Seedy Seeds

When we think of seeds, we think of sunflower and pumpkin seeds right off the bat. These are two of the most popular seeds to eat and are full of protein, especially since the saltiness of both can be appealing along with the taste, but did you know that if you eat too many of these it can lead to mouth problems? This is true because of the salt that is contained on the outer seeds. When we have a mouth full of sunflower seeds, we can feel like we’re in the major leagues, but eating too many can also lead to stomach problems.

Some of the other seeds that we all know and enjoy are sesame, poppy, flax, and even hemp. The first two are popular on different breads and even bagels and muffins. It can be proven that poppy seeds can lead to a false positive on a drug test, but you would have to eat handfuls upon handfuls of these little black seeds that get stuck in our teeth to achieve this; I am reminded of a “Seinfeld” episode where Elaine eats a poppy-seed muffin and fails her drug test due to it.

Do you like sunflower seeds? Pumpkin seeds? How does the shell feel when you eat them? Does the saltiness affect you? Tell me when the last time you had seeds and what do you enjoy them on? Seeds can be good for you, but beware of eating too many of them because our mouths and stomachs may not like us later. Hope you enjoyed my blog on “How Good Food Can Affect Your Mood”!

Hot Diggity Dog

Hot dogs are a food that we all enjoy, whether it’s at a ballgame or even at the movie theater, but did you know that many hot dogs can be bad for you? Some hot dog manufacturers use assorted ingredients, such as mechanically separated chicken parts. This may sound gross, and that’s because they can be. These ingredients are used as filler in place of real beef, which can be bad for our health. It has been said that eating too many hot dogs can lead to cancer and a host of other health problems.

Even though hot dogs are enjoyed by all, they can also be very tasty. There are many other hot dog manufacturers that use all beef in their product and natural casing, and these are the ones we should be going for. It doesn’t matter if they’re more expensive; they’re better for you because of the natural ingredients. This doesn’t mean we should be eating them every single day, however.

Hot dog-eating competitions have become a popular trend over the years, and we have Nathan’s to thank for that. I’ve always wondered how some of these eaters can polish off 60 or more hot dogs in one sitting. 

What this is doing is promoting gluttony and also ruining the health of the competitor, all in the name of fame. What I’d like to know is do you eat hot dogs? How often do you do? Do you even like them? What kind do you prefer? Let me know what the verdict is because it can be a hot dog of an afternoon!

Grillin' and Chillin'

How many of you like to grill? The sweet smell of steaks and chicken on a barbecue can be soothing and mesmerizing, especially for us carnivores out there. When we grill foods, they can taste much better and deliver a flavor that only a barbecue can provide. But did you know that we can cook other foods on a grill?

How about making a pizza on a barbecue? It is absolutely tasty and adds another dimension to the dough due to the grill marks, but be careful to not burn it!

Grilling our foods can also be healthier for us because the grilling process can melt away the extra fat and grease in our favorite foods. There are different options to grilling, such as propane and charcoal. Which do you prefer? It doesn’t really matter to me what option is used, as long as I’m eating a fantastic steak or piece of chicken; charcoal can add an amazing dimension to the food, but propane delivers the real taste of the meat.

How often do you barbecue? It isn’t only a summer thing, but we can do it all year round. Do you cook other foods besides meats on the grill? Make a list of different things that may sound good using a barbecue to cook. I’d like to hear some different ideas on what to grill besides meats. Until then, keep grillin’ and chillin’!

Candy Makes Us Dandy

How many of you like candy? There are many different varieties of candy out there, such as chocolate, sour candies, caramel, and so on. Not only is candy good, but it is also bad for you in many different ways. The sugars that it contains can ruin our teeth and make us feel not so good at times, especially if we eat too much of it. Despite all of this, it is so good! There isn’t anything wrong with indulging and having a chocolate bar or a bag of sour candies, but just keep them in moderation.

Some of the candy that can actually be good for you is dark chocolate. Studies show that eating dark chocolate is much better for you than milk chocolate because it is considered to be more natural, but that doesn’t mean we should eat a pound of it. How many of you have been to America’s chocolate capital: Hershey, Pennsylvania? The town is filled with everything Hershey’s that includes a theme park and streetlights shaped like Kisses, among other things.

Candy does make us dandy, but our teeth don’t always feel dandy after eating it. What kind of candy do you like and how often do you eat it? Keep a list of what candies you like to indulge in and how often you enjoy it. Do you like chocolate or more sour candies? Maybe no candy at all? Satisfy that sweet tooth with whatever your heart desires, but keep it in moderation! Your teeth will thank you later!

Say Cheese!

After a long delay due to having some personal issues to deal with, I am back! When we think of cheese, we think of cows and dairy, but did you know that eating too much cheese can be bad for us? It can lead to lactose intolerance and make our stomachs feel like we never want to eat dairy again. However, cheese can also be very good for you in small doses. The cheese-making process is pretty complicated, but the finished product makes it worth the effort.

There are many different cheeses available, such as cheddar, American, Swiss, mozzarella, and so on. Cheese can come in blocks or wheels, and even in cans; the latter can be really bad for you because it’s processed. Eating processed cheese from a can is tasty, but if we eat too much of it our stomachs will not thank us because of the unnatural ingredients contained in that can. A cheeseburger wouldn’t be a cheeseburger without cheese, nor would a grilled cheese sandwich be a grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese.

Cheese serves a vital purpose in our everyday lives and diets, and I’m wondering what kind of cheese(s) you like. What is your favorite and least favorite kind of cheese? How often do you eat it? Are you lactose intolerant? Do you even like cheese at all? Some people don’t eat cheese and that is their choice, but without this essential food, many things we eat wouldn’t be the same, like pizza. Let me know what you like and don’t like. Don’t be cheesy about it, either. Say cheese!

Deep-fat Frying for the Soul

This week, we’re going to discuss fried foods and why we like them so much. When we think of fried foods, we think of stuff like French fries, onion rings, chicken strips, etc. Deep-fat fryers are very common in almost every restaurant across America, and they can be a big moneymaker, especially in places like dive bars. The foods above aren’t the only things that can be fried, however; did you know you can fry a candy bar and a piece of pizza?

One of the newer traditions for Thanksgiving over the last couple decades or so has been to deep-fry a turkey. When a turkey has been deep-fried in peanut oil, it brings out the flavor of the bird so well while also having the juiciness and crispiness of the skin, creating a flavor explosion. This method is much faster than roasting a bird in the oven, which is why many people have chosen to deep-fry a turkey instead of using the oven. Cooking a turkey in a fryer can take about 30 minutes or so, depending on the size of the bird.

Frying foods can also be bad for our health. It seems that many of our food choices in America involve a hot, oily fryer to prepare them, but we eat the foods frequently. Many restaurants have resorted to using oils that contain no trans fats or has less cholesterol in them due to society looking for healthier alternatives to our crispy, deep-fried and fattening meals. Deep-fat frying will always be around and will always be a questionable way to prepare all our meals, but when used in moderation, frying your food will save you time and also give your food an added dimension that cannot be achieved by using an oven.

Do you eat deep-fried foods? What are some of your deep-fried favorites? Go ahead and create a list of how often you eat fried foods and what you tend to gravitate towards when you do. Would you eat those foods if they were cooked in an oven? Would they taste better? Let me know what you think about deep frying versus oven cooking.

Water: Mother Nature's Best Beverage

The topic we will be discussing today is water and why we need to incorporate this into our diets better. Water is something that we are surrounded by, whether it is salty or fresh, and it is vital to our survival. It can also be a good tool for dieting because of its flushing effects, and it also keeps us hydrated.

There are many different bottled water suppliers out there, but did you know that quite a bit of bottled water is actually from municipal sources? That means it is basically tap water, which is something we can get easily from our sinks at any time. This doesn’t mean that the water is bad, though some municipal supplies can be polluted with chemicals or other infectious bacteria.

How do we get more water into our daily lives, you ask? Well, try replacing that cup of coffee with a cold glass of water in the mornings. Even though water has no caffeine in it, it can be very refreshing in the morning because it is a great cure for the morning dry mouth. Many people don’t drink enough water on a daily basis, and this can lead to ill health effects such as dehydration and water intoxication (the latter is for drinking too much water).

Water is what makes the world work, in my opinion. I feel this way because our planet is covered with water, and this water has a huge effect on our daily lives. The weather can be spawned from water; fish need water to survive, and all land mammals need water at some point to survive. Without water, we would not be able to survive.

Try doing a count on how many glasses of water you drink in a day. If you are not drinking enough, find ways to incorporate more of it into your daily diet. If you get to a gallon a day, then you are definitely hydrating yourself properly. So pick up a cold glass (or bottle) of water and enjoy Mother Nature’s best beverage.