New Product Proven to Keep Foods Fresher Longer

What causes food to go bad? All fruits, vegetables and cheese produce a natural gas called ethylene, which causes ripening.

If you keep your produce wrapped or in a sealed container, you are actually accelerating the ripening process because the ethylene gas gets trapped inside. In addition, certain foods such as onions and garlic produce odors that transfer to other foods and dairy products, causing them to lose their freshness and flavor.

A new product called "Forever Fresh For The Fridge" has been proven to absorb ethylene gas, keeping produce fresh at least twice as long as normal and eliminating refrigerator odors. Two independent testing laboratories have tested Forever Fresh For The Fridge and verified its effectiveness.

"Since I started using Forever Fresh all my fruits and vegetables stay fresher longer, like strawberries, which used to last just a couple of days, now they last a couple of weeks," said Nancy McKimson of Jacksonville, Fla.

Forever Fresh For The Fridge consists of two small pouches: One goes on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and absorbs ethylene gas, slowing down the ripening process and keeping produce fresh at least twice as long as normal; the second pouch goes on the top shelf of the refrigerator and absorbs food odors. Food stays fresh for up to 30 days longer.

"I used to make salads and throw out the leftover in a couple of days if we hadn't eaten them because they turned brown and shriveled up," said Jane Burke of Morristown N.J. "Now I just put the leftover back in the refrigerator and it stays fresh for about a week."

The company also makes all- natural order eliminators. Forever Fresh Odor Eliminator, Pet Odor Eliminator and Vehicle Odor Eliminator are each made of a blend of highly absorbent minerals.

Unlike chemicals, sprays and fragrances - which only cover up odors, last for a short time and can be harmful to people with allergies or asthma - Forever Fresh absorbs and eliminates odors.

In tests conducted by Rutgers University, the Forever Fresh products eliminated strong odors, such as cigarette smoke, ammonia, paint thinner, alcohol, garlic, cooking odors and more.

A Carbohydrate Food List

While it has become common knowledge that high carbs can lead to a thicker waistline, many dieters have difficulty sorting these items out of their meal plans. A list of carbohydrate foods is a great tool for keeping dietary menus in check. This resource offers many benefits.

There are many reasons that a list of foods high in carbohydrates can help dieters. Whether you want to lose a significant amount of weight or just want to maintain a healthy weight, the resource can be very valuable. The main benefit is quite obvious to many consumers.

The process of choosing a weekly grocery list can be overwhelming if you are on a low carb diet plan. A list of carbohydrate foods can be used as a tool for making sound decisions while shopping for items in the grocery store. This resource is ideal for people who have trouble remembering the little details.

The list of carb-rich foods is also valuable for helping people make a distinction between good carbohydrates and bad ones. Complex carbohydrates can actually be adopted into a low carb diet if they are well chosen. A good list will make the distinction between the good foods and the bad. 

Ideally, you should begin a protein-rich diet with the least amount of carbs as possible, at least for the first two weeks. Many people avoid each and every item on the carbohydrate food list during the initial stage of the dieting plan. This usually yields very impressive results in very little time.

Of course, more foods can be added as the diet progresses. The concept revolves around the idea of moving from a strict weight loss regimen to a general lifestyle change. As you progress through the diet, more and more carbs can be introduced. Eventually, you should be able to enjoy everything on the list of carbohydrate foods.

Many people think that a high protein diet requires complete banishment of carbs. This may hold true for the first couple weeks of the plan. However, dieters can gradually introduce good sugars into their eating plans. Eventually, nothing will be off limits as long as the portions stay in control. 

We all know that moderation is the key to success, especially in weight maintenance. Once you have reached your goal you should be able to adjust your eating style to a comfortable level. A well-organized list of carbohydrate foods is the ideal tool for keeping your diet in check. 

Fine Chinese foods are a rarity on the east coast

I grew up in Connecticut and now live in New York City.  I've spent my entire life in the northeastern corridor, living for a summer in a Boston and going to school just outside of Hartford.  I've traveled a lot - Europe, Africa, Latin America and all over the United States - but have never been to Asia.  It's on my list though - I love traveling, and exploring new places.

Given all of that, there's still no place I'd rather be than New York City.  The absolute best thing about living his is the diversity of top-notch, easily accessible restaurants of all stripes.  My girlfriend, who comes from San Diego (and is even more well-traveled than me) feels the same way.  No where else in the world can match New York's diversity when it comes to cuisines.  Everything here is top notch.

Except... chinese foods.  Unless you're specifically heading down to Chinatown, you're going to have a very, very difficult time finding restaurants that serve top-end chinese foods.  Most of the restaurants here are greasy-counter, "typical" east coast chinese restaurants that server pork fried rice, fride chicken, general tso's chicken, various shrimp and beef dishes, et cetera et cetera.  These are not traditional "delicacies", the types of chinese foods you'd find at the top restaurants in Beijing or Shanghai.  They are an Americanized version of the cuisine, prepared inexpertly and, frankly, are pretty gross.

It's strange to me that Chinese foods have been so neglected here on the east coast when other Asian cuisines have been given such star treatment.  In New York City there are currently four five-star restaurants.  Three of them are, of course, French.  The fourth is Japanese.  It was remarkable if not quite scandalous when the Japanese restaurant was given its five-star treatment, and shows a willingness to look to different cuisines for greatness.

Yet, Japanese foods are no more inherently great than chinese foods.  Same with Thai - in my neighborhood alone I can name eight Thai places that are Zagat recommended and rated.  In fact the first "great" restaurant in my neighborhood is called "Planet Thai" and has been a Brooklyn institution for nearly twenty years.

Why are there no similar Chinese restaurants of note?  It's rather hard to figure, especially since China is a gigantic country with a diversity of cuisines within its own borders.  It's a shame we've yet to truly discover that here.

When the Restaurant Counts the Calories Foods it Serves have, does it do a Good Job?

If the first thing you do at a restaurant when you're handed a menu is count the calories foods on it have before you make up your mind, here's some news for you. Researchers have been over the menus at several restaurant chains, and also the packaged frozen meals you find supermarkets - and would you be surprised to learn that they found that the labels on the packages and theon the menus, bore little connection to what was actually in those meals? If you're finding yourself anxiously rushing (mentally) to defend those restaurants telling yourself that it's really difficult to count every last calorie in every meal you make, think again. The FDA knows that too; it gives restaurant and frozen meal chefs a 20% window of safety. They won't be considered in violation if their actual calorie counts are within the 20% overages allowed. There were some restaurant chains in the study that actually erred on the side of caution, and only overstated the calories foods they sold had.

These were well-known restaurant chains too, like Denny's, Wendy's and Domino's. And the foods that the research chose to examine were all-American favorites, that weighed in at 500 calories or less. The grilled chicken wrap at Wendy'sthat was supposed to be 260 calories, had 30% more; a serving of grits at Denny's that was supposed to be 80 calories had three times more, and at Lean Cuisine, a pasta meal had nearly 50% more than what was stated. Domino's went the other way, and carried 30% less per slice of pizza. Perhaps the 20% window that the FDA grants them isn't quite enough; these recipes aren't put together by machines; a dollop more of butter on one particular order might easily send the energy content through the roof on it. Making sure that calories foods have keep to a certain level isn't an exact science; cooking is an art after all.

And that isn't the only danger on the minefield that is known as the food business. If a manufacturer states that a package contains 4 ounces of whatever, and the inspectors find that it only contains 3 1/2, they would be called on the carpet for it. The government takes a very serious view on shortchanging customers on weight. So, manufacturers carry on the tradition of the baker's dozen - an expression from old world England, where the King had some pretty exotic punishments announced for bakers who sold less than they promised. So to be able to keep their heads, bakers would just throw in an extra loaf with every dozen sold, just to err on the side of caution. Just to make sure that no one can ever accuse them of selling people short, packaged food companies throw in a little extra in each package. This might save them from the wrath of the food shortchanging committee, but when it sends the calorie count up, they will find themselves in trouble again. And an additional problem in keeping a handle on the calories foods contain, comes from the concept of the free side dish at restaurants. The side dishes can often contain more calories than the main entrée itself. And often, it doesn't get counted.

Basically, businesses keep serious and on the level, if the government requires them to; things seem to be shaping up for that in the ready-made foods business.

Good cholesterol foods

Let's face the facts: obesity is bankrupting America. The two combine to form an epidemic unlike anything the country has ever seen. By current measures, sixty four percent of american adults are overweight or obese. Better than one in four are obese. In the last fifteen years, those numbers have gone up by a third, and if current patterns hold, better than three in four American adults will be overweight or obesese by the middle of this coming decade.

With obesity comes a host of health problems, such as heart disease, gastro-intestinal disease (including stomach and colorectal cancer), and diabetes. Signifiers like high cholesterol and triglycerides can tell doctors part of the story when it comes to your medical history, and if you want to avoid the fate of too many overweight people - that of disease and bankruptcy - you'll take your doctor's advice and start exercising and eating good cholesterol foods.

See, good cholesterol foods can do much more than just lowering your cholesterol: They can help increase you energy, regulate your moods and help you live a more active, healthy lifestyle. good cholesterol foods can effect you and your quality of life on a variety of levels. They don't just lower your cholesterol or help you get thinner; they help you become a more complete human being.

So the first thing to understand about good cholesterol foods is that, if it's not an animal product, it doesn't have cholesterol. That means good cholesterol foods are stuff like salads, fruits, nuts and grains. It means you need to eat fresh fruits and or vegetables with every meal. It means going for the egg white omelette instead of the whole egg omelette, and it means cooking said omelette in olive oil instead of butter.

It's also important to understand that, though all "flesh" contains cholesterol, some cholesterol is better than others. Salmon, for instance, has an honored place in the list of good cholesterol foods. It's high in omega-3 fatty acids, which your body uses to raise your high density, or HDL, cholesterol, while lowering your low density, or LDL, cholesterol. However, be aware that farm raised salmon is much, much less beneficial to your health than wild caught salmon.

Even so, any kind of salmon is better for you than red meat. While I enjoy a steak as much as the next guy, there's no denything that red meat intake is one of the leading causes of high cholesterol, and in no way belongs on the list of good cholesterol foods.

Foods With Vitamin D Are More Important Than Ever

Studies in recent years have shown the importance of vitamin D to calcium absorption and strong bones, so now more than ever, it is very important to be familiar with and to eat plenty of foods with vitamin D in them.

When we were children, we would spend hours outside and get most of the vitamin D we needed from the sun. That has all changed now that we know exposure to ultraviolet rays for extended periods can cause all kinds of skin problems, including cancer.

One of the foods with vitamin D that is the most abundant and easy to find is fish. It can really be any kind of fish, as well, from catfish to cod to herring to salmon, and they are all great sources of vitamin D that can be found at pretty much any major supermarket.

Along those lines, such things as mollusks and oysters are also foods with vitamin D that, although not as easy to find, can typically be found at most seafood restaurants, and they provide an excellent source of the vitamin.

One of the things that most people tell me when I mention these various types of fish and seafood is that they do not like fish. That is perfectly all right as well, because I know that not everybody is a fish person, and some people are actually allergic.

What I recommend in that case is soy milk, which is loaded with vitamin D and actually tastes pretty good, too. If soy milk is too much, just drink regular milk, which is also a good source of the vitamin and is also readily available.

Another beverage that is a good source of vitamin D is orange juice. Besides tasking great and providing a good source of vitamin D, it also provides a large proportion of your daily requirement for vitamin C and is loaded with other vitamins and nutrients.

Getting back to foods with vitamin D, oatmeal is typically a great source of the vitamin and is a great meal to have for breakfast. Oatmeal is usually a great source of fiber, and is one of those breakfasts that sticks with you throughout the day and is not a significant source of sugar or high in calories. Another big plus for oatmeal is that it is not an expensive breakfast option.

There are plenty of good tasting foods with vitamin D that are readily accessible at your local grocery store. As nutritionists continue to uncover the the importance of the vitamin and the role it plays in maintaining proper health, we should all look to include those types of foods in our daily diet when possible.

If Only You'd Always Known This about Weight Loss Foods

Life is a hardship, cream's a dream, the bread is not buttered and the meat is lean, and yet, the weighing machine mocks you. After a month of religiously avoiding fats and living on low carb diets, the scale doesn't seem to relent, and you lose hope. Well, you don't have to starve to lose weight. Eating well and yet shedding pounds is possible if you eat right. Weight loss foods are the answer to your weighty problems. And there is lots to choose from - rich, both in nutrition and taste.

Refined grains have always been the favourites as they are softer, smoother, easier to cook, better looking, and have a longer life to boot. But scientific studies confirm that those who consume whole foods weigh less than those who prefer refined foods. Consumption of unrefined foods helps in shedding weight two and a half times more quickly. Whole grains contain anti-oxidants that control the hormone that directs the body to store fat around the belly. They are, therefore, great weight-loss foods.

Nuts, that you eyed as a kid when your parents offered them to special guests, are not just delicious fare that are too rich for everyday use. They are weight loss foods, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that help lower bad cholesterol and keep heart attacks at bay. They give a push to calorie burning abilities that lasts a good three hours and more. Pistachios by themselves, are known to help you lose 10 to 12 pounds in just three months.

As in nuts, so in avocados and olives, healthy fats are not fattening. Research has shown some foods with more than fifty percent fat content to be effective weight-loss foods as against some other foods that are, in fact, quite low in fat content. Some kinds of food trigger cravings because they affect hormones that regulate hunger - refined, high sugar, high carb foods, for instance. Your fat friends (nuts and the gang), on the other hand, are innocent.

You must have heard of weight loss drugs and felt tempted to try these magic pills so you could hog and laze and yet be slim. But you have been scared enough of the side effects to wait forever before trying. Good news! There are weight loss pills you can use without the chills - beans, the perfect weight loss pills (okay, they are weight loss foods, not pills). They chisel your body and pamper your heart. Beans and legumes deserve to be your first choice in proteins. They are high quality proteins that fight weight gain too.

To bring colour to your life and flavour too, there is the grand pageant of fruits and vegetables and berries, so rich in nutrients and such weight loss foods too. You can gorge and gorge and fear none, for the antioxidants they are so rich in, break the cycle of overindulgence that refined and sugary foods get you into. Berries are at the top of the chart of foods rich in antioxidants. Folate and potassium rich cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower help you lose almost ten times more when you are dieting to reduce weight. What's more, they conserve lean muscle mass and protect us from damage that estrogenic chemicals that are said to have a link with obesity can cause. To get the most from this group of weight loss foods, you need to go organic.

Crestfallen? No chocolates, no ice-cream? Don't lose heart. A recent study has found that when you eat dark chocolate, you tend to consume fewer calories during the next meal and are less inclined to eat junk food. And a scoop of ice-cream once a week may actually do you good.