HEALTH FOOD TIPS

Posts Tagged ‘Cooking Tips’

Tips for barbecue grills

When I hear the words barbecue and grill used in the same sentence (folks that means almost always?smile) I always think of the same things. It may not be the same as when you hear Barbecue grills but give me a minute. You will find what you came for soon enough.

My name is Joe Garcia and I am a good?ole boy from the south?born in south brooklyn and raised in south Bronx. I write for www.tipsforgrilling.info. Great little site that provides Grilling Tips and all kinds of recipes like barbecue ribs recipes, barbecue sauce recipes, or just plain ole barbecue recipes period.

When I hear the words barbecue and grill I think beyond the culinary experience, beyond the fragrance of the familiar barbecue sauce momma use to make, beyond the hot dogs being grilled and hamburgers being served up, dripping barbecued rips (with that secret sauce all over it), and barbecue chicken sitting on my plate with and the fixin?s around it, just thinking about it makes making me happy happy.

When I hear the words barbecue and grill I think of family and friends, fun and games. That right we all love barbecue grilling because it keeps the mess out the house and the rowdy bunch busy. Am I right? It?s truly become an American tradition. It really doesn?t matter how many people come by, it?s about the fun and laughter ole stories and new memories.

You hear about all the barbecue sauce recipes and the fellas talking about the latest barbecue accessories and just watching the smiles on the faces as friends and family pull up and carrying a little something they made at home just for the occasion, I got to tell ya?ll it gives me a warm feeling down in the pit of my belly.

I mean that sincerely. But if the truth be told, when I hear the words barbecue grill I think of folks coming together from all over ready to put their best up and hoping its good enough to win every ones heart. Competition has become stiff, it can range from the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous. I mean I heard back in April of this year, some good boys in Kentucky had a BBQ explosion where 275 cooking teams got together and turned Kentucky clean upside down. Now they had to practice on something and before I give you our picks of great barbecue grills remember to sign up for the ?Grilling Series? which is free at www.tipsforgrilling.info

Using spices in your cooking adds flavor as well as adding nutrients. Fear of the unknown is the usual reason most people are afraid to add spices to their creations. In reality, spicing up the meals with Herbs and Spices takes plain fruits and vegetables to a higher level and creates a healthier you. When you add herbs to your meals, you increase not just the flavor but also help your family live a healthier life.

For an example let’s take a simple dish of sliced tomatoes. Take the dish a step further and sprinkle in a few additional herbs for added health. Sprinkle some Italian parsley and garlic over the tomato before you drizzle it with olive oil and you’ll not only have a delicious side dish, you’ll have one that packs an extra nutritional punch.

The garlic is excellent for the immune system as it helps the body fight off disease. Folk medicine has always recommended a clove of garlic to fight off a cold and there is scientific proof it has validity. Scientific data has proven that Garlic has antiviral, antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Scientists also studied garlic in the fight against cancer. The garlic has phytonutrients that help block the formation of cancer cells.

Raising the HDL, the good cholesterol is one of garlic’s strong points while it also lowers the LDL, the bad guy. The subjects of a study showed a 9 percent drop in cholesterol levels when they ate two cloves of garlic a day. Garlic thins the blood helping control hypertension. Garlic could be called the spice of life. One of the studies on garlic found that it is important in the production of nitric oxide synthase, necessary for obtaining an erection.

Adding the Italian parsley helps reduce the effects of garlic on your breath but, more importantly it adds tremendous nutritional value. Parsley contains vitamin A, K, C, folic acid, potassium and adds a little more fiber to your diet. It fights free radicals that cause the aging problem as well as cancer by being loaded with antioxidants. Don’t tell Popeye but he could of used parsley instead of spinach. Besides the iron parsley is loaded with magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and trace amounts of zinc, manganese and copper.

Does the addition of herbs and spices fulfill your dietary needs? Absolutely not. The addition of spices and herbs to flavor your food simply increases the nutritional intake and flavor without raising the amount of calorie intake. Just a little change can make a big difference in your health when you do it at every meal.

A breakfast idea that increases your health while spicing up the start of your day is the addition of cinnamon to the breakfast fare. Adding cinnamon to your coffee filter with the coffee is a great way to start the day. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, add a little bit of sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon or Ginger on your cereal. Oatmeal will start dancing when you add the cinnamon or ginger.

Cinnamon adds iron, calcium and manganese to your diet. It also helps regulate blood sugar in diabetics. It lowers cholesterol, attack yeast infections, help with certain forms of cancer, is an anti coagulant, is a natural preservative, improves memory and helps to block the growth of E. coli in unpasteurized juice. In a study by the university of Copenhagen, patients were given a teaspoon of cinnamon with the same amount of honey every day for a month. In the first week, the patients showed significant signs of relief from the pain of arthritis. After the first month of the study, most could walk without pain. Try adding the cinnamon and honey topping to your toast every morning.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up good tasting food. On the contrary, adding additional Herbs and Spices to your food makes them even healthier. Look for ways to increase the nutritional content while also making the food rival with the dishes found in gourmet restaurants. Your family will love you for it and they will never suspect they’re eating healthier. By : Terry Schierer