natural vs commercial dog food

The Big Debate: Natural Vs Commercial Dog Food

There has been an ongoing debate about natural vs commercial dog food, one that is important for all dog owners to be aware of. After all, the food that you feed your dog is going to have a major aspect on your pet’s overall health, so you want to make sure that you choose the best food possible.

Natural

When it comes to natural vs commercial dog food, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. One of the most major advantages to natural dog food is that you know you are giving your dog only the purest most natural ingredients possible. This means your dog will have better digestion and be less likely to get diarrhea or constipation.

Commercial

Commercial dog food tends to have more additives and preservatives, and although still provides your dogs with essential vitamins and nutrients, at the same time are filling your dog with ingredients that if anything are going to end up hurting them. Many commercial dog foods result in making dogs overweight and this is then a whole other problem that has to be dealt with.

In the discussion of natural vs commercial dog food, one of the best ways to decide which you want to feed to your dog is by taking a look at the top few products in each category. For natural dog foods for instance, there is the holistic original dog food by Riplees Ranch.

This dog food includes ingredients such as chicken meal, brown rice, steamed oatmeal, chicken fat, rice bran, whole ground flax seed, beet pulp, salmon oil, natural chicken flavors, chicory root, dried whole egg, yucca schidigera, glucosomine HCI, marigold extract, carrots, spinach and tomatoes.

In the discussion of natural vs commercial dog food one of the most popular commercial dog foods is Purina dog food. Purina pet food is premium quality for healthy, happy pets, and the Purina Company is always sure to use their knowledge and expertise to consumers’ benefits. Purina truly advances the science of canine health care and nutrition and has provided millions of dogs around the world with unsurpassed nutrition and excellent pet care products.

Besides taking the debate of natural vs commercial dog food into consideration, there are other things you should think about as well when it comes to your dog’s nutrition. Making sure they get plenty of exercise for instance, is also going to make a difference in terms of their overall health and happiness.

fight diabetes

How to Fight Against Diabetes

As estimated by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), nearly 16 million Americans are affected by diabetes mellitus. The damages caused by diabetes are profound. It severely affects coronary arteries of the heart. A majority of patients with diabetes experience heart and blood vessel diseases. In its worse, it may even lead to stroke, kidney failure and other critical health hazards.

How Diabetes Occurs

Before going further with the discussion regarding fight against diabetes, we should reflect on how diabetes occurs. In simple terms, diabetes occurs when body becomes unable to utilize the sugar as it should do for energy production and growth process. The body receives sugar when food is changed into glucose, a variety of sugar. A hormone, known as insulin, is required for glucose absorption in the body.

Types of Diabetes

There are essentially two types of diabetes – Type I and Type II. The former type is insulin-dependent and may appear all of a sudden without any prior complications, mostly prevalent among individuals below 30 years. The second type is non-insulin dependent, takes time to develop and common among people over 40 years. The second type occurs mostly in obese people with high blood pressure.

Obesity is a Curse

You must put best effort to curtail your excess weight. Truly, obesity is a curse and it is quite a common issue in modern world. If you want to fight against diabetes or any other health problems, in the majority of the cases you will discover obesity is the prime killer cause of all complications. Research suggests 7% weight loss and 150 minutes physical activity per week can minimize the risk of developing diabetes to 58%.

Don't Promote Sedentary Behavior

This is another curse of modernization. Technological advancement gives us several benefits each and every moment, and assists us to accomplish our duty is lesser effort than before. Although it seems priceless, it takes a huge toll, leading us to promote sedentary behavior such as going office in car, sitting before computer for prolonged hours, etc. Stay active, be healthy: this is important to fight against diabetes.

Change Your Lifestyle

Research shows lifestyle changes minimize the risk of developing type II diabetes irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity or weight. You must bring changes in your lifestyle to fight against diabetes. You must follow a heart-healthy diet plan, low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Abstain from smoking and control your alcohol consumption. Do not forget to do regular health check-up. Manage high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, if any.

Promote Self-Care

If you are already diagnosed with diabetes, you must have your meal at around the same time every day. This is a very crucial point to follow to fight against diabetes. Do not forget to take you diabetes medicine meticulously at the same time each day. Thoroughly check your feet every day for any apparent damage including cuts, swelling, blisters, redness, sores, and sore toenails. Brush carefully your teeth and gums every day.

healthy cooking oil

A Search For a Healthy Cooking Oil

Any department store has a variety of cooking oils displaying all types of jargon concerning cholesterol, fats, unsaturated fats, refined, etc. on the packaging. Vegetable oils have long been considered as friendly to the heart and low in fat and calories – a myth. In fact, any cooking oil is all fat, and hence, choosing a healthy cooking oil will reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. However, some oils are more useful than others in cooking.
To select the right brand of cooking oil we need to understand the language associated with oil. The most commonly used word is cholesterol, which is in our body cells and in the fats in the bloodstream. Oils do not contain cholesterol but too much of consumption of oil leads to formation of “bad” cholesterol in the body.

A certain level of cholesterol is important for the functioning of the human body. Then there are fatty acids like Monosaturated Fatty Acid, which reduces bad cholesterol levels without lowering good cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid reduces both bad and good cholesterol levels leading to heart diseases. Saturated fats consumed in excess get deposited on the sides of the blood vessels leading to the formation of blood clots. Unsaturated fats are good for health. Refined oils are clear and bland which are processed using chemicals to remove color, odor, particles, and other toxic substances.

Cooking Oil Combinations

Nowadays, a variety of blended oils are available. A combination of two healthy cooking oils to keep a balance of three fatty acids is beneficial to the body. A mix gives the best of both oils and may add to the taste of the food. Two or more kinds of oil in the kitchen could be useful for different purposes like one for salads, another for frying and the third for cooking. In this way you get the health benefits of each oil.

Some Healthy Cooking Oils

Olive oil should be one of the main cooking oils in any kitchen. Besides adding its own flavor to foods, it helps in lowering blood cholesterol levels, and lowers the risk of cancer. Olive oils come in different types and the most beneficial to health is the Extra Virgin Oil is the first extract from olives. The next is Virgin, then Pure and finally Extra Light, which goes through processing and has a faint smell of olives. Oils in rich in flavor and aroma are macadamia nut oil and sesame oil. These oils are ideal for sautéing and stir-frying.
Soyabean oil is the most commonly used ‘vegetable’ oil which is bland and does not interfere with the flavor of the dish. Soyola oil, derived for soyabean does not require hydrogenation like most soyabean oils. Hydrogenation for cooking produces fats which are now seen as unhealthy for the heart. This oil is good for frying and for salads, and considered a healthy cooking oil – a good substitute to macadamia nut oil and olive oil which are expensive.

Cooking is very much alive in homes of even the busiest person. People cook and eat at home because it is less expensive than eating out, and primarily because they know what is going into their food. A major concern of health is the use of healthy cooking oil in food which is ensured when one cooks at home. A variety of blended oils available in the market can fool the connoisseur when eating out. Serious health problems arising out of using fatty oils have given rise to a variety of healthy cooking oil available in stores.

natural dog food

Natural Dog Food – Nutrition for Your Dog

If you have decided to serve your dog nutritious natural dog food there are numerous factors you should consider. Check the labels and choose items that have no or very little processed food substances in them. Processed food typically loses a significant amount of the nutrients your dog needs in order to stay healthy. Look for a natural dog food that has fresh meat or meat meal as its main sources of protein.

Carbohydrates and Grains

Try to avoid products that contain high levels of carbohydrates and grains due to the weight increase they will likely produce in your dog as well as health problems. Select a dog food that lists vegetables and perhaps fruits on the label since these types of food items typically contain antioxidants and vitamins that will contribute to the health of your pet. Natural dog foods that place beneficial sources of fats in their products such as fish oil or sunflower oil are good choices for your pet. Fish oils typically contain essential fatty acids and often contain digestive enzymes which help to maintain your dog's healthy condition.

Most pet experts believe that natural pet foods are healthy for your animals and will contribute to a long lifespan when compared to basic pet food. Natural dog foods usually contain mostly whole foods and they typically only use natural substances to preserve the food products. They are usually void of meat by-products, high quantities of corn and flour. They contain whole grains as opposed to fragments of grains that are typically found in dog food products available at grocery stores.

Fresh Food

Natural dog foods are usually made with fresh food products which contain higher levels of natural enzymes and antioxidants as well as a variety of minerals. Quality dog foods typically use highly advanced coking procedures to ensure that the important nutrients are not destroyed during the cooking process. Raw natural vegetables and fruits contain more nutrients and vitamins than cooked vegetables and fruits.

Some veterinarians suggest feeding your dog a natural raw food diet, at least for some of his meals. Some veterinarians believe that health problems such as allergies and inflammatory bowel diseases can be prevented or eliminated by feeding your dog a raw food diet. Raw food diets can also be effective at reducing or eliminating numerous chronic diseases and degenerative diseases. In order to keep your dog healthy and active you might want to feed him healthy natural dog food.

effects of diabetes

The Effects of Exercise on Diabetes

An interesting research suggests that our gene structures are programmed for exercise. In elaborating their claim, the researchers coined the evidence of the lifestyle of prehistoric humans. If any one of them were weak or did not have enough reflex to move quickly, he or she died. Those survived were fit enough to survive and reproduce to pass on this 'fitter' gene through generations.

The proponents of this theory believe that with our existing sedentary behavior the function of these 'fitter' get suppressed, hence result in maladaptive condition, leading to develop many chronic health complications like diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease and many others.

It is now a well-proven fact that physical activity is mandatory for the healthy management of the body, so is true even when you are suffering from diabetes. The effects of exercise on diabetes are actually profound. In this article we will shed light on different types of exercise and their effects on diabetes of both types.

Aerobic Exercise

If you are suffering from diabetes, quite commonly you will be suggested to practice low to moderate level of aerobic exercises which include walking, swimming, rowing, step classes, cross-country skiing and stair climbing. Research shows that practicing to a moderate level aerobic exercise has significant effects on diabetes of both types. In fact, adults with type 2 diabetes worked out for 150 minutes a week curtail their risk of progress quite extensively.

Resistance Training

Strength or resistance training does not necessarily mean that you need to plan making eight-abs or six-abs. On the contrary, when you are practicing resistance training for a better management of your diabetic condition, it means you are trying your best to keep your body and mind as active as possible. It helps to build stronger muscles and bones and help you to face daily tasks more effectively such as lugging household groceries more easily.

Flexibility Exercise

However, there is no study yet claiming any individual benefit of flexibility exercise, but this exercise helps to increase the flexibility of the joints' and other bodily muscles, leading to minimize the risk of being injured during other exercises. Gentle stretching for 5-10 minutes is usually recommended prior to any aerobic session. However, you may need the thorough guidance of your trainer during flexibility exercising session.

Overall Benefits

The effects of exercise on diabetes are always positive. It helps in lowering blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, as well as strengthening the heart condition. Strength training, in fact, may offer extensive positive effects on diabetes of both types, however, lacking sufficient data made in support of this particular aspect. Yoga also has abundant positive effects on diabetes of both types.

healthy cooking

Join The Healthy Cooking Revolution

For a long time, cooking has been primarily about the richness and savor of food. Chefs have taken into consideration the taste more than how healthy for you the food actually is. However, due to the recent concerns about obesity and health, more and more chefs have begun to consider health when they are preparing their meals. This not only applies to chefs, but to average people cooking in their homes as well.

It doesn't take much to take part in healthy cooking. There are no special techniques or tricks—all you need to know is a few basic facts about healthy cooking.

Healthy Techniques, Tried And True

If you want to begin healthy cooking, the first step is to learn about the healthiest cooking methods. It is known that certain cooking methods, such as deep frying, are not healthy. However, there are so many other techniques you can try instead. These techniques include: stir fry, roast, microwave, steam, sauté, grill, broil, poach, and bake. Using one of these healthier techniques will result in a healthier meal.

Substitutions For Your Health

Another way to implement healthy cooking in your home or restaurant is to make healthy substitutions in your cooking. When you come upon an ingredient that you know to be unhealthy, you can substitute something else in its place that is a healthier option. Knowing a few acceptable substitutions can be helpful when doing this.

If a recipe calls for whole milk, you can substitute it with a mixture of fat free milk and oil. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of whole milk, instead, try using one cup of fat free milk mixed with one tablespoon of unsaturated oil. If you are trying to watch your cholesterol, you can substitute the eggs in recipes with egg whites. For each egg, simply use one egg white and two teaspoons of unsaturated oil. You can also use egg substitute as another healthy alternative.

Heavy creams can also have substitutions ideal for healthy cooking. For example, one cup of heave cream can be substituted with one cup of evaporated skim milk. It can also be replaced with ½ cup of low fat yogurt and ½ cup low fat cottage cheese. A great substitution for cottage cheese is 4 tablespoons of margarine blended in with one cup of low-fat dry cottage cheese.

A Small Sacrifice

Taste is a small sacrifice to make when it comes to healthy cooking. Using healthy cooking techniques and making healthy substitutions might change the state of the meal slightly. However, isn't this a small price to pay when it comes to your health?

diabetes treatment

Understanding Diabetes Treatment Options

When someone is faced with diabetes, it is important that they are able to reach out and gain support from doctors, friends, and family, as this is something that not everyone can manage alone. While there is not currently a cure for this illness, there are many diabetes treatment options that can be explored in order to make the best of the situation. While diabetes will definitely change the way you eat and exercise, it does not have to ruin who you are or how you feel about your life. If anything, it is an opportunity to take a closer look at how you live life.

There are many people who are using only the conventional methods of diabetes treatment and they work wonders for them. The diabetes treatment that most people with serious cases of diabetes receive, include either pills or injections of insulin in order to maintain a healthy body. This method, along with maintaining a move active and physical lifestyle is a way that many people find as a beneficial diabetes treatment along with a proper diet. But just because this works for some, does not mean it works for everyone.

Natural Diabetes Treatment

There are actually some people who do not react well at all to the insulin type of diabetes treatment and they are left looking for alternative methods. They are many products on the market that are said to help and even cure diabetes although these are not generally regulated by the FDA so you would always want to do your research and speak with your doctor before starting anything. Although there is no official cure for diabetes, there are many individuals who swear by natural remedies and state that this is the best and only way to approach diabetes treatment.

While most of what is on the market is not harmful, it is important not to stop the current medicine or treatment that your doctor has you on as this may result in terrible outcomes. It is important though to find what works best for you when it comes to diabetes treatment, as it is your life and just because the FDA doesn't yet approve it does not mean that it won't someday be as more research goes into the different diabetes treatment options. So by exploring your different options, you are giving yourself a better chance of finding what works for you and once you find it, stick with it in order to achieve long term success.

natural balance dog food

Natural Balance Dog Food Is Good For Your Dog’s Health And Also Its Coat

Before you consider buying your dog its dog food, you should know that these dog foods are available in a number of flavors and there are also many brands as well to choose from. So, it may be a bit harder to find the best dog food for your pet dog, though thanks to the existence of many dog food reviews, the task has been made considerably easier. Though there are many kinds of dog foods, natural balance dog food are preferable as they have contain ingredients that are fresh and wholesome as well as of course, natural.

Meat-Based Proteins

It is quite possible that when looking for various dog foods, you may have come across various reviews and also scientific results that show that it is meat-based proteins that make the best ingredient for dog food products. Also, many of the dog food products available on the market today are also known to contain much corn meal as well as corn gluten meal and even flour as their main ingredients, though by using natural balance dog food, by and large, they will contain some amount of meat-based proteins as well and thus prove to be healthier options.

The main advantage to using natural balance dog food is no doubt that it helps in keeping your dog in the best of health, though another spin off to its use is that it helps ensure that your dog has a healthier as well as thicker coat. In addition, when your dog is given natural balance dog food, it will have fewer problems digesting its food and its stool too will be a lot firmer.

When choosing your natural balance dog food with regard to its meat-based protein content, you should look for foods that contain turkey and white as well as brown rice and also chicken which will improve the quality of its nutrition. In this regard, Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs is an affordable natural balance dog food product that provides your pet dog with 100 percent complete nutrition and it also complies with AAFCO protocols on feeding.

There is also Sojos Dog Food Mix that contains wholesome grains, nuts and also sea vegetables as well as herbs that are blended together to provide your dog with a healthy meal and because such foods do not contain preservatives, fillers and are also free from flavors, will not cause your dog’s health any harm either.

When it comes to choosing natural balance dog food, there are more than one dog food brand from which to choose and if you need more information about them, there are many dog food reviews to help you make your choice so that you can be sure that you are feeding your dog with only the healthiest type of food. Remember, that natural balance dog food that contains more of meat-based proteins will taste better and will also keep your dog healthier, and Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs and Sojos Dog Food Mix are good options in this regard.

natural balance dog food

Natural Balance Dog Food Is Good For Your Dog’s Health And Also Its Coat

Before you consider buying your dog its dog food, you should know that these dog foods are available in a number of flavors and there are also many brands as well to choose from. So, it may be a bit harder to find the best dog food for your pet dog, though thanks to the existence of many dog food reviews, the task has been made considerably easier. Though there are many kinds of dog foods, natural balance dog food are preferable as they have contain ingredients that are fresh and wholesome as well as of course, natural.

Meat-Based Proteins

It is quite possible that when looking for various dog foods, you may have come across various reviews and also scientific results that show that it is meat-based proteins that make the best ingredient for dog food products. Also, many of the dog food products available on the market today are also known to contain much corn meal as well as corn gluten meal and even flour as their main ingredients, though by using natural balance dog food, by and large, they will contain some amount of meat-based proteins as well and thus prove to be healthier options.

The main advantage to using natural balance dog food is no doubt that it helps in keeping your dog in the best of health, though another spin off to its use is that it helps ensure that your dog has a healthier as well as thicker coat. In addition, when your dog is given natural balance dog food, it will have fewer problems digesting its food and its stool too will be a lot firmer.

When choosing your natural balance dog food with regard to its meat-based protein content, you should look for foods that contain turkey and white as well as brown rice and also chicken which will improve the quality of its nutrition. In this regard, Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs is an affordable natural balance dog food product that provides your pet dog with 100 percent complete nutrition and it also complies with AAFCO protocols on feeding.

There is also Sojos Dog Food Mix that contains wholesome grains, nuts and also sea vegetables as well as herbs that are blended together to provide your dog with a healthy meal and because such foods do not contain preservatives, fillers and are also free from flavors, will not cause your dog’s health any harm either.

When it comes to choosing natural balance dog food, there are more than one dog food brand from which to choose and if you need more information about them, there are many dog food reviews to help you make your choice so that you can be sure that you are feeding your dog with only the healthiest type of food. Remember, that natural balance dog food that contains more of meat-based proteins will taste better and will also keep your dog healthier, and Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food for Dogs and Sojos Dog Food Mix are good options in this regard.

french cooking

Simple French Cooking

Over the years a picture of French food has emerged that is far from the reality of French cooking. The idea of French cooking as fussy, involved and too complex for the home cook is completely untrue. While it is true that French people love their food, two hour lunch breaks are a sure testimony to this, many French people hardly eat the food commonly served in French restaurants found the world over. Such meals are special occasions, and rarely attempted at home. It is entirely possible to attempt French cooking successfully without too much fuss.

Regional Dishes with Fresh Ingredients

French food varies from region to region; the influences of geography, economy and history are evident in French cooking. Dishes from the French Mediterranean feature olive oil, tomatoes and plenty of herbs while cooking in the northwest of France uses a lot of butter, sour cream and apples. Neighboring countries also influence the cuisine, Alsace is close to Germany and there is a strong German influence in the food with sauerkraut and beer being common.

Although regional dishes are enjoyed everywhere in France the French prefer to enjoy regional food in the place of its origin. Doing so means that the ingredients are fresh and the dishes are better than they would be if ingredients were subjected to long hours of transport. This is something to keep in mind when cooking French food; try and use the freshest ingredients, locally sourced if possible.

French Slow Cooking

A good place to start with French cooking is rustic dishes, these dishes are simple yet delicious and the perfect introduction to French cooking. Coq Au Vin is a famous and popular French dish and an example of French cooking that is relatively easy to make. This dish which 'rooster in wine'
is traditionally made with rooster but you can easily substitute rooster with chicken. This dish is cooked using a slow cooking method, there is very little preparation and the cooking process is simple enough that you don't need much cooking experience to pull it off.

Beef bourguignon is another example of a rustic French recipe that uses the slow cooking method. It is basically a beef stew that has been slowly absorbed into haute cuisine and refined to suit the standards of sophisticated French cooking. However sticking to the original recipe will yield a hearty stew that is not at all labor intensive to prepare. Both these recipes are now popular in expensive French restaurants but you can easily cook them up in your own kitchen with spectacular results.

diabetes testing

Gestational Diabetes Testing and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you may be suggested to undergo gestational diabetes testing. In most of the cases, it is nothing but a routine health check-up, considered as an integral part of prenatal care. Gestational diabetes testing is done typically during 24th through 28th weeks of pregnancy. Although it is a common experience for all women to experience some level of impaired glucose intolerance during pregnancy as a result of hormonal imbalance, doctor may suggest you to undergo for diabetes testing as early as first prenatal visit if you have already developed risk factors of diabetes.

Risk Factors

Many pregnant women with gestational diabetes lack any apparent symptoms, but for others, doctors generally recommend early diabetes testing after noticing few significant symptoms such as being overweight or obese, family history with type 2 diabetes, over 25 years, multiple conception, personal history of gestational diabetes during earlier pregnancy and belonging to specific ethnic group like American Indian, Alaska native, Asian, African American, etc.

Complications

If left untreated, gestational diabetes may lead to a wide array of complications for both the mother and the child. These may include macrosomia, a condition characterized by oversized baby; birth defects; increased risk for miscarriage; stillbirth, etc. In addition, the baby may develop a condition during which the blood glucose level of the baby falls down very rapidly following birth. The condition is referred to as hyperinsulinemia.

Essentially there are two types of gestational diabetes testing – (1) oral glucose tolerance test and (2) three hour glucose tolerance test.

The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

This diabetes testing is also referred to as glucose challenge screening. This diabetes testing belongs to the routine tests during pregnancy. Typically it is done during 24th to 28th weeks of pregnancy, or earlier only when you are marked with any risk factors for developing diabetic condition. During the test, you need to consume glucola, a drink consisting of 50g of glucose. The doctors take blood sample from your body after one hour to test the degree of glucose processing in your body.

The Three Hour Glucose Tolerance Test

This diabetes testing is done to either confirm the presence of diabetic condition or to rule out the possibility. This test is only done if you have obtained an unusual reading on the one hour test. For this test to be done, you need to fast for 10 to 14 hours prior to the test. Similar to oral glucose tolerance test, you need to consume drink rich in glucose. But the drink consists of 100g of glucose instead of 50g of glucose. Your blood sample is collected before you consume the drink. This is known as fasting glucose level. Additionally, blood sample is again collected following one, two and three hours gap.

merrick dog food

What You Need To Know About Merrick Dog Food

Although the most famous Merrick who ever lived was "Elephant Man" John Merrick, Merrick dog food has nothing to do with the Elephant Man. (Sorry). Unlike many other lines of pet foods, Merrick dog food and cat food is a family owned small business where everything is made in the United States. Merrick dog food and cat food were NOT affected at all by the massive pet food recall of early 2007.

You Get What You Pay For

Let's get this right out in the open – Merrick dog food and cat food costs a heck of a lot more than Alpo. However, Alpo is junk food for dogs. Do they love it? Yes – but it's not good for dogs to eat junk food all of the time. Ever wonder where the ingredients in your dog's cans and kibble comes from? Meat and offal (including hooves and hair) that are not considered fit for human consumption.

You could argue that dogs have evolved to eat carrion. That is true – if they are used to eating carrion, being gradually introduced to it. Even pariah and feral homeless dogs need to be supplemented with human grade food in order to avoid an early, preventable death from complications due to eating carrion.

Besides, doesn't your dog deserve decent food? Merrick dog food uses human grade food in their cans and kibble, which is why it costs more. This stuff is better for you than most human food. And, if times get really tough and you have to eat dog food, at least you'll stay healthy on Merrick dog food.

Would I Feed It To My Dog?

I admit I haven't tried Merrick dog food for my own dinner, but I have treated my British mongrel to special Merrick dog food in cans for special occasions like Christmas. They have flavors like (I kid you not) Granny's Pot Pie, Thanksgiving Day (with all the trimmings except the whip cream on the pie) and Cowboy Cookout. If I made more money, I would treat my dog to Merrick dog food more often.

Cans come in two sizes; 5.5 ounces for smaller dogs and 13.2 ounces for medium sized dogs. If you have a giant breed like a Great Dane, then you will have to supplement a can with kibble or feed two or three cans at one sitting. And the best part is that Merrick dog food does not smell like dog food – it has very little odor at all.

Where Do I Find It?

Sadly, Merrick dog food is not available in grocery stores or large chain supermarkets. You have to search them out in "mom and pop" pet stores and online.

fine cooking

Fine Cooking From Your Own Kitchen!

Many people feel that in order to experience a classy, high end meal, they have to go out to an expensive restaurant. However, this is not always the case. It is possible to fix many fine cooking recipes right in your won kitchen. All you need is the necessary ingredients, and a recipe to use. You can prepare your own classy meals using your fine cooking skills. Such a meal will impress family, friends, and loved ones. Fine cooking is a great skill to have, and you will use it on many occasions throughout your life.

Nifty Knowledge

Possessing fine cooking skills means that you will be equipped with the tools to impress people in just about any situation! You can use fine cooking skills when preparing a romantic dinner for you and that special someone, or when you are cooking for a dinner party for all of your friends. Fine cooking skills can make all the difference on family holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving as well. Fine cooking skills are great to have because they prepare you for just about any situation.

Trusting Your Abilities

You might be skeptical about your own abilities to produce a gourmet meal. However, purchasing quality ingredients and following a good recipe will ensure that you do not go wrong! Before you know it, you will be preparing high end meals like Lobster Quiche and Italian Baked Lasagna. Nobody will be able to tell the difference between your fine cooking and that which they would taste in a restaurant.

If you want to prepare a delicious meal like Italian Baked lasagna, the first step is to purchase all the ingredients you will need. The bill may add up, seeing as how you will be purchasing many quality ingredients in order to cook a high quality meal. However, the expense will be well worth it. The ingredients required for Italian Baked Lasagna are: 9 cooked lasagna pasta noodles, 2 tsp. salt, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 2-16 oz. jars of meatless sauce, ¾ cup chopped onion, 2 eggs, beaten, 1 tsp. Oregano, 2 lb. Italian sausage, and 1 lb. Ricotta cheese.

To begin, cook the lasagna noodles and drain them. Sauté the onion and sausage, and mix in both the salt and the sauce. Simmer on low for fifteen to twenty minutes. Combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, and oregano in a separate bowl. Next, grease a deep sided baking pan (it should be at least 15" by 12'). Begin placing layers in the bowl: noodles, then cooked sausage and sauce, then the ricotta cheese, and finally the mozzarella cheese. Add a second layer, and repeat until the pan I nearly full. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, and bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Up To Par

Making an attempt at fine cooking will allow you to prove to yourself that you can cook as good as the pros. Just give yourself a chance, and you will not regret the results!

innova dog food

Innova Dog Food – Holistic Pet Food

If you are looking for quality dog food for your pet you might want to consider feeding him Innova dog food due to the high quality standards that guide the manufacturing of their pet food products. Their dog food is made from natural food items, full of nutrition and packed with food substances from the five main food groups.

They have a special cooking procedure that ensures the vital nutritional substances are not lost in the food. Some brands of dog food unfortunately use cooking processes that do not prevent the important nutrients from being eliminated from the food sources.

The core of the nutritional pet foods provided by Innova are fresh chicken meats, fresh turkey meats along with quality chicken meal. To add more nutrition and flavor to Innova dog food they add healthy nutritious ingredients such as whole milk, cottage cheese, fresh garlic, vitamins and natural flavors. Sunflower oil is added to their dog food which contains healthy fatty acids that help give your dog a shiny coat as well as healthy skin.

Antioxidants

Due to research in the field of orthomecular medicine Innova dog foods have been the recipients of added antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C and E. These antioxidants have been shown to help to prevent your dog from acquiring diseases. To preserve their Innova dog food they only use vitamin C and vitamin E.

Protein and Vegetables

Protein plays an important role in keeping your dog healthy and active. Innova dog food contains lean turkey and chicken meats which are packed with protein and important amino acids. They only use fresh vegetables in their pet foods such as carrots, potatoes, and alfalfa sprouts. Their selection of vegetables provides your dog with quality carbohydrates, important fibers, vitamin A, vitamin C and a variety of minerals. They do not use preprocessed vegetables since they typically have lost their nutritional value as well as their flavor.

Fruits can also play an important role in the health of your dog. Innova dog food products contain apples which provide your dog a healthy source of carbohydrates, fiber as well as vitamin C. The potassium from the apples is useful for neuromuscular development in your dog.

Innova dog food only uses whole grains which provide your dog with carbohydrates, iron, important fiber, B vitamins as well as selenium. The healthy fats they use in their dog food products provide your pet with a tasty flavor and helps keep his skin healthy. If you are looking for a quality dog food for your pet you might want to consider feeding him Innova dog food.

diabetes supplies

Necessary Supplies for Diabetics

If you received a diagnosis of diabetes, there are several supplies you always need to have on hand. Many of these supplies can be found in local pharmacies or at online stores. Often, insurance companies or Medicare covers supplies that are necessary for diabetics. If you're unsure of your coverage call your insurance representative and have your benefits explained. To properly manage and control diabetes, you will need to be stocked with the following supplies.

Diabetic Supply Kit

Diabetic supply kits may come with slightly different items, but there will be several essential things always included. Since managing this disease involves careful monitoring of your blood sugar level, alcohol swabs, a lancet and a glucometer will be present. Alcohol swabs will clean your skin thoroughly before taking a blood sample. This step may seem small, but it drastically lowers your chance of infection. The lancet is simply a sharp little tool that pierces the skin to produce a droplet of blood. Sometimes the kit offers lancets that prick the arm or the finger, depending on which area of the body is easier for the patient. The drop of blood is then placed on a strip that will be inserted into the glucometer. This device will determine the amount of sugar in the blood and display a number for the patient to see. Most glucometers have a built-in memory, which will better generate a daily, weekly or monthly view of average blood sugar readings. These readings will enable a diabetic to correcltly evaluate the amount of insulin needed to maintain optimum health.

Insulin, of course, is a necessary supply for diabetics, but this must be obtained from a doctor's prescription. There are several ways to take insulin and if you need to inject it, your diabetes supply kit must contain syringes, needles or an insulin pump. It may be a good idea to ask your doctor or pharmacist about your individual needs.

Another way to monitor the sugar level in the body is by checking your urine. Therefore, urine test tablets and strips should be in the diabetes supply kit. Another condition that is common among diabetics is foot trouble, especially sores that don't heal well and are prone to infection. Although diabetic shoes or shoe inserts may not be included in a supply kit for diabetes, if these items are important to you, they should be readily available. Perhaps the best supplies for diabetics include resources, which explain this disease and how to correctly monitor the blood sugar level. The glucometer should have clear instructions with target levels for "normal" blood sugar readings. There should also be directions on how to use the lancet and load the paper strip into the glucometer. While all of these steps may seem small, together they are vital in helping you manage diabetes.

dutch oven cooking

Dutch Oven Cooking Adds Variety To Outdoor Cooking

Cooking over an open fire, providing even heat to the food was always a challenge and certain foods were just not able to be prepared over a flame. Until Dutch oven cooking made it to Europe in the 1700's there were limitations to the type of cooking available, but since then, food items were not limited to boiling and roasting. With the use of Dutch oven cooking food can be boiled, baked, fried and even roasted.

In its earliest form Dutch oven cooking used a cast iron pot with a heavy lid designed to hang over an open fire. The lid, developed by the Dutch had a raised rim on which hot coals from the fire could be placed to provide heat at the top for cooking instead of just heating the bottom of the pot. Dutch oven cooking became extremely popular in the United States during the travels westward and was one of the main items that Lewis ad Clark carried with them on their journey.

Today, Dutch oven cooking is used when camping to provide a wider array of foods that can be enjoyed in the wild. It can be used for stews as well as for baking and in colonial times was equipped with a small removable screen for large families. Once the food in the oven was done, the screen could be removed and replaced with another type of food.

Making Dutch Ovens In The Ground

Dutch oven cooking is not limited to the heavy pot over a fire as many early baking ovens were also called Dutch ovens as the process involved heating the vessel and allowing that heat to cook the food. Early versions of Dutch oven cooking was to line a small earthen depression with fire bricks and heat the bricks. Once they were hot enough, the food was placed in the oven and baked. Some of the earliest bread was baked in these versions of the Dutch oven.

The main aspect of Dutch oven cooking is to have the heat fully surround the food being cooked, much like today's modern ovens. Although the heat is applied at the bottom of the cooking area, it is confined to a small area in which the food is placed. Modern vessels used in Dutch oven cooking may also have short legs so the pot can be placed over the fire without it being suspended above the flames. Hot coals are still needed on the top of the lid to provide even heat distribution.

diabetes statistics

Diabetes Statistics: India Is The Diabetic Capital Of The World

There are many worrying facts that are coming to light after you become aware of diabetes statistics including the fact that there is one person in the world dying of diabetes every ten seconds. Another fact that you will find worrying is the fact that there will be two new diabetic cases in the world being identified every ten seconds. And, what’s worse, these very same diabetes statistics tell us that by the year 2025, there will be as many as seven million new diabetic cases in the world.

Not Only The Rich That Are Affected

What’s more, in countries such as India, there are going to be as many as eighty percent of all diabetics from the entire world population concentrated there which makes India the diabetic capital of the world. Thus, these diabetes statistics show that the disease is not one that affects only the rich, though it is most likely to affect those with a sedentary lifestyle and who consume diets that are mainly unhealthy.

That is not to assume that countries like America are not badly affected by diabetes, because diabetes statistics sourced from the American Diabetes Association show that the United States has an estimated eighteen plus million diabetics, which accounts for as many as six plus percent of the entire world diabetic population.

Furthermore, diabetes is a disease that pays scant respect to the gender of the diabetic and another interesting diabetes statistics is that as many as a third of all diabetics are not even aware of the fact that they are in fact diabetic. However, these very same diabetes statistics show that persons of African American descent are about one and a half times more likely to be affected by diabetes than their White Caucasian counterparts and the same ratio also applies in the case of Latinos.

Furthermore, there are also enough diabetes statistics to show that Type 1 diabetes affects only children and the peak incidence of diabetes in children is during their puberty age, while Type 2 diabetes is found mostly in adults, though of late, there are increasingly and alarmingly, more children also being affected by Type 2 diabetes. And, the main reason why people become diabetes, according to available diabetes statistics is because they are either obese or overweight.

All said and done, diabetes is a very common condition that can cause untimely and early death, and was until recently the death signal for most patients, though with better treatment options available today, it can be controlled and thus is not as life threatening as it once was.

iams dog food

Iams Dog Food Reportedly Lacks In Proper Nutritional Content

Another major player in the dog food industry is Iams that have been the subject of dog food recall which has made them worried because of reports that Iams dog food has serious problems with its nutritional content. Worried by such reports about its dog food products, the company has begun damage control operations and has since issued statements refuting the charges leveled against the company.

Complies With AAFCO Minimum Requirements

One of the defenses put forth by Iams regarding Iams dog food is that their products have ingredients that exceed AAFCO minimum requirements which ensures that their dog foods will not affect the wellbeing and health of your dog and that they use only the best quality of ingredients in their foods that are obtained from suppliers that have been inspected by the USDA.

Critics of the company however contradict the defense put up by Iams and point out that AAFCO standards are meant only to ensure that your pet dog will not suddenly fall over itself and die because of consuming dog foods, and in fact these standards do not ensure that your pet dog won’t suddenly fall ill as a consequence of eating particular dog foods.

As for Iams dog food containing ingredients supplied by USDA inspected suppliers, critics point out that the meat supplied for use in such dog foods is obtained from the rendering industry that does not get quality assurance from USDA as claimed by Iams and in fact the company has for long been using what are known as ‘4-D meats’ or meat that is obtained from dead, disabled, dying and diseased animals.

It is thus pointed out that apparently the makers of Iams dog food are simply not confronting the consumer with the proper facts and are in fact avoiding telling the truth which is that Iams dog food contains insufficient amount of nutrition and thus owners of pet dogs would do well to avoid feeding their pet dogs with Iams dog food.

To support its case about lack of proper nutritional content in Iams dog food, there are certain worrying statistics provided by critics of Iams such as the case of twenty-seven reported violations against Iams since 1999 in only one state in the US – Texas. Furthermore, the FDA has recently reported that Iams dog food contains dangerous levels of amino acid DL-methionine that in fact led to the FDA having to recall 248,000 pounds of Iams dog food from many states in the US.

Thus, before you feed your Iams dog food, it would pay to heed these warnings and look for more nutritional food to feed your dog.

country cooking

Outdoor Country Cooking

Home is where the hearth is. If outdoor country cooking is fun and heart warming, it is because of its simplicity and down-to-earth methods of cooking. The tradition of country cooking is associated with nomadic tribes and early settlers of North America. Over the years these have been refined and modern techniques have simplified the way we cook, but the spirit of country cooking is different from cooking in kitchens.

The Freshness of Country Cooking

The basic difference in country cooking and kitchens is the freshness of the ingredients used in cooking. All food is cooked from scratch and from what is available. In kitchens we pull out pre-cooked food from refrigerators lying in cold storage for weeks and flavor food with packaged and ready-to –use ingredients. Country cooking requires much more ingenuity and creativity.

Country cooking is more of a community activity rather than a single family-based activity. Different people do different things to prepare the meal. The first thing to be done is to get the fire burning which is done outdoors, weather permitting, on stones and wood collected from the forests. Country cooking makes use of wild vegetables, fruits, fish and wild game from the wilderness. On bad days, it is not unusual for the community to be partially or totally vegetarian.

Country cooking is often high in fat and carbohydrates as the community is usually involved in hard manual work. The easiest way of cooking meat is roasting on skewers over the flames. Roasting is preferred to grilling as the oil that drips from the meat can be collected in a pan and reused. Most country cooked dishes have flavors of the smoke on which it is cooked. It takes time to get used to this smoky taste, but the freshness of food surpasses all smell and taste.

In the earlier days, utensils used in country cooking were mainly of clay/earthen pots and wooden spoons. The common way of cooking in country kitchens is a simple covered pit with fire under it. Another common method is wrapping food in clay and leaf wrapping. Banana leaves are extensively used as it does not burn easily over a flame. One very down-to-earth method is placing food on heated stones or dropping a heated stone into a pot. Modern day country cooking now uses solar cookers.

The outdoor country cooking activity unifies a community that works together, cooks together and eats together. The helping, giving and sharing creates lasting bonds of friendship and love.

hypoallergenic dog food

What Does Hypoallergenic Dog Food Contain?

Some dogs, like some humans, also experience allergies. Humans often avoid the food that causes us allergies and at the same time, we opt for hypoallergenic food and other products to prevent allergy outbreaks. It is but natural that dog lovers and dog owners would also choose to buy hypoallergenic dog food for their animal companions to keep them in good health.

Not all dogs that have allergies have the same allergies. Just like people, animals can be allergic to numerous various things and foods. Some foods that some dogs are allergic to are chicken, milk, wheat etc. Hypoallergenic dog food ideally has no ingredients that can trigger an allergic reaction on your pet pooch.

Organic Hypoallergenic Dog Food

Most hypoallergenic dog food is organic. This is ideal because some dog food products have been processed with many inappropriate food additives that can affect your dog. Hypoallergenic dog food should not contain fillers that can trigger an allergic reaction or any other animal byproducts that could have been stale or have been exposed to chemicals or growth hormones.

Hypoallergenic dog food also has many different ingredients that cater to the different allergies an animal might have. Since some dogs are allergic to chicken there are hypoallergenic dog foods that are made from lamb or beef. Other also has rice instead of wheat or corn meal instead of the other two. It all actually depends on the allergy of your pet.

Diagnosing An Allergy

You can probably determine what your dog is allergic to by initially ceasing to feed your pet with dog food that may be causing the allergy. To try to find out what causes the allergic reaction in your pet, feed it with hypoallergenic dog food to cleanse the animal from allergies. After about two weeks or feeding your dog with hypoallergenic dog food, you can introduce one kind of food during meal times to see if the dog has an allergic reaction to it. Wait a few days before trying to introduce another kind of food product to see if it may be causing the allergy.

Once you have discovered the cause of the allergy, you can opt to stop feeding the hypoallergenic dog food and feed your dog with dog food without the allergy causing ingredients. If you wish to continue feeding your dog hypoallergenic dog food, this is better to make sure that you do not make any mistakes in feeding the dog food that might cause allergies.

Choosing to feed your dog hypoallergenic dog food is fine. These kinds of dog foods may actually be better for your dog and are sometimes guaranteed to be organic and healthy for your dog.

diabetes research

What Happens With Diabetes Research

Not many people are fully aware of the diabetes research that is conducted on a daily basis throughout each year as much more advertisement and focus is put on things such as cancer or AIDS research. But with the fact that every year more and more people are being diagnosed with one of the two types of diabetes, it is important that more people pay attention to and help provide funding for diabetes research. In order to continue to do the work that the medical professionals are, there needs to be money made available as grants only go so far.

There is a bigger problem then just adults having diabetes and it is not as easy as saying it is their fault and they just need to eat less. This is a real problem that has more to do with then just the way someone eats. There are children diagnosed every day with this illness and it is something that was passed to them from their family line. The diabetes research is something that needs to be given more press so that more people can understand the importance of making this work so that we can finally find a cure before this disease takes too many more lives.

What You Can Do To Help

Those who are conducting diabetes research need money more then anything as this type of medical research is not cheap by any means. While there is government funding, it is simply not enough as there is only so much money to go around. And with the many other illnesses that plague our society, the government can only supply a certain amount to the diabetes research. This is where you as an individual can come in and help as there is so much that you can do besides sitting back and hoping for the best.

Many companies or organizations can set up charitable events or auctions in order to help raise money for diabetes research. This money can help with their work in the most incredible ways and there is never a point in which they would have too much money. The more money that is made available to diabetes research, the harder and faster they can work which means a cure could be found a lot sooner. As soon as a cure is made available, the sooner we can save lives from pain, suffering, and even death. By helping to fund diabetes research, you are not only helping others, but maybe even yourself, as you never know what your own future may bring.

cooking with kids

Great Reasons To Start Cooking With Kids

There are many things kids can learn by getting involved with what you're doing in the kitchen. Aside from the fact that kids love to do big people things, there is a vast wealth of knowledge and life lessons you can pass on when cooking with kids. Many things that your children are going to have to learn someday can be learned while they're having fun and creating something at the same time.

Health Benefits

Cooking with kids is a great way to get them started on good hygiene and food handling skills. There's no better way to train them to wash their hands before they handle anything that they're going to eat. The importance of cleaning up after themselves for health reasons can also be taught in the kitchen. This is also a great opportunity to instruct them about the dangers of various kitchen appliances and utensils. If you take the time to explain what everything is and what it does, they will be less likely to experiment with these things unsupervised. Cooking with kids will also give you a chance to explain proper handling techniques of potentially dangerous utensils, such as knives. These things, as well as safely handling raw meats and fruits will help your child become more responsible in and out of the kitchen.

Cooking with kids will also give you the opportunity to instill healthy eating habits in your child. Teach them about the nutritional benefits of the foods they eat and why it's important. After this your child may choose to grab an apple once in a while instead of a potato chip.

Educational Benefits

Another good reason for cooking with kids is the educational value. Now that they're aware of the potential dangers of many of the kitchen items, they can begin to learn how to use them properly. Start out with the basics, like boiling water and things like that. Cooking with kids can also help in the area of mathematics. Have your child help you read the recipes and figure out how much of each ingredient to put in. I can't think of a better way to help your child learn fractions. Let the child add some of the ingredients and do some of the mixing as well.

There's also a lot of scientific information you can share when cooking with kids. Things such as the different states of matter and how some things are dissolved in liquids will help your child get a better grasp on the world around them.

Finally, one of the best reasons to consider cooking with kids is that it's fun for everyone involved. Not only is it a nice educational experience, but it's a great way to spend quality time with your kids and create some memories that will last a lifetime.

diabetes recipes

Finding The Best Diabetes Recipes

With diabetes on the rise in this country, it is no wonder that many more people are starting to take a better look at the way they live their life, even right down to what foods they eat. Eating the right foods and using different types of diabetes recipes is not only good for those currently suffering from the disease but also a way to help you avoid it. Using diabetes recipes for all of your meals is an excellent way of keeping tabs on what you are bringing into your body as it can be so easy to forget how much sugar there is in some of the store bought, already processed foods.

Using diabetes recipes is also a great way to get your family involved in practicing a healthy lifestyle. Most of the diabetes recipes that can be found are just as tasty as something more fattening and the only way anyone would really know it was geared towards those with diabetes is if you told them. And with having picky eaters in your house, this may be a secret you want to keep and they will never be the wiser. Your body and your family will thank you for providing them with healthy alternatives to what dinner options you may be already serving them.

Where To Find Diabetes Recipes

There are many places that you can find different and interesting diabetes recipes including from your doctor. Your family doctor may already have a nice list of meals that can be prepared for those with this illness. Also, there are many recipes that can be found all over the Internet and just by doing a simple search in a search engine, you are likely to come up with hundreds, if not thousands, of different diabetes recipes. Asking friends and family may be of some help to as you may be surprised as to how many other people are starting to be more careful in what they eat.

There are also Internet based newsletters that you can subscribe to in order to receive all kinds of different diabetes recipes. These newsletters are often free or cost very little and are well worth the cost as every month you would be introduced to something new and exciting. There are also a lot of magazines, which are completely geared towards diabetes research, health, and diabetes recipes. These magazines also make the prefect present for someone in your life suffering from diabetes.

homemade dog food recipes

Why There Is A Gradual But Pronounced Shift Towards Homemade Dog Food Recipes?

People and dogs are known to forge lifetime relationships that are worth a mention in historical recording. The attraction happens mostly because dogs are exceptionally intelligent and loving animals that are capable to love their owners unconditionally. If you ever want to see the magic and power of love, do not look for great love stories between young lovers – look for the adoration a pet has for its owner and vice-versa. This bond is often the most amazing thing you would ever experience.

The Satisfaction You Can Get From Homemade Dog Food Recipes

You will never understand the compelling need that drives a dog owner to search for the best possible options of dog food, until you own a dog yourself. Usually, you as the dog owner, would be flooded with suggestions and examples of what you should use. However, very soon you will realize that there might not be a brand out there that offers 100% natural ingredients as dog food.

Hence, instead of settling for any of these wonderful leading brands of dog food, you would redefine your search this time oriented towards finding homemade dog food recipes. In this way, you would be assured that you offer your pet the healthiest possible food. At the same time you would feel exceptionally satisfied that your efforts to provide your dog with the best nutrition is no longer left to chance.

The Advantages You Get From Feeding Your Dog With Homemade Dog Food Recipes

The first and foremost is that you know exactly what goes into it and if you take your vet into confidence and use their wisdom on the matter, you would be able to do an excellent job at providing your dog with the best possible (read required) ingredients.

Another great advantage is that when you cook the homemade dog food recipes you tend to develop a wonderful bond with your pet which would never be possible with the readymade food. This is something that you would always remember about the dog even after it is long gone – the formation of the bond of love.

A third advantage of adopting the homemade dog food recipes is that the food your dog would eat would always be fresh. No more worrying about the expiry dates and whether the food got oxygenated or contaminated after opening the can or packet. The food would be now fresh for every feed.

Lastly, in spite of all these benefits the homemade dog food recipes would still be less costly than any brand of dog food you have ever bought. This would be like being able to have your cake and eat it too. You get everything you ever wanted about the feed of your dog plus a hefty saving. Is it not that wonderful?

cooking utensils

Seven Cooking Utensils No Kitchen Should Be Without

It seems like every cook has a drawer full of cooking utensils – way more than any cook needs. You can cook just about anything using just seven cooking utensils. What are the seven essentials?

No. 1 - Tongs

Tongs are a cooking utensil you simply can't do without. With tongs, you can push spaghetti into boiling water, remove roasted Brussels sprouts from a baking sheet, lift sausages and hot dogs from the grill, and turn steaks without piercing them. Tongs are also great for reaching wine glasses or bottles of soy sauce that hide at the back of those high kitchen cabinets. If you use nonstick cookware, get silicone or plastic tongs.

No. 2 - Wood Spoons

Wooden spoons are another of those basic cooking utensils that every cook needs. Wooden spoons can be used on nonstick cookware, cast iron pans, glass, and steel. They are inexpensive and beautiful to display.

No. 3 – A Whisk

The whisk is one of the most versatile cooking utensils ever invented. Use it to scramble eggs and keep sauces and gravies lump-free. Use silicone or plastic whisks for nonstick cookware; otherwise, a stainless steel whisk is one of those basic cooking utensils you'll use forever.

No. 4 – A Flexible Spatula

A thin, flexible spatula is the perfect cooking utensil for flipping pancakes, eggs, crepes, and hash browns. Don't even think about trying to make breakfast without one.

No. 5 – A Grater

Graters aren't just for cheese any more. This useful cooking utensil can shred cheese, grate fresh nutmeg, mince a piece of ginger root, or zest a lemon. Once you buy a grater, keep it handy, because you'll use it every day.

No. 6 – A Ladle

One ladle serves many functions. You can use it to serve soup, scoop batter out of a bowl, or add broth to risotto. To use this handy cooking utensil as a measuring cup, fill your ladle with water and pour the water into a measuring device. However much water is in the cup, that's how much liquid your ladle holds. Next time a recipe calls for that amount of liquid, you can use your ladle to measure it.

No. 7 – A Colander

A colander is another cooking utensil you will use every single day. Use a colander to wash fresh vegetables, drain pasta, or rinse berries or salad greens or canned beans. A colander is great to use anytime you need to separate food from water.

You don't need a big drawer full of cooking utensils. With these seven items, you can make virtually any meal.

homemade dog food

How to Make Homemade Dog Food

There are plenty of retail dog food products you can purchase, but the idea of making homemade dog food is definitely one that you should consider. Homemade dog food often contains more vitamins and nutrients which are essential for the overall health and wellbeing of your pet.

The best way to know what goes into your dog’s food is to make it yourself. Especially with the many pet food recalls that have taken place around the world lately, pet owners are more interested in this option now than ever before.

Recipes

There are a few great homemade dog food recipes in particular you can follow. One of the most popular is the doggy hamburger helper, for which you will need 1 cup hamburger meat stir fried in oil, 2 boiled eggs chopped, ½ cup cooked plain oatmeal, 1 jar baby food green beans, 1 jar baby food carrots, and 2 tablespoons cottage cheese.

This food is incredibly easy to prepare, and you start by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Then you simply store at room temperature and serve to your dog at mealtime, just like you would with any other food. Keep in mind that a good multivitamin may be added for good measure.

The doggy casserole homemade dog food is also a fan favorite and for it you will need 1 cup boiled poultry chopped, ½ cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup boiled mixed vegetables, and 3 or 4 tablespoons unsalted chicken broth. Simply stir these ingredients together and serve at room temperature.

Make a Profit

It is easy enough to make homemade dog food for your own pets, but you may also want to consider the option of making larger amounts and selling to make a profit. This is often a beneficial idea because most pet owners are interested in giving their pets a healthier and fresher food but do not have the time or effort to make it themselves.

If you do decide to go this route and start selling your homemade dog food then you will have to get more ingredients and the proper supplies so that you will be ready to get started. If you make healthy, good tasting dog food then you will be sure to build a good clientele and have customers coming back for more. You will also be helping by ensuring their dogs live as long and healthy a life as possible.

diabetes prevention

Understanding Diabetes Prevention

As if there are not enough medical issues to worry about, diabetes prevention has become a hot topic among many people in the nation, as there has been a rise in the amount of adults and even children who are being diagnosed with diabetes everyday. Diabetes prevention has become such a hot topic that there are finally more and more people paying attention as the impact that having diabetes can have on your life can be irreversible and even sometimes deadly.

The best treatment for diabetes is diabetes prevention as this is the best way to make sure that you will have a long and healthy life without complications that can come from having this illness. By taking the steps needed, you will make sure that you are able to enjoy the little things in life that those suffering from this disease are not able to. Diabetes prevention is the best way to also make sure that this disease gets under control and does not continue to plague our nation. And by approaching diabetes prevention with open arms, you will be encouraging others to take that same step.

Steps To Take For Diabetes Prevention

The best way to tackle diabetes prevention is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This can be done by anyone as long as the right amount of time and attention is given to the goal. It does not have to be a drastic change in your life as even the smallest of changes can make an incredible difference. For proper diabetes prevention, you will want to stay away from as much sugar as possible, which means cakes, candies, and soda pops are off limits or at least restricted to where you would not consume these items as much as you would have before.

Also, taking a few extra steps in making sure you get enough exercise in is an excellent way to go about diabetes prevention. Whether you get a gym membership, invest in a stationary bike for at home, or walk around your block once a day, you can improve your overall health. Diabetes prevention does not have to take a lot of effort, but it does take little forethought. By adding more salads to your meals instead of sugars, you can add a few more years to your life and you will feel better almost instantly as the results from a little diet change will show right away and your body will thank you for it.

cooking tips

Good Health Through Simple Cooking Tips

More and more people are cooking at home primarily for two main reasons – it is less expensive than eating out, and secondly it is self-pleasing. Cooking is the front burner in all home kitchens. A national survey conducted by Taste of Home magazine, say most Americans cook dinner for their families at least four nights a week, and 62 percent cook at least one meal a weak from scratch. Indulgence of such an activity requires a few cooking tips which make life easier in the kitchen.

General Cooking Tips

Before you begin, prepare yourself and check out that you have all the ingredients to finish the meal. Go in for recipes that are not too complicated. Go through the recipe carefully and make sure you have all in the ingredients, utensils, etc. If it is chicken that you want to cook, heat the oven before you put the broiler in. This helps to preserve the juices of the broiler in. Use a spatula or thongs to turn the broiler rather than fork or a knife. If it is chicken soup on the menu, go in for a young female chicken, preferably a kosher pullet raised in a farm in natural surroundings. Cook the chicken first and then cut into pieces.

If you have a problem with beef not being tender enough, try adding a few pieces of raw papaya while cooking the meat. Papaya not only makes the meat tender, it adds taste. Raw papaya contains vitamins A, B, C and D, so makes the meat healthier. Besides raw papaya is said to clean the liver and helps in digestion.

If it is veggies on the menu, cooking tips are simpler. Vegetables can either be eaten raw, can be steamed, boiled, stir fried, even baked and barbequed! Vegetables can be cooked in hundred different ways and the key to enjoying veggies is variety. An important cooking tip for veggies is not to overcook. Overcooked vegetables loose its nutritious values and are ruined. If boiling veggies, find a way to use the water in making a gravy or sauce, rather than throwing it away.

Experimentation with different ingredients is a useful cooking tip for the not-so-expert cook. Try substituting beans for meats, or use carrots instead of sugar to sweeten sauces. While stir frying meat, chop to small pieces to allow quick cooking in the wok which is pre-heated to a high temperature.

For kitchen appliances, a salad spinner, hand blender to puree soup is easier to handle than a food processor. A folding steamer platform which can accommodate any pot work is ideal for cooking or steaming vegetables. The roasting pan should be of correct size. Try using non-stick pans, which use less oil and prevent sticking of cooked food to the pan.

One basic cooking tip concerning hygiene is wash hands with warm water and soap before any cooking. Wash regularly after handling meats and never put pre-cooked food on to plates, boards or other surfaces on which raw meat, fish or poultry have been placed without washing these utensils/surfaces with warm water and soap.

cooking tips

Good Health Through Simple Cooking Tips

More and more people are cooking at home primarily for two main reasons – it is less expensive than eating out, and secondly it is self-pleasing. Cooking is the front burner in all home kitchens. A national survey conducted by Taste of Home magazine, say most Americans cook dinner for their families at least four nights a week, and 62 percent cook at least one meal a weak from scratch. Indulgence of such an activity requires a few cooking tips which make life easier in the kitchen.

General Cooking Tips

Before you begin, prepare yourself and check out that you have all the ingredients to finish the meal. Go in for recipes that are not too complicated. Go through the recipe carefully and make sure you have all in the ingredients, utensils, etc. If it is chicken that you want to cook, heat the oven before you put the broiler in. This helps to preserve the juices of the broiler in. Use a spatula or thongs to turn the broiler rather than fork or a knife. If it is chicken soup on the menu, go in for a young female chicken, preferably a kosher pullet raised in a farm in natural surroundings. Cook the chicken first and then cut into pieces.

If you have a problem with beef not being tender enough, try adding a few pieces of raw papaya while cooking the meat. Papaya not only makes the meat tender, it adds taste. Raw papaya contains vitamins A, B, C and D, so makes the meat healthier. Besides raw papaya is said to clean the liver and helps in digestion.

If it is veggies on the menu, cooking tips are simpler. Vegetables can either be eaten raw, can be steamed, boiled, stir fried, even baked and barbequed! Vegetables can be cooked in hundred different ways and the key to enjoying veggies is variety. An important cooking tip for veggies is not to overcook. Overcooked vegetables loose its nutritious values and are ruined. If boiling veggies, find a way to use the water in making a gravy or sauce, rather than throwing it away.

Experimentation with different ingredients is a useful cooking tip for the not-so-expert cook. Try substituting beans for meats, or use carrots instead of sugar to sweeten sauces. While stir frying meat, chop to small pieces to allow quick cooking in the wok which is pre-heated to a high temperature.

For kitchen appliances, a salad spinner, hand blender to puree soup is easier to handle than a food processor. A folding steamer platform which can accommodate any pot work is ideal for cooking or steaming vegetables. The roasting pan should be of correct size. Try using non-stick pans, which use less oil and prevent sticking of cooked food to the pan.

One basic cooking tip concerning hygiene is wash hands with warm water and soap before any cooking. Wash regularly after handling meats and never put pre-cooked food on to plates, boards or other surfaces on which raw meat, fish or poultry have been placed without washing these utensils/surfaces with warm water and soap.

diabetes menu

The Case For A Vegan Diabetes Menu

A menu for diabetes patients can help control the symptoms of diabetes. To understand the relationship between the dietary menu and diabetes, an understanding of what diabetes is may be helpful.

What Diabetes Is

Diabetes is a disorder in which the patient has unusually high blood sugar levels and an erratic metabolism. High blood sugar levels are caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to the effects of insulin, combined with insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Symptoms of diabetes sufferers include excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Symptoms of diabetes can be controlled by diet and exercise, so diabetes patients look for a diabetes menu that controls the amount of glucose in the blood.

Benefits Of A Vegan Diabetes Menu

According to clinical studies conducted in 2005 by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (the PCRM), working on a grant from the Diabetes Action and Research Education Foundation, a diabetes menu comprising a high-fiber, low-fat vegan diet resulted in patients losing weight and needing less medicine to control their blood sugars.

Subjects in the 12-week study followed one of two diets: the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (the ADA) and a vegan diet. A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy. The vegan diabetes menu in the study consisted of meals that were all made without refined ingredients and without cholesterol. Meals averaged 10% fat as a percentage of calories and 80% complex carbohydrates. Meals contained 60 to 70 grams of fiber per day.

In contrast, the typical diabetes menu suggested by the American Diabetes Association is 30% fat and 50% carbohydrate, providing 30 grams of fiber per day and containing 200 milligrams of cholesterol per day. To help ensure that patients would follow the diet, caterers prepared lunches and dinners for participants in the study; all the patients had to do was reheat the meals and eat them.

The Results

The fasting blood sugars of the vegan group decreased 59% more than the blood sugars of the ADA group. While the vegan group needed less medication to control their blood sugar levels, the ADA group needed the same amount of medication as they had used before the study. Participants following the ADA diabetes menu lost 8 pounds on average over the 12-week study, while those following the vegan diabetes menu lost an average of 16 pounds.

Finally, when measuring protein loss in the urine – a symptom of diabetes-related kidney damage – the ADA group's protein losses worsened, while the vegan subjects had a large reduction in protein losses.

The PCRM study shows that eating a vegan diabetes menu may have a significant positive impact on the symptoms of diabetes.

healthy dog food

Healthy Dog Food: Your Best Options

You have a variety of options when it comes to healthy dog food. If you love your dog and want them to live the longest healthiest life possible, it is critical that you take the time to choose the food that is going to be best suited to your dog. This will depend on a number of factors, including their breed, age, and nutritional needs.

If your dog is underweight or overweight for instance you are going to need to feed them a specialty food, one which will help them to achieve and maintain an ideal weight.

How to Choose Healthy Dog Food

One of the first things you need to do when choosing healthy dog food is make sure that the first ingredient listed on the label is a form of protein. This could be chicken, lamb, venison, or a similar meat. You want to look for a dog food that excludes corn, cornmeal, and wheat. This is because all of the lower quality dog foods will typically have a list of byproducts and fillers as its main ingredients.

Also when trying to decide on a healthy dog food you want to be aware that while some preservatives may be necessary in order to keep the food edible, there is a line that must be drawn. Preservatives do not have to be artificial chemicals, especially since these chemicals might be cancer causing agents and are in no way healthy or beneficial for your pet.

Basically if there is a dog food that contains ingredients that you would not want to eat, you should not be feeding it to your dog. In fact, if you have a bit of time to spare a great idea is to make your own dog food. This is very quick and simple, and by making your own dog food you will be aware of every single ingredient going into it, and therefore will be doing the best for your dog’s health.

Healthy dog food is just one aspect of your dog’s health and wellbeing. You also need to ensure that they are drinking plenty of water and getting lots of regular exercise. You should take your dog out for a walk at least a few times a day, and they should have chew toys that are designed to help keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Taking your dog to the veterinarian regularly is also of great importance, as you will want to make sure they are always in good general health and be notified if there is anything you should be concerned with.