My top 3 American Cheese Slices

If you are making cheeseburgers you want the cheese to melt quickly so that the patty will not overcooked. When making cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwich I always use American cheese slices instead of fancy stuff like Gruyere which is a hard yellow cheese, slow to melt, and is very expensive. American cheese is cheaper and melt faster, I just love the creamy and and rubbery texture of the American cheese. Here are my top three American Cheese:

1. Land O'Lakes

I like that it melts very fast and there is a strong milky taste.

Ingredients: Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Skim Milk, Buttermilk, Milkfat, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% of Sodium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Milk Protein Concentrate, Artificial Color, Enzymes.

2. Kraft Singles

The cheese also melts fast, it also has a strong milk taste, and it is a bit saltier.  

Ingredients:

Ingredients: Milk, Whey, Milkfat, Milk Protein Concentrate, Salt, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Sodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid as a Preservative, Apocarotenal (Color), Annatto (Color), Enzymes, Vitamin D3, Cheese Culture.

3. Velveeta

It melts like butter, it has a soft, gooey, and sticky texture. I'm pretty certain that it is because it contains gelatin. It is also a bit salty.     

Whey, Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate, Modified Food Starch, Sodium Citrate, Maltodextrin, Gelatin, Salt, Milkfat, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Sorbic Acid As A Preservative, Cheese Cultures, Oleoresin Paprika (Color), Enzymes, Annatto (Color).

No Time to Cook try McDonalds Healthy Menu Options

Most of the time we are too busy at work and just can't find time to cook home meals so we have no choice but to eat at a quick-service restaurant chain like McDonalds. However, if we eat at McDonalds too often, calories will add up and will make us fat and unhealthy. But you can't also starve yourself to death, don't panic you can eat at McDonalds and keep your healthy figure. McDonalds have been offering healthy food options for quite sometime now. They have even been named one of America's Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants. 

Breakfast - McDonalds have a huge selection of breakfast food items like hotcakes and sandwiches. Yes, most of them are high in calories, good thing they also offer lower calorie foods.

Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: Calories 290, Total Fat 4g, Carbs 58g, Protein 5g, and Sodium 160mg

Egg White Delight McMuffin: Calories 250, Total Fat 7g, Carbs 32g, Protein 18g, and Sodium 800mg

*High in protein foods are beneficial for weight loss.

Salads - Most of McDonalds salads contains chicken, choose the grilled chicken over the crispy. Salads with grilled chicken are significantly lower in calories and fat than the salads with crispy chicken. You can opt to remove the chicken, however it will reduce the protein.

Side Salad: Calories 350, Total Fat 18g, Carbs 24g, Protein 23g, and Sodium 740mg

Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: Calories 190, Total Fat 5g, Carbs 10g, Protein 27g, and Sodium 580mg

Premium Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken: Calories 350, Total Fat 18g, Carbs 24g, Protein 23g, and Sodium 740mg

Burgers & Sandwiches – these are items that have the highest calorie content in their menu. Most of these burgers contain 2g of trans fat, which is the total recommended daily intake (American Heart Association). Too much trans fat will have an adverse to your cardiovascular health.

If you are really craving for Burgers or Sandwiches go for the wraps they are low in calorie and low in fat.

Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (Grilled): Calories 250, Total Fat 8g, Carbs 27g, Protein 16g, and Sodium 670mg

Ranch Snack Wrap (Grilled): Calories 270, Total Fat 12g, Carbs 25g, Protein 16g, and Sodium 700mg

Check out the Angus Bacon & Cheese, you must really hate your body if you try to eat that calorie packed item: Calories 820, Total Fat 41g, Carbs 64g, Protein 48g, and Sodium 2110mg

Desserts - Most of McDonald's desserts like Hot Fudge Sundae or shakes are high in calories and fat, but there are few items that are low in calories and low in fat.

Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait: Calories 150, Total Fat 2g, Carbs 30g, Protein 4g, and Sodium 70mg

If you are really in a diet then go for the Apple Slices: Calories 15, Total Fat 0g, Carbs 4g, Protein 0g, and Sodium 0mg

As for the drinks, avoid sugary drinks and go for a glass/bottle of water. Also avoid diet Soda it's not good for you as I posted before here.

15 minute Short Core Abs, Obliques, hips, and Lower back workout

Check out this old clip from Coach Nicole of sparkpeople.com, the work out is really easy and you can feel your core tighten after the workout.

The workout is design to strengthen your abs, obliques, lower back (back stretches), and hips. It doesn't need any fancy equipment just a gym mat for cushion. It only takes less than 15 minutes. The type of workout is muscle toning and stretching. It is a low impact exercise that can be done by beginners.

If you want to do just Abdominal Crunch check my old post here.


Now let us tone those Abs!

Rat Meat Ring Arrested in China

In three months Chinese authorities arrested 904 individuals and confiscated more than 21,000 metric tons of products that are into "meat-related" offenses, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It also revealed that RAT yes rat meat, fox, and mink meat are being sold as mutton.

The busted crime ring was operating in Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu province. Wei, one of the suspect made more than $1 million in over 4 years of selling fox, mink, and rat meat. He adds gelatin and other additives and sell it as mutton at farmers markets in Jiangsu province and Shanghai. Wei's warehouse was raided last February that led to the arrest of 63 people and seized 10 tonnes of illegal meat and additives.

Food safety has been a chronic problem in China and the public are anxious over cases of fake and toxic food.

The Benefits of Running

Running is a great outlet, it reduce stress, relieves depression, and improves your overall health, and did I mention running keeps you fit? Yes, it is a great way to reduce that bulging weight.

It is one of the best form of exercise that burns calories, but always remember for it to be effective you still needs to reduce food intake. Running will also improve cardiovascular fitness and your immune system.

And did you know that running is recommended as therapy for people who suffers clinical depression and people coping with addiction? Yes, running really is a good therapy.

Watch the clip if you want to start running.

How to Treat Hair Loss

A lot of women suffer with hair loss. They either change their hairstyle to hide the thinning hair. If you have a thinning hair the best thing to do is act fast the sooner you treat it the higher the success rate.

Minoxidil 2% is approved by the FDA to treat female-pattern hair loss. The stronger minoxidil 5% is for male-pattern hair loss which is very effective.

If you want to try something natural check this video, the author uses Sweet Almond Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, and Bay Leaf Essential Oil to treat hair loss.

Damn this dyspepsia

Do you feel full all the time or bloated or nauseous, maybe gassy? I do and it makes me crazy! I've been looking for info about it so I thought I'd share. Indigestion or dyspepsia is the difficulty or inability to digest.  Symptoms may include bloating, belching and gas, nausea and vomiting, acidic taste, growling stomach, burning in the stomach or upper abdomen, and abdominal pain. While dyspepsia is common, usually caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis, it is frequently a sign of an underlying problem, so sudden unexplained occurrence of dyspepsia in people over 55, especially combined with other symptoms (vomiting or blood in vomit, unexpected weight loss, loss of appetite, black tarry stools or visible blood in stools, severe pain) may require attention. Other causes include:

Diseases -

    Ulcers
    Stomach cancer (rare)
    Gastroparesis (a condition where the stomach doesn't empty properly; this often occurs in diabetics)
    Stomach infections
    Irritable bowel syndrome
    Chronic pancreatitis
    Thyroid disease

Medications -

    Aspirin and many other painkillers
    Estrogen and oral contraceptives
    Steroid medications
    Certain antibiotics
    Thyroid medicines

Lifestyle -

    Eating too much, eating too fast, eating high-fat foods, or eating during stressful situations
    Drinking too much alcohol
    Cigarette smoking
    Stress and fatigue

Swallowing excessive air when eating may increase the symptoms of belching and bloating. Sometimes people have persistent indigestion that is not related to any of the factors mentioned above. This type of indigestion is called functional, or nonulcer dyspepsia. During the middle and later parts of pregnancy, many women have indigestion. This is believed to be caused by a number of pregnancy-related factors including hormones, which relax the muscles of the digestive tract, and the pressure of the growing uterus on the stomach.

If you are experiencing these symptoms or if your indigestion symptoms become worse, consult a doctor to rule out a more serious condition.

Here are some tips to relieve indigestion -

   Don't chew with your mouth open, talk while chewing, or eat too fast. Any of these may cause you to swallow too much air, which can aggravate indigestion.
    Drink fluids after rather than during meals.
    Avoid late-night eating.
    Try to relax after meals.
    Avoid spicy foods.
    Stop smoking.
    Avoid alcoholic beverages.

To prevent indigestion -

    Eat small meals so the stomach does not have to work as hard or as long.
    Eat slowly.
    Avoid foods that contain high amounts of acids, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.
    Reduce or avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine.
    If stress is a trigger for your indigestion, re-evaluating your lifestyle may help to reduce stress. Learn new methods for managing stress, such as relaxation and     biofeedback techniques.
    Smokers should consider quitting smoking, or at least not smoking right before or after eating, as smoking can irritate the stomach lining.
    Cut back on alcohol consumption because alcohol can irritate the stomach lining.

   Avoid wearing tight-fitting garments because they tend to compress the stomach, which can cause its contents to enter the esophagus.
    Do not exercise with a full stomach. Rather, exercise before a meal or at least one hour after eating a meal.
    Do not lie down right after eating.
    Wait at least 3 hours after your last meal of the day before going to bed.
    Raise the head of your bed so that your head and chest are higher than your feet. 

There you have it folks. Hope it helps!

SOURCE: WebMD