Loving the Food You Hate

No matter how much we keep reminding ourselves about the global economic crisis and how we should not be wasteful or picky, there are just some foods that we love to hate. Mommas, I know you hear me when I say an army is needed to make one kid eat his broccoli!



But there's a way (actually, four ways) to stop saying ewwww, and start saying mmmmm to your or your kid's least favorite foods! Who knows, once you get past your issues with it (is it too slimy? is it kinda stinky?) you might realize that hey, this stuff ain't that bad at all!

In an article by RachaelRaymag.com posted on Yahoo's Shine network, two experts give us four tips to get over the 'yuck':

We all have foods we can’t stomach. To help ourselves get over them, we asked molecular biologist Adam Ruben and nutritional scientist Eric Nowicki for a one-way ticket out of Gagsville.

Problem #1: About one in four people actually tastes vegetables like brussels sprouts and broccoli as extremely bitter (it’s a survival instinct to protect you from eating poisonous plants).

Solution: Taste buds detect sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (a Japanese word for savory). Try masking bitterness by playing up some of the other tastes. Don’t overcook veggies—that enhances their sharpness. And instead of steaming or boiling, lightly sauté them in oil with salt and a dash of sugar.

Problem #2: Childhood associations influenced you. Maybe your parents disliked the food, or you had a bad experience (you ate corn on the cob with a loose tooth and it hurt).

Solution: Wait until you’re really hungry before trying foods after a long hiatus. When you’re that famished, your body will start to associate those flavors with a positive benefit: relieving your hunger. Smells change as we age, too, so maybe the food you’ve always hated won’t seem as offensive as it did when you were a kid. To ease into it, try plugging your nose for the first few bites.
Problem #3: It’s a texture thing. There’s no scientific research that says why, but something about a rubbery glop of mayo or slimy slice of ham just makes you shiver.

Solution: Play with your food. If texture is your one problem, try cooking the food to change its consistency. You may hate woody mushrooms or fleshy tomatoes, but spicy tomato salsa or a creamy mushroom soup might appeal to you. When foods aren’t a surprise (like, say, finding a chunk of tomato in your salad), you may not react as strongly, either.

To read the rest of the article, head on over to the Shine website here!

Eat Your Way to Gorgeous Hair

Did you know that you can EAT your way to gorgeous hair? Now, now, I don't mean chugging down your shampoo! That's dangerous!

If you're a busy-bee-momma, I'm sure you don't have time to blow-dry your hair to perfection everyday or tinker around with bottles of styling products.

But you can still make your hair look great on a daily basis by eating certain foods! And here's a HUGE plus: these foods will make your body healthy too!

I recently read from Yahoo! Health the following "superfoods" that would get you on your way to incredible hair (and a healthy bod):

SUPERFOODS FOR INCREDIBLE HAIR
Iron
Iron helps bolster hair growth. Find it in meat, shellfish, fortified grains and leafy greens.

Protein
Protein is the building block of every strand, but it can be high in fat. To keep your saturated fat intake low, opt for lean cuts of meat, mix light meat with dark, or choose seafood.

Biotin, B6 and B12
Biotin, B6 and B12 promote new growth within the follicles. Good sources include whole-grain breads, oatmeal, skim milk, lowfat cheese, eggs, salmon, nuts and nut butters.

Zinc
Zinc strengthens natural oils that coat the hair shaft, creating shine. Feast on meat, nuts, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds and yogurt.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps promote cell renewal in the scalp. Get your fill in the form of brightly colored fruits and veggies. Strawberries and kiwis are surprising super sources, as are raspberries, mangoes, oranges and red bell peppers.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is also a hair helper; look for it in apples, apricots and sweet potatoes.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants found in herbs, dark chocolate and fresh berries promote a healthy scalp by sparking cell turnover.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here. There's also breakfast, lunch and dinner menu suggestions there so don't miss out!

PONDER, PONDER, PONDER...
Got tips of your own? What's your beauty regimen for your hair? If you could have any celebrity's hair, whose would you choose?

Cheerios!
Rach

Me Eat, Me Save!

We hear it all the time: eat well, live healthy, lose weight, "be a better you." Yeah right. Not only is it hard, it's expensive, too!

A recent article in Yahoo! reports: "Over the past two years, the cost of vegetables, meat, fruit and other high-nutrition, low-calorie foods has increased by an average of 19.5 percent... Our economic outlook isn't only making it harder to make ends meet--it's making it harder to make the two ends of our belts meet."

Solution: eat the healthiest food that your money can buy! The article lists down smart, healthy food alternatives that you can buy for a lot less, based on the book "Eat This! Not That!":

BEST BREAKFAST FOOD:
Eat this!
Eggs ($1.63/dozen)

Not that!
Cereal ($4.50/box)

BEST COOKING OIL:
Eat this!
Canola Oil ($0.96/lb)

Not that!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($5.92)

BEST BROWN-BAGGED FRUIT:
Eat this!
Banana ($0.61/lb)

Not that!
Red Delicious Apple ($1.21/lb)

BEST SNACK VEGGIE:
Eat this!
Carrot ($0.80/lb) --costs a little more, but has more nutritional punch!

Not that!
Celery ($0.78/lb)

BEST POULTRY:
Eat this!
Chicken Leg ($1.43/lb)

Not that!
Chicken Breast ($2.36/lb)

BEST FISH:
Eat this!
Farmed Catfish ($2.52/lb)

Not that!
Pacific Halibut ($4/lb)

Click here for the rest of the article. Happy healthy and budget-friendly eating!