Organic Parade

I read from WebMD that there’s a recall on all Philip’s Mushroom Farms’ Enoki mushrooms due to Listeria. Be very care, as Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis. It is an infection that mainly affects the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and also people with weak immune systems. According to the CDC, if you contract Listeria during pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn.

If you notice any symptoms like fever and muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea after eating Enoki mushrooms, go see a doctor immediately. Cos if it spreads to the nervous system, it may cause headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or even convulsions. Do not wait and see, k. Read this article on Enoki Mushrooms Recalled Due To Listeria at WebMD for more accurate information.

I read an article at BBC News that marinating meat in alcohol prior to cooking may cut down on cancer-causing agents produced during the cooking process. And this includes both frying and grilling. I seldom eat meat, but i dont mind marinating them in red wine before cooking. It gives the meat a nice aroma and also acts as a mild tenderizer too, lol. The remainder of the red wine can be enjoyed during mealtime as well. Win-win, hoh. It’s the last day of 2008. Be merry and dont overeat!!!

I read from one of our local dailies that Indian restaurants are starting to reduce their food prices by 10 - 50 cents, and this is expected to continue for the coming few months. So, how does this benefit me? I seldom eat Indian food nor fancy it in the first place.

Hubby is a huge fan of Indian food so, this may come as good news to him. Not that he frequents Indian Restaurants a lot also. Conclusion is, the reduction in price does not benefit me at all. In fact, i find that Indian food are way over-priced compared to Chinese food. What do you think?

Why on earth is trans fat still in food if it’s such a terrible thing? Simply because even though trans fats may shorten your life, they do add to shelf life of baked goods, and keep the deep-fat fryers stoked batch after batch. So be wise and opt for trans-fat free foods when you are out shopping. Look at the labels before you put anything into your shopping cart. Between your personal health and their own financial health, some chain restaurants and food manufacturers do opt for the latter.

Green tea has become so popular that it can be found in mainstream grocery stores as well as gas stations and convenience stores. There are many flavors and varieties of green teas so you will be sure to find a combination of flavors you’ll enjoy.

Consider also adding green tea water to some cooked foods. Adding tea to a pot of boiling pasta will affect the flavor in a fresh new way. Toss that same pasta with pine nuts, pesto and a dash of olive oil and you have a healthful dish with many antioxidant properties. Challenge yourself to find new and exciting ways to add green tea to your diet.

Green tea has a long history of healthful benefits and its qualities are significantly more effective than black tea. Both teas come from the carnellia sinensis plant but green tea leaves are steamed rather than fermented like black and oolong teas. This prevents a powerful anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), from being oxidized and therefore diminished.

Antioxidant Properties

Most of us have heard of the positive effects red wine can have on a fatty diet and its healthful benefits on heart disease. High amounts of catechins polyphenols, particularly EGCG, are present in green tea. And EGCG has twice as much resveratrol as red wine, making it a powerful weapon towards lowering cholesterol, inhibiting blood clots and negating the effects of a fatty diet.

EGCG is also used to treat diabetes and is reported to have glucose-lowering effects. In addition glucose can cause a person to feel hunger and by controlling insulin levels, you control appetite. Try drinking a mug of green tea at the first hunger pain and you are well on your way to managing your appetite.

Thermogenesis

Thermogenesis literally means heat generation. Green tea increases thermogenesis in the body, becoming a potent appetite suppressant and increasing fat oxidation, helping the body to use fat as an energy source. This means the body is preferentially burning fat over protein.

Green tea also raises the body’s metabolism, increasing the rate at which calories are burned. In a recent study, the combination of green tea and caffeine burned more calories than those given a placebo.

Add to its thermogenesis benefits, green tea also has energy-boosting properties, which makes it a perfect breakfast tea or mid-afternoon pick me up.

My last bag of Revolution Tropical Green Tea. I gift from a good friend when she came back for a visit. I love the taste of Revolution Tropical Green Tea. If only i can find some where i live, i will stock up on it. But even if i cant buy it here, i can always buy Revolution Tea online. Do you know where to buy Revolution Tea online? There are many places where you can get Revolution Tea these day. Well, a friend bought some earlier and also gave me the links to the cheapest Revolution Tea online. Thanks to her, i just bought some for myself.

As i said earlier, i’ll be buying some Alce Nero pasta sauce once mine is finished. I did just that. Bought two bottles of Alce Nero Tomato and Basil pasta sauce over the weekend. I havent had a chance to try it out yet. It’s midnight here now, lol. I’ll make some for my kid for breakfast tomorrow. He loves Alce Nero organic pasta very much and the Alce Nero organic pasta sauce will compliment the noodles very much.

I wonder if my toddler will like it just as much as his brother does. I saw some Alce Nero organic pasta in a different shape and size too. Like tiny pieces of tubes. He may like that more than the spaghetti. If i go to the store again this weekend, i’ll buy a packet back for him IF he likes the pasta sauce, lol.

I’ve been trying to upload some nice photos of the organic goods i bought today. I’m trying a new Italian brand called Alce Nero. Bought lots of Alce Nero organic pasta and also their organic pasta sauce. No idea why my computer refuse to cooperate.

I asked a friend on MSN just now and he said there may be something wrong with my system memory. Huh? I already have 2gb memory. Not enough? How much system memory do i need. Damn, have to wait till Monday to find out. The photos will have to wait.

I think it’s time the Malaysian Health Ministry impose a total ban on Boric Aid in foodstuffs. Boric acid should be classified as poison and long term consumption of boric acid will lead to many health complications like poisoning, gastrointestinal illness, kidney damage and loss of appetite even in small amounts.

The use of Boric acid in food has been prohibited under the Food Act 1983 but our Health Ministry failed to curb its use. What’s the point of having such an act in place when it failed to protect consumers, you tell me. It’s no wonder why local foods like bak chang and lor mai kai failed to make its way into lucrative markets like Singapore where its Government makes sure that no foodstuffs that contain boric acid enters it territory.

So, what’s boric acid used for in foodstuffs? Boric acid is used to prevent the glutinous rice in foods like bak chang and lor mai kai from sticking to its container and wrapper. Food manufacturers will do anything to ensure this doesnt happen lest customers complains. But at the end of the day, who pays the price of such an irresponsible act? It’s the consumers themselves to be blamed.

Tomorrow is Bak Chang festival. If you must eat bak chang, it’s either you eat homemade bak chang or dont eat at all. Can? Or are you the kind that eat-first-die-later type. Oh, i’m a huge fan of both bak chang and lor mai kai, but common sense tells me to not eat them. Okay, once or twice a year. *guilty*