Family Cooking Tips

Archive for October, 2009

chocolate cookies

Antioxidants should be an essential part of an individual’s diet.  Antioxidants provide an important function within the human body in that they fight free radicals.

Free radicals are harmful substances found within the body.Many diseases within the body arise if these harmful substances are left unrestrained.  These diseases include cancer, heart disease and the early aging of the body.

Antioxidants, as a requirement for healthy living, must be ingested from food sources and through the daily use of supplements.Fruits, beans, teas, and vegetables are major sources of antioxidants.

A big eye opener was the great benefits of dark chocolate.  It is not often that we are encouraged to eat chocolate for health reasons, but, amazingly, dark chocolate antioxidants are beneficial when eaten properly. They even come in the forms of a chocolate phone and chocolate cell.

The Benefits That Dark Chocolate Antioxidant Provide

Recent studies strongly indicate that eating dark chocolate provides essential antioxidants to the bloodstream.  These dark chocolate antioxidants that are provided help to protect and strengthen the heart.  Found in the cocoa bean, these dark chocolate antioxidants have been specifically identified as epicatechin which is a type of flavonoid.Found in the stems, leaves, and seeds of many plants are a ketone flavonoid. 

In fact, test studies revealed that those individuals who ate dark chocolate cookies had an increase of antioxidants in their bloodstream.Antioxidants in the bloodstream was shown to rise up to 20%.  Therefore, a moderate diet of dark chocolate can be just as healthy and helpful as a diet consisting of leafy vegetables.

Dark Chocolate And The Greatest Benefits

However, there is one precaution when wishing to receive the maximum healthful benefits of dark chocolate antioxidants.  That precaution is not drinking milk when eating dark chocolate or for that matter any other food item that is replete with antioxidants.

Additional studies on those individuals who had eaten dark chocolate antioxidants, revealed that the benefit of eating dark chocolate antioxidants was negated when milk was drank separately or was part of the dark chocolate mixture.  Specifically, when the level of antioxidants in the bloodstream was measured after eating milk chocolate or milk with their dark chocolate there was no increase in the epicatechim level.  The conjecture of this study is that the food molecules of milk adheres to the epicatechins and prevents the assimilation of the flavonoids.

Therefore, the study concluded that when eating  chocolate or other richly saturated antioxidant products, it is important not to drink milk.This will provide the best absorption of the antioxidants with these given food products.

A lot of us are looking forward to celebrate thanksgiving in November, with all those turkeys, and stuffings and everything placed on those ovens we have at home. Just to make sure that we make ourselves happy and everybody else in the family happy and together even at this point of time. Mom’s and household cooks are now taking out their cookbooks to focus on their thanksgiving recipes, while everybody waits for the new turkey recipe that is being prepared on those ovens.

This is the time of the year where everybody seems to be interested with sharing their own thanksgiving recipes to the family members for different recipe ideas. Everybody almost have a new idea and that is a very good thing. Because some of us gets tired of the old roasted turkey thing, of course as much as possible, you would like to eat it in a different way.

However some of us are still interested with the stuffed roasted turkey that is one of the common thanksgiving recipes most of us have in mind, the only changes being made are the stuffings inside the turkey itself. Various stuffings like rice, sausage, apples, which goes together with the most common cranberry side dishes; there are still people who loves the thought of having the same thanksgiving recipes and it works for them.

But let’s say that you want something new, and you are unable to decide from those other recipes that you have at hand, you can easily interact with the same people having the same issues, or with people who are already experts in creating delicious thanksgiving recipes, you may try looking into the Internet for further options.

You may find websites which will be able to provide you a lot of thanksgiving recipes that you could choose from, or even have it featured for the week. From there you will have more ideas in creating your own recipe or trying out a new one.

You should try your luck online, and you might be able to get access to one of the greatest thanksgiving recipe, you’ll think your family would love. You may also ask them further suggestions on what they would want to have on thanksgiving, so you may search for it as well.

Thanksgiving is one of those special days where you and your family get together. Make it somewhat special with your new thanksgiving recipes. Never give up, and you’ll surely find one.