Catering

Alternative seasonings are becoming very familiar in the kitchens in today’s world. Rows after rows of organic or alternative spices now line the cupboards in our kitchens as compared to the few we grew up with. We had salt and pepper, and maybe some garlic or onion salt. Slowly this changed to garlic powers or onion powders. We learned that the corn cooking oil we used was bad for us, and moved to olive oil and canola oil. We learned to educate ourselves on a daily basis.

Organic kelp granules are a wonderful salt alternative with low sodium and have iodine in it. Low temperature dried and untoasted kelp granules spice up the kitchen dishes in a healthy way with a unique flavor. I like to boil spinach pasta and add it as a flavoring. There is only 45 mg of sodium per ½ tsp that is very good for me also. The main ingredient is organic raw kelp.

Butters are becoming a thing of the past we have all grown up with. High fat content, it possibly contains residues of pesticides along with environmental toxics which both tend to concentrate in the fat. When we walk down the dairy counters at the grocery store, we have many choices available to us. At one time it was a choice between butter and margarine; now neither is totally good for us. Peanut butter is now made from whole peanuts, as compared to the original peanut butter made from sugar and salt. This healthy peanut butter avoids hydrogenated fats, which will add years to our life and our heart can maintain its low blood pressures along with normal pulses.

Red wine vinegarette dressings on salads and honey as sugar are just a few of the changes in the alternatives we have today for our kitchens. The old fashioned meals we ate at our grandmother’s table are gone – what is available are meals with health in mind. Even pancakes made out of wheat is covered with pure maple syrup instead of the sweetened corn Karo syrup we grew up with.

From FMC catering

Many people are firm believers that cow’s milk is the “perfect food” and you will never be able to change their minds. But parents need to educate themselves about milk allergies and lactose intolerances with their children in mind to be forewarned. One main reason why cow’s milk isn’t that great for you is that it was made for cows, not humans. Secondly, if you are not consuming magnesium along with cow milk, you are not benefiting from the calcium. Thirdly, if you consume something with iron in it, your body also cannot uptake calcium at all. So, red meat and a glass of milk, is not a great idea.

The reaction of the immune system to milk proteins and milk products is a milk allergy. These are signs and symptoms that will appear while the child is an infant. This affects the digestive system along with skin and airways. Milk allergies can be life threatening to infants if not recognized and something done about it. Infants who develop milk allergies are usually put on soy milk by the family doctor.

Lactose intolerance shows up a couple of years later and is caused by the body not being able to break down the milk sugar lactose. This affects the digestion only, and causes symptoms such as bloating, gas and loose bowels. This occurs only after drinking milk or eating dairy products. This is not a serious intolerance and many people can still drink milk or dairy products in small amounts and not really feel any symptoms.

If a child or adult is found to be milk-allergic, it is best to know that not all “milk-free” labels are misleading, and they still can have milk protein in it. Some of the soy cheeses that are labeled as milk free can still have some milk in it, so read the labels very carefully.

Many nondairy foods can be substituted for milk or milk products. Be aware, however, that just because a food is labeled “nondairy,” it does not necessarily mean that it is milk free. Even a “milk-free” label can be misleading. For example, some soy cheeses claim to be milk free but may still contain milk protein. That’s why it’s always important to read all food labels when you have a milk-allergic child.

From FMC catering services

Why you should only take sips of water during mealtime? Large glasses of water impedes the digestive process by diluting the gatric juices.

Taking several sips of water at a mealtime as compared to drinking a couple of large glasses per meal seems to be a personal preference unless there is a medical reason or a weight loss is desired. Several sources say that at the present time there is no proof at all that water aids in the digestion process. There is enough water in the fruits and vegetables to supply this.

But what I noticed is that an excessive amount of water consumed at a meal dilutes stomach acid concentration. This is very necessary for food breakdown of protein and other nutrients. I also noticed that the body couldn’t handle large amounts of water at one time because most water at a meal usually has ice in it. If water is drunk lukewarm or at room temperature, it will not interfere with the body’s temperature as much as ice water does. If a person has a medical condition like a hiatus hernia, too much water at a meal will trigger it.

Water drank between meals, not during meals, is the most important time for its consumption regarding health issues. To remove toxins and waste products from the body, water is needed for the flow of their elimination. It also is important for the circulation of our body’s fluids and temperature regulation.

In 1910, a study was done on a young man who drank 3 liters of water with his meals for five days in a row. The findings showed: an increase in body weight of two pounds in the five days; increased amount of excretion of urinary nitrogen; increased output of ammonia, due to an increased output of gastric juice; decreased excretion of feces and of fecal nitrogen; and a decrease in the quantity of bacteria excreted daily.

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