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Almonds and Cholesterol – Are Almonds a Heart-Healthy Snack

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Almonds and Cholesterol: Are Almonds Really a Heart-Healthy Snack?

It seems that many people are experiencing confusion over almonds and if they should or shouldn’t be included as part of a heart healthy diet. On one hand, almonds are reported to lower bad LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, almonds are a calorie-dense food that’s also high in fat.

Numerous studies, including one by the British Journal of Medicine, has shown convincing evidence that regular almond consumption helps lower bad LDL cholesterol. And not just any LDL, but it’s been shown to reduce the small dense LDL particles that do the most damage to your arterial walls and puts you at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

So what about the question of almonds being high in fat? Over 60% of the fat content in almonds is monounsaturated fats. (This is the same type of fat that is found in olive oil.) Monounsaturated fat is widely accepted to be a key ingredient to reducing the risk of heart disease and part of a heart-healthy diet.

But the health benefits of almonds doesn’t stop with having healthy natural fat and it’s ability to lower low-density lipoproteins. Almonds pack an antioxidant punch with it’s high levels of Vitamin E. And with over 60 mg of magnesium in a quarter-cup of almonds, that’s just more good news for your heart. You see, magnesium has been shown to help improve blood flow and make things ‘easy’ on your veins and arteries. (Translation: Less stress and work for your heart.)

Concerned about adding too many calories if you start eating almonds? Truth is, almonds have been shown to be beneficial at helping aid weight loss. But if you are just a little too ‘scared’ to add more calories, do this…

Substitute almonds for other foods vs. adding almonds to your existing diet. In fact, it’s been estimated by some researchers based on date from a Nurses Health Study that replacing carbohydrates with healthy nuts like almonds may low the risk of heart disease by as much as 30%. The risk may be lowered as much as 45% if you substitute nuts with saturated fats like those founds in meat and dairy.

Looking for some ways to add almonds to your diet? Try these…

– Add almonds to your salad instead of meat or croutons
– Add to your morning cereals (hot or cold)
– Add to yogurt for a tasty crunch
– Add sliced almonds to vegetable dish (great with green beans)
– Eat with a sandwich as a crunchy substitute for chips
– Two words: Almond butter!

And not surprising, eating almond as a “whole food” is optimal for maximum health benefits. The antioxidant punch mentioned previously is more than doubled when the skins are combined with the meat of the almond, compared to either one separately.

A Brief Guide to Phuket, Thailand

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Introduction

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and has the largest number of recorded reigns in the world. Current King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king of the House of Chakri, and is the longest serving head of state alive today, and the longest serving monarch Thailand has ever had.

Thailand’s economy was considerably boosted in the 1980s and 90s, when it became more industrialised, and tourism became strongly promoted. Today, Thailand’s exports and tourism are two of its most valued industries.

Thailand is blessed with several tourist destinations which see millions of visitors from all over the world. Ayutthaya, Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, and Ko Samui are among the most popular places in Thailand.

Phuket is an island which lies off the South West coast of Thailand. It is a popular tourist destination and is famed for a number of activities, some of which are highlighted below

Lean to Cook Thai Cuisine

Thai Cuisine is known the world over, and Thai food is one of the most popular in the world. Though cookery classes may not be an immediate choice for a holiday or vacation pastime while in Thailand, the exotic nature of Thai food provides hours of fun for many Phuket tourists.

Phuket provides cooking classes from experienced chefs. Many cooking classes are held near man shopping complexes in Phuket, such as Jungcelon. Many classes are held in working restaurants and bars.

Classes are aimed at all levels and many start with a tour of a Thai food market, before combining these wonderful and exotic Thai ingredients together. Thai food is about balancing flavours for an authentic and unforgettable dinning experience.

Of course, once you have picked up the basics, putting your new found Thai cooking skills to use in your Thailand Phuket vacation and holiday rental apartment simply has to be done.

The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project

Gibbons and other species of Monkeys native to South East Asia are often taken and used as tourist attractions. The process of hunting and capturing gibbons is often barbaric, with younger animals being taken and the older ones slaughtered. The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) on Phuket was established to try and help gibbons that had been taken from their natural habitat, by nursing them back to health and reintroduce them to the wild once they were ready. It has received some bad press from people that have claimed to work for the GRP, but it has also received plenty of praise from other quarters. The project on Phuket It is open to visitors and volunteers.

Elephant Trekking

If you choose to go on an elephant trek across Phuket, you have in all probability saved the elephant’s life. Since the logging industry was banned in 1989 and the changing environment of Phuket due to industrialisation, wild elephants together with working elephants have all but disappeared outside of tourism. Like humans, elephants need employment to survive in Thailand and being used as transport for tourists is really their only option. They are clever, intelligent, and due to the slow speed they walk at, are a perfect way to take in the splendour of Phuket.

Remove The Taste Of Plastic In Food

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Do you like the taste of plastic? Probably not. Many times, we use plastic bags to store our food, and the chemical taste of plastic leeches in to whatever we’re storing. If you want to prevent that taste from cropping up and ruining your lunch, follow this quick guide.

To begin, there are many things you can do to prevent the taste of plastic tainting your food. You should start by not leaving plastic bags in the sun. The hot sun slightly melts and weakens the plastic,while releasing chemicals in the process. These chemicals contaminate the food that was in the bag, are harmful in large quantities, and also do not taste nice.

If you absolutely have to keep your food stored in a plastic bag, then you should try to prevent the food from touching the plastic. Wrap whatever you’re storing in a paper towel or something similar. This works great for sandwiches, but isn’t ideal if you’re trying to wrap some tortilla chips.

One of the best alternatives to plastic is the paper bag. Both pollute the world, but the paper bag will eventually deteriorate. The paper bag also doesn’t leave a chemical taste on your food. If you want to store some tortilla chips, try storing them in a paper bag and not a plastic one.

If you don’t want to store your food in a paper bag, you can use a glass container. Glass is inert and won’t leave any chemical traces on the food that is stored inside it. Glass, however, is not very strong. It could be dangerous to bring a glass container on a long trip or to school, as it can break and hurt yourself or others.

Another wonderful alternative to plastic is a wooden container. Wood has been utilized by humans for a very long time, and thus has proved itself as a worthy container for food. Certain woods like cedar or maple may leave a woody taste in your food, but that’s much better than the chemical taste of plastic.

The great thing about wood is that it’s very sturdy. A wooden lunch box could last for a very long time if kept properly. Since it’s not easily breakable, many people have been bringing back the wooden lunch box. It’s slowly turning into an icon.

If wood isn’t your thing, you could check out a metal lunchbox. Metal lunchboxes are great for storing food, and are also stylish. There have been a few re-issues of this old style, and many people are embracing the metal lunch box because of it’s usability. Since it’s so lightweight, it makes a great food carrier.

You should take caution not to get your metal lunchbox wet. If its made of steel, it will probably rust. Chances are good that if you don’t like the taste of plastic, you won’t like the taste of rust, either.

Instead of getting a container, you can try wrapping your food in different papers. Wax paper and butcher paper have been used for centuries to wrap food, and they work just as good today as they did 100 years ago. Paper is also safer for you than plastic, and won’t leave any tastes on the food.

Now that you know how to avoid that plastic smell, you should try out these ideas. I fought the plastic monster for nearly 25 years, and finally beat it after thinking outside of the box and making the decision to move away from this impure substance. You can beat it, too, if you just stop using it.

Why Food Hygiene Courses Are Important For The Modern Workforce

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The demand for food hygiene courses have risen continuously over the years. Businesses involved in food manufacturing, catering and retailing are required by the laws to undertake health and safety certificate courses to stay complaint with the industry regulations. Food safety is therefore an important issue within the modern workforce.

You now can’t open any food outlet if you don’t comply with the food safety guidelines. Hence, catering and restaurants have made it mandatory for their employees to undertake safety training course to ensure proper food handling.

Food related illnesses are a common phenomenon but when you are running a restaurant or catering business you can’t afford the diners to fall ill because of your food. This would not only be detrimental for your image but in the worst case scenario you can even get sued or have your licensed revoked. Food hygiene training courses are, hence, essential for your business.

The members within the food industry are, therefore, required to train their workforce about proper handling of food items, whether raw or cooked. They must also ensure that all workers stay up-to-date with the changing requirements of food safety.

Why is it Important to Train Employees?

A question may, however, arise why it is so important to have employees trained in food safety for the catering or restaurant industry.

Well, to run a catering business efficiently you probably would require workers to carry out different jobs. You need to set up a supply chain, maintain cash flow and also serve great food at the same time. Hence, it becomes important that you have a competent team of workers to assist you in running the business. Food hygiene courses have been designed to help you identify areas of how you can manage your workforce better.

Further, you also need to ensure that the food served from your kitchen comply the health and safety standards. If your customers suffer illness after consuming food in your restaurant, you are likely to receive negative publicity. This can be exceedingly strenuous for you as owner of the business.

The food hygiene training also deals with training employees with proper waste management, which is another important factor for food manufacturing and restaurant businesses.

How to Find Food Safety Courses?

You are therefore required to find a comprehensive food safety course for your workers. There are now suppliers offering both offline and online food safety courses. An online food safety course is designed to cater to the needs of busy professionals where the professional can receive the required training without compromising with his earning opportunities.

An online food hygiene course is precise and hence doesnt take as much time to complete. Therefore, professionals are not required to deal with large volume of course materials. Also these are quick and you can take the examination immediately after completing the course.

It is also important to consider the accreditation and credibility of the online food hygiene course provider to avoid being scammed. If you are not careful at selecting the right food hygiene course online you may run into a great risk of getting your licensed revoked and losing your business.

Increase Platelets – Eliminate These Foods If You Have Itp Blood Disease

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If you have Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura can you increase platelets by eating the right foods?

Or for that matter can you decrease platelets by eating the wrong foods?

The answer is yes on both accounts. Eating properly can have a major impact on your ITP disease. But just how can you increase platelets?

First you must be very mindful of what you put into your body in the way of food. Rememberthat ITP is a breakdown of your immune system mostly caused by rampant inflammation in the body. Many foods are known antagonists to your immune system and should be avoided like the plague. Also, you may be sensitive to certain foods and they can irritate your system and cause your ITP disorder to worsen.

On the opposite side of the fence, there are also many super foods out there that can build up your immune system thereby helping you increase platelets.

Foods to Eliminate if you want to increase platelets.

Sugars table sugar, commercial syrups, (especially high fructose corn syrup which basically wreaks havoc with our metabolism and immune system causing inflammation in the body- unfortunately now days HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup is prevalent in a majority of our foods )

Refined Grains white flour, white rice, processed breakfast cereals, pasta etc. (these foods have had most of the good stuff removed and then a bunch of synthetic vitamins added which are not good for your battle to increase platelets.

Processed Food Packaged food AKA dead useless food. Not only do these foods do nothing for your health but they are actually in the long run harmful and will do nothing to help you increase platelets. The cardboard box is probably better for you than what is in it!

Bad Fat Commercial vegetable oils, margarines and especially trans fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) If you want to increase your platelets be sure to eliminate all the above from your diet!

Nutritional Supplements Not all vitamin and mineral supplements are created equal and a large percentage of supplements on the market have been proven to actually cause free radical formation which in turn causes inflammation which will never help increase platelets. Instead they could actually cause you to have low blood platelets.

Dairy So many people are actually sensitive to dairy products without even knowing it, and our commercially available dairy products will not help you increase platelets. With all the hormones and antibiotics that are given to our cows, coupled with the processing that is used, dairy products as we know them today are very acid forming in our body, which in turn will increase inflammation and never help to increase platelets.

Fast Food Increase platelets? No way. These are highly processed foods laden with highly saturated fats for longer shelf life and chock full of all sorts of chemical preservatives and fillers. Not only will you get fat by eating fast food, you will become inflamed and get sick. Fast food will NEVER increase platelets!