unusual flavours and textures. In the documentary, Stefan Gates enthuses about the “lemony sourness” of red ants paired with the “creaminess of their eggs”.

There are some surprisingly delicious bugs around. Dry-fried Burmese bamboo grubs have an extraordinary enlivening sweetness similar to Jerusalem artichokes. Next best are Mexican chappulines (grasshoppers roasted with chilli, salt and lime), which make a fantastic sour-spicy snack to eat with a cold beer. Fat-bottomed ants are available in the UK as a gimmicky snack, but they pack a fantastic pungent taste similar to smokey bacon.

6. They are highly nutritious. Caterpillars, for example, provide more protein and more iron than the same quantity of minced beef. Most insects contain little fat, lots of protein and oodles of iron and calcium.

Insect protein is cheap to produce. Animal protein will become more expensive as it begins to better reflect the cost of production and the load it makes on the planet’s resources. Eventually we’ll see bug-burgers in the shops and you’ll buy them not because you prefer them, but because a bug-burger will cost less than a beef burger. They are likely to become the food of choice for spacemen.

7. Many other countries are already eating insects. Cambodians eat tarantulas, in Thailand they deep fried crickets. Insects already have a long and noble history as foods in many places around the world. You find that they are available in markets from Thailand to South Africa and across much of Central and South America. They command a high price in Mexico, where edible flies and ant eggs are highly prized.

8. There are over 1,000 varieties of insects edible to humans. Surely there’s something for everyone.

9. British Mexican restaurant Wahaca has already started experimenting. They are currently selling chilli-fried grasshoppers.

10. There is a distinct lack of emotional attachment – unless you were particularly taken with A Bug’s Life.

And the downsides? Well, some religions forbid the eating of some insects, with kosher rules being some of the most explicit (although Leviticus famously points out that locusts and grasshoppers are OK). In the UK, edible insects are calorie-neutral (it takes more energy to collect a bucket of bugs than you gain by eating them). In the future, though, we could farm them or offer poorer countries an income from exporting them.

Source: BBC Food Blog

14 creative ways to use vodka

This first trick led me to finding out about the others. An old, unused or cheap vodka is perfect so don’t waste the quality ones you have in your collection…

1. Stretch your new leather shoes: Use a pair of thick socks and soak in Vodka then wear them inside the shoes/boots for a good 2-3 hours.
2. Remove a bandaid: Dab vodka onto a bandaid with a cotton pad and you’ll be able to remove it in no time.
3. Clean your clothes: Do a spot test on the piece of clothing. If the material stays in the same condition, spray vodka on the outfit. It’ll keep your clothes fresh in between laundry loads and kill any lingering odors. The liquor is also a good stain remover, so dab some on stubborn stains before throwing your clothes into the washer.
4. Get rid of mold: Spray it on the mold in your bathroom, and after letting it soak in for a while, wipe it clean. The alcohol will kill the mold.
5. DIY deodorant: Make your own natural deodorant with vodka, water, and essential oils.
6. Prevent flowers from wilting: Add a few drops of vodka into your flower vase to preserve your lovely bouquet. Vodka lengthens the life of the blooms because it inhibits ethylene production, which is what helps the plant mature, according to the Scientific American.
7. Repel insects: Use vodka as an ingredient for a bug repellent. DIYlife.com recommends to mix it with apple cider vinegar and drops of citronella or eucalyptus essential oil. Spray it on yourself or areas you don’t want bugs to come crawling, such as your patio furniture.
8. Linen spray: Make this easy and effective linen spray with vodka.
9. Polish and shine: Take a piece of cloth, wet it with vodka, and clean your eyeglasses with it. Alternatively, you can also mix it with some water, then spray the liquid on windows and mirrors to make them shine. So long, Windex!
10. Glue remover: Remove the sticky residue left from peeling the label off jars by rubbing the leftover glue with a soft cloth soaked in vodka. You can also use this to dissolve the sticky residue that Band-Aids leave on your skin.
11. Preserve razor blades: After shaving, leave your blades in vodka for a while to disinfect and prevent them from rusting.
12. Soothe stings: Pour vodka on stings ranging from poison ivy to jellyfish.
13. Treat dandruff: Mix one cup vodka with two teaspoons crushed rosemary, then strain the mixture through a coffee cup filter and let it sit for two days before applying it to your head and letting the solution dry.
14. DIY air freshener: Make air freshener with vodka as the base. You can use the flavoured ones. Mix it with a few drops of any essential oils you love. Add a sprig of fresh fragrant herb like rosemary. Start spraying away to get rid of any odor in the room.

Inspired Lithuanian recipe: Spelt Ricotta Gnocchi

Non-traditional gnocchi, hearty but light, quick and easy. Makes enough for two. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of spelt flour
• 500g ricotta
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 pinch of sea salt

Method

1. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients gently. If the dough feels sticky, add a little more flour.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a long sausage shape and cut it into 1 inch-long pieces. Place the pieces on a floured tray. Put in the fridge for 1 hour to help the gnocci become firm.
3. To cook, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Drop in several gnocchis as required. The gnocchis are ready when they start appearing at the surface of the water.

Tips

• Any left over uncooked can freeze well for up to 2 weeks.
• The sky is the limit if adapting

My serving suggestions

• Sweet: Butter and brown sugar
• Savoury: Cherry tomato, basil, cracked black pepper, virgin olive oil and finely grated/shaved parmesan

Reclined Spinal Twist: Twist, Stretch, Relax and Detox

The pose lengthens and stimulates mobility along your spine, massages the internal organs, and stretches the hips, chest, shoulders and upper back. The pose is both relaxing and re-energizing, and can help to relieve stress and anxiety making it very therapeutic.

Step-By-Step

1. Begin lying comfortably on the back. Bend your knees in to your chest and extend your arms out alongside the body in a “T” formation, with your palms facing up toward the ceiling.
2. Inhale here, lengthening your tailbone down toward the ground. As you exhale, drop one of your bent knees over to the right and extend the other flat straight to the ground. Send your gaze over to the left.
3. Keep your knee and feet close together, and press the backs of your shoulder blades down toward the mat.
4. Remain in the twist for 5-10 breaths, then inhale to come back up to center. On your next exhale, drop your other knee to the left and extend the other leg while sending your gaze to the right.
5. Inhale to come back up to center. Wrap your arms around your legs and gently rock from side to side to release the low back, then extend both legs straight down onto the mat.

Tips

• If the knee remains quite a distance away from the ground when twisting, tuck a rolled up blanket or towel underneath it. If the twist feels too intense, you can also leave the bottom leg extended.
• To deepen the twist, try bringing the bent knee closer to the chest. You can also take a hand onto the bent knee to gently press the knees closer to the ground.
• The elbows can be bent into a “cactus” formation if it feels more comfortable.

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Lettuce in ancient vs. modern times

In addition to its usual purpose as an edible leafy vegetable, lettuce has had a number of uses in ancient (and even some more modern) times as a medicinal herb and religious symbol. For example, ancient Egyptians thought lettuce to be a symbol of sexual prowess and a promoter of love and childbearing in women. The Romans likewise claimed that it increased sexual potency. In contrast, the ancient Greeks connected the plant with male impotency, and served it during funerals (probably due to its role in the myth of Adonis’s death), and British women in the 1800s believed it would cause infertility and sterility. Lettuce has mild narcotic properties – it was called “sleepwort” by the Anglo-Saxons because of this attribute – although the cultivated L. sativa has lower levels of the narcotic than its wild cousins. This narcotic effect is a property of two sesquiterpene lactones which are found in the white liquid (latex) in the stems of lettuce, called lactucarium or “lettuce opium”.

Lettuce extracts are sometimes used in skin creams and lotions for treating sunburn and rough skin. It was once thought to be useful in relieving liver issues. Some American settlers claimed that smallpox could be prevented through the ingestion of lettuce, and an Iranian belief suggested consumption of the seeds when afflicted with typhoid. Folk medicine has also claimed it as a treatment for pain, rheumatism, tension and nervousness, coughs and insanity; scientific evidence of these benefits in humans has not been found, although some similar effects have been demonstrated in mice and toads. The religious ties of lettuce continue into the present day among the Yazidi people of northern Iraq, who have a religious prohibition against eating the plant.

Source: wikipedia

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