Using A Green Powder As A Multivitamin?

There are a lot of great things about taking a green powder like wheatgrass, chlorella, or spirulina. But in recent days, green powder manufacturers have been trying to create combination powders that are very complete, so complete in fact that they can actually double as a multivitamin. This is due to the fact that green powders usually contain an abundance of superfoods. What's a superfood you ask? A superfood is loosely defined as any food source which contains all of the nutrients that are required for human life. This includes all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and more that we need in order to survive and thrive.

This is the reason why a lot of the leading green powders, and especially Vitaforce, have started advertising campaigns saying that people taking their powder are getting at least everything they'd get from a multivitamin, and more besides. A lot of people don't exactly trust the claims of the different superfoods, wondering if they really do what they claim, and how something that's green can have enough protein to sustain the body. What a lot of people don't know is that a green algae like spirulina has a lot more protein than animal sources, more than beef, chicken, pork, and fish. And beyond that, it's also a complete protein, which means that it's made up of all the essential amino acids the body needs. So while it's green, it's still loaded with protein and amino acids.

But let's go back to talking about how green powders function as multivitamins. Another reason I like taking a green powder formula in place of a multivitamin is because with a green powder, you get much more than just the vitamins and minerals, you also can get things like herbal extracts, digestive enzymes, and probiotics, which you definitely won't find from your multivitamin pill. It is a widely unknown fact that a lot of pills available in stores have very low bio-availability, which means that the body doesn't break down and absorb many of the nutrients in the pill. This is largely because pills are often created in a way that's very unnatural for the body to break down and absorb. The body is generally able to absorb foods better that are closer to their raw, natural form. And that's the amazing thing about the different green powders out there. So while they have nutrients that are complex and often difficult to absorb, they give the body a boost in digestive power as well to help the body absorb as much as it can.

So before reaching for your multivitamin, why not check out some of the different green powders available on the market, looking especially hard at the ones that go out of their way to advertise that their formulas function as complete multivitamins. In this hurried world of ours, filled with snacks and fast foods, it's nice having a green powder to rely on that contains all of the different nutrients my body needs, and gives a nice boost in protein, herbs, and trace nutrients that are sometimes difficult to find, helping the body to get back on the road to total health. It's hard to always find the time to make sure I'm cooking healthy meals and to get a nice range of healthy vegetables and fruits. The last thing I want to do is pop a pill once a morning and cross my fingers that it can take care of the lack of nutrients in my diet. That is why the idea of green powders really makes sense. Definitely give them a look.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Mester

The Charm of Thai Food

Thai cuisine has become really popular over the last few years. Known for the various kinds of vegetables used as ingredients, people have come to love the food. Most dishes are curry based and include a variety of vegetables.When people think of Thai food, Thai green curry immediately springs to mind. However, their are many different dishes on a Thai menu.

Most ingredients in Thai cuisine are small quantities of fat and meat. This means that most Thai people are very fortunate in their intake of fat being low compared with the Western society. dishes are low in fat which means less calories are consumed. Thai food offers many benefits:

· Food values - The correct balance is obtained from all the ingredients of vegetables, spices and herbs in the dish itself.

· Herb and spice values - The correct balance is obtained from the main ingredients of herbs and spices.

· Folk wisdom and art and culture values - Every Thai dish has its own unique natural flavour and taste and each dish is unique in flavour to others.

Thai food has become a firm favourite in the UK and more and more Thai takeaways and restaurants are popping up around the UK. However, to be truly charmed by Thai food, it has to be special in the following:

· Flavour

Every single Thai dish usually consists of more than 3-4 different flavours. The ingredients in each dish perfectly balance with each other to make the end result absolutely delicious. For example using miniature egg plants have a bitter taste but when added in certain dishes it helps to reduce the greasiness of the dish as well as the hot flavour. A badly made dish can put you off Thai food forever.

· Ingredients

The flavour from Thai food comes from the lovely herbs and spices that are added to the dishes. All these flavours are natural ingredients with smells that make your mouth water in anticipation of tasting them. As well as being full of the flavour, only the freshest ingredients are used when making the dishes. It is these fresh ingredients that make the dish special.

 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Perry_Manku

Picking The Best Popcorn Machine For Your Needs

When you are thinking of buying a good popcorn machine, you have to be sure of how you will be using it in the long-term and the capacity at which you will be using it daily or in a week. There are many machines out there that will give you well-popped corn, but you want to have the very best for your needs, whether at home or in your office.

Depending on the size of your household or office, the size of the popper should match so that you can prevent from overusing something that is too small for your needs. For people less than five in number, getting a four ounce popper will suffice. For groups that are any larger, you should consider a much larger size. If you plan on making a business out of selling popcorn, then you should check out the industrial poppers that are on the market.

Maintenance of the popper is something you should also put into great consideration. You may want to try out a popper that is made of aluminum that is hard-coat anodized instead of just regular aluminum. With this special aluminum, heat transfer is far more efficient to pop all the kernels. Aside from this, the coating makes the metal much smoother which makes it easy to clean and maintain. This type is also considered far more durable than regular poppers made from the usual aluminum.

Cost is also one of your priorities because you do not want something that is too expensive for your budget. Before going out to shop for one, check out the standard prices of poppers online and set a reasonable budget for yourself before actually buying one. Sticking to a budget can help you restrain yourself from going overboard and buying something too extravagant for your means.

Check out reviews online on the different available poppers there are on the market. Find out more about the brands and models of each. The best part about checking these out online is that you can read reviews that are written by people who actually use them and have important information to share about them regarding their pros and cons.

Mobility of your popper is another thing you should think of. If you are part of an office that will use the popper in places other than the office, then you might want to buy something durable and made to be portable. Otherwise, if it is just to be used in one place, or just in the home, you can get something that has no special feature that will make it portable.

Finding the perfect popcorn machine doesn't have to be too challenging if you know exactly what you want and set limits on what you can afford and what is practical. By doing the proper research on the different poppers available, you will be buying something efficient and of good quality without too much difficulty.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Johnny_Keys

Three Delicious Gluten Free Pizza Sauce Recipe Bases

Pizza is often one of the hardest things to give up when you can't eat gluten. The crust and toppings isn't the only part of the pizza that needs to be adapted to make it gluten free. A gluten free pizza sauce is needed to complete the pizza. When shopping for a sauce you must be careful to read the label and confirm that it does not contain gluten. Keep in mind many ingredients have trace elements of gluten so it's best if you simply make your own.

Here are three sauce base recipes that can be altered for your tastes. You can add more or less of the spices and sugar to make a sauce you will love.

No Cook Gluten Free Pizza Sauce

This recipe is easy to make and requires no cooking.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup water
6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Simply stir together olive oil, water and tomato paste in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let the sauce sit for at least half an hour on the counter for the herbs to mix and flavor to develop. The sauce can easily be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for several weeks or in the freezer for several months.

Stove Top Gluten Free Pizza Sauce

Simmering this sauce lets the flavors blend together for a wonderful taste. 

Ingredients:

8 ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fennel seed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar

Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan for at least fifteen minutes. You can use this sauce immediately on your pizza to produce an incredible tasty experience. 

Extra Effort Gluten Free Pizza Sauce Recipe

This recipe requires slightly more preparation, but has a wonderful flavor. Like the other recipes it can be modified to suit your personal taste.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chopped onions
14.5 ounce canned peeled tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes, peeled
1 small clove of garlic
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon gluten-free garlic powder

Place all ingredients into blender and puree until liquefied. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium or low heat for at least 25 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks. This recipe makes enough sauce for one pizza.

All recipes can be doubled or tripled if making more than one pizza. Any sauce that has a tomato base can last several weeks in the refrigerator. Tomatoes are very acidic and contain a natural preservative. Be sure and keep the sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Manchester

5 Secrets of Restaurant Salads

One of the most common questions friends and family have asked me since I became a cook is 'how do restaurants make ____ taste so good'. This can be steak, seafood, veggies, sauces, dessert, or in this case salad. Now don't get me wrong - restaurant salads can be notorious for being hit or miss in terms of taste. But when they're a hit, they're really a hit. Just like a good steak, eating a good salad at a restaurant leaves you thinking, 'how did they do this?' and 'why can't I make salads like this at home?'.

Restaurant salads are good for a number of reasons. Not all restaurants will employ each technique when making their salad, but any combination will make a salad great. And when you combine all five, you'll have a four-star appetizer.

1 - Restaurants Can Make Their Own Vinaigrettes and Dressings

The first restaurant salad secret is that they can make their own vinaigrettes or dressings. A sign of a true quality restaurant is one that makes their own dressings in house. Making dressings allows complete culinary freedom when it comes to the taste of a salad, and adds to the amazing flavor you can experience. Making vinaigrettes and dressings is also surprisingly easy to do.

I remember nights working in the restaurant when I'd have to make a custom vinaigrettes for VIP clients on the fly, meaning in under 3 minutes. After a quick trip downstairs to our dry goods storeroom I'd return with 90 seconds to spare and still have enough time to whip up something tasty. Knowing how easy it is to make your own vinaigrettes, it always surprises me when I hear a restaurant is buying them from a food supplier. Making your own vinaigrettes and dressings allows you to improve the taste of your salad and to be creative with the flavors.

2 - Restaurants Season Their Dressings

The second restaurant salad secret may not be welcome news to the health-conscious reader, but it's true: a properly made house vinaigrette or dressing will come with a generous helping of salt and pepper. You might be thinking, 'salt in a salad? Really?'. Yes, really.

Dressings and vinaigrettes will taste good when a) they're made with quality ingredients, b) they're made with the right proportion of ingredients and c) they're seasoned correctly. Restaurant salads wouldn't taste so good unless this was true. You should be able to eat a good dressing on its own, and still enjoy what you're eating. We used to make a champagne vinaigrette at the restaurant that you could eat by the spoonful - it was just that good.

You can even try this at home with a store-bought brand. The next time you go to make a salad, stop and taste the dressing. Is it bland? Could it use some seasoning? If so, take a little bit in a bowl and season it with a little salt, pepper and lemon juice. Toss the salad and taste - you'll notice the difference right away. Now, if seasoning salad dressing is weird to you, just wait - it gets weirder.

3 - Restaurants Season Their Salad Greens

The third restaurant salad secret is that some restaurants will actually season their salad greens. Yes, you read this correctly. The seasoning of salad greens is not a widely used technique, but it is used at high-end restaurants to bring out the flavor of the greens themselves. Now for the health-conscious out there, don't panic: we're talking a very small amount of salt. But this small amount of salt is enough to change the flavor of the salad leaves considerably.

The next time you go to make a salad, try adding a pinch of salt to your greens before you add the vinaigrette or dressing. Then add your dressing and toss. You'll be certain to notice the difference.

4 - Restaurants 'Refresh' Their Salad Greens

Restaurant salad secret number four has to do with the texture of the salad leaves. Ever notice the salads you get at a good restaurant have a very crisp texture, even though they're coated in dressing? The answer is that a good restaurant will use fresh salad greens, and will 'refresh' them before serving.

Refreshing salad leaves is the process of dipping them in cold water, then drying. Refreshing salad leaves in this way helps crisp up salad leaves that have been packaged. After refreshing, salad leaves must be dried completely (i.e. salad spinner) to ensure that the dressing adheres properly to each leaf. Refreshing seems like a lot of fuss, but it's definitely worth the effort.

5 - Restaurants Use the Correct Amount of Dressing

The final restaurant salad secret is that good restaurants will use the correct amount of dressing for the amount of greens in each salad. The worst possible scenario when eating a salad is having one that's swimming in dressing. It's unappetizing to look at, and having that much dressing completely changes the flavor profile of the dish.

What we were trained to do in the restaurant is to mix salads in batches in small bowls. We'd add our greens, a pinch of salt, then a squeeze of one of our house-made dressings. After tossing, we'd taste one of the greens for seasoning and amount of dressing. When we were satisfied with the taste we'd remove the salad from the bowl and plate it on another plate. Mixing in one bowl and plating somewhere else allows the excess dressing to stay in the bowl, and away from the customer's plate.

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None of these steps is particularly difficult to pull off, even for the home cook. Each on their own will improve your salads considerably - do all five, and you'll have a four-star salad at home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Riyaad_Ali