MYTH OF EGGS

Choosing eggs is not nearly as simple as it should be. After all, the average egg weighs about 2 ounces. How many decisions can you possibly have to make for something so small and seemingly simple? Well, let’s see: Brown or white? Large or small? Organic or not? And those decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. Egg cartons can be stamped with any number of labels, some meaningful, others not so much. It's not always easy to separate fact from fiction when it comes to eggs. Below are some of the most common misperceptions.

Myth: Brown eggs are different than white.
Fact: The only difference between a brown and white egg is the color of the shell, which is merely a reflection of the breed of the hen. In general, but not always, hens with white feathers and earlobes lay white eggs and those with dark feathers and red earlobes lay brown eggs. One isn’t healthier, more “natural,” or more eco-friendly than the other. There aren’t any differences in nutritional quality, flavor, or cooking characteristics.

Myth: Free-range eggs come from hens that roam freely outdoors.
Fact: The claims are not regulated for eggs, according to Consumer Reports. So there is no guarantee that the hen that laid the eggs ever saw the light of day. Of course, it may have spent time outdoors, but the “free range” label doesn’t mean anything. The following labels are also meaningless when it comes to eggs: “free roaming,” “hormone free,” and “raised without antibiotics.”

Myth: Organic eggs are healthier.
Fact: They certainly can be, but it all depends on the chicken’s diet. Organic eggs come from hens that are fed a 100-percent organic diet. However, what really matters when it comes to nutrition is whether the hens were raised on pasture. Studies, such as those conducted at Penn State University and by Mother Earth News, found that eggs from chickens that ate grass and insects contained higher levels of omega-3 fat, and vitamins E, A, and in some cases D. If you want eggs from hens that are raised on pasture or spend a lot of time outdoors, then you’ll have to find a farmer you trust at your local farmers’ market.

Myth: Egg substitutes are simply eggs (or egg whites) without the shells.
Fact: Most products have added stabilizers, thickeners, vitamins, carotenes, and, sometimes, spices, according to Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat. She also points out that they cost about twice as much as real eggs. (A pound of egg substitutes weighs slightly less than a dozen small eggs.) Of course, if you can’t eat egg yolks for health reasons or have no use for them, egg substitutes are a good option, and most products only have a tiny percentage of additives. Just read the labels before buying.

10 TYPES OF FRUITS THAT MAKES YOU SLIM

Grapefruit
We’ve all heard of the grapefruit diet but you don’t have to live on a diet of grapefruit alone to lose weight. It’s been found that that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day can help you drop the pounds. The magic ingredient is the fruit’s phytochemicals and their effect of reducing insulin levels which stimulates your body to convert calories into energy rather than storing as flabby fat.

Cinnamon/Kayu Manis

Cinnamon is a super spice when it comes to boosting your wellbeingas it has many health-giving properties. In terms of weight loss, it’s all to do with controlling those post-meal insulin spikes, which is what make you feel hungry. And you don’t need to get much of the stuff to get the benefits; studies have shown just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day can lower the blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. To up your cinnamon intake either sprinkle it on to your breakfast cereal, or maybe mix it into your morning latte.

Chili peppers/Cili
Adding a bit of heat to your diet can give you a weight-loss boost. Studies show that having a spicy start to your morning, i.e. eating chilies as a part of your breakfast can make you opt for a smaller lunch. Apparently it’s down to capsaicin which is found in chilies and red peppers that has appetite suppressing properties. Granted – chilies aren’t the easiest of items to face as your morning meal but how about as a part of a spicy egg-white omelette or stirred into scrambled eggs for a spicy weight loss kick.

Fennel tea/ Teh Jintan
Again fennel tea is a food stuff that boasts a list of health giving benefits; it’s packed with good levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium as well as the vitamins B and C. But when it comes to the weight-loss stakes fennel had a double benefit: working both as an appetite suppressant and a metabolism booster which really are both useful if you’re trying to lose weight. Fennel tea is widely available in supermarkets so add it to your daily diet to stave off cravings and boost your fuel burn.

Salad
Eating a low-calorie salad before your main meals can help you to lose weight and ensure you get recommended daily intake of veggies. And it’s not rocket science as to how it works for weight loss, the key is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out when it comes to your main meal. You need to make sure you don’t drown it in a fatty dressing though – a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar makes the perfect healthy accompaniment to a fresh salad.

Green tea / Teh Hijau
Another powerful brew – green tea really has a multitude of health and wellbeing benefits. And if you are a keen into fitness it makes the perfect pre-workout drink; it’s been found to increase endurance by as much as 24%, allowing you to exercise longer and burn more calories. But in terms boosting your weight loss power, a study carried out by the Journal of Nutrition, drinking five cups of green tea per day can help you lose twice as much weight, most of it where we want to lose it most – around the middle.

Celery
Celery rates well as a weight-loss food as you can actually end up burning more calories eating it than your body will take on consuming it. But by no means does that make celery low in nutritional value; it’s super-packed with fibre (great for digestion) and foliate (the essential nutrient for the care and production of new cells within the body). Get your celery fix by making sure it’s featured in your pre-meal salad, as an accompaniment to your lunch or as a healthy snack when you want to satisfy that ‘munch’ craving.

Lentils
Lentils are great weight-loss food as they have the power to really satisfy your hunger without packing your body with loads of calories and fat – that’s often why lentils feature heavily as a meat substitute – they can make you feel like you’ve had a meaty dish minus the calories and saturated fat that come with eating meat. Again like celery, lentils are full of fibre and foliate so as well as giving you the full feeling, they are great for digestion and healthy cell growth.

Dark chocolate
Granted chocolate is not low in calories nor in fat, but dark chocolate has two major dietary positives that can lead to long term weight loss. First, it’s quite difficult to scoff massive quantities of high-quality dark chocolate as compared to the milk stuff. Secondly, dark chocolate is very high in health-promoting antioxidants. In terms of a weapon in your weight-loss armoury you can use dark chocolate as a way to curb any sweet cravings, just a few small squares to quell a full on chocolate pig out is well worth the modest calorie intake.

Quinoa
Pronounced ‘Keen-wah’ quinoa is known as the ‘mother grain’ by the ancient Peruvians. Quinoa is good for weight loss as it has the power to keep you feeling fuller for longer due to its high protein content. Also the carbs that are present in the grain are released slowly into the body so you won’t get that rush of energy after eating quinoa as you would with other foods like white rice or pasta. You can eat quinoa raw but we reckon it’s best when it’s cooked in a similar way to rice or couscous.

BIAQ BETOI? TERUQNYA...NAJIS ...HARAM

Oleh Mohd Jamilul Anbia Md Denin

2010/09/07 HARIAN METRO

KUALA LUMPUR: Penggemar kerang dan selalu membelinya di Pasar Chow Kit, di sini, patut berfikir dua kali untuk membeli makanan itu berikutan penemuan mengejutkan pusat memproses kerang yang didapati berjiran dengan pusat penyembelihan daging babi di pasar berkenaan.

KOTOR...dua peniaga kerang membungkus kerang berhampiran lokasi penyembelihan daging babi di pasar Chow Kit.

Penemuan itu dikesan selepas sepasukan pegawai Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi) menjalankan pemeriksaan mengejut di pasar Chow Kit bagi mengenal pasti peniaga yang melakukan kesalahan mengikut hukum syarak.

Dalam serbuan kira-kira jam 5 pagi kelmarin, tiga peniaga kerang sibuk membungkus longgokan kerang dianggarkan seberat lebih 50 kilogram yang ditaburkan ke atas lantai pasar berkenaan.

Bagaimanapun, agak memeranjatkan apabila kerang yang mahu dijual kepada orang ramai itu didapati hanya kira-kira dua meter dari daging babi yang belum dilapah dan berdarah.

Sumber Jakim berkata, babi terbabit yang sudah dipotong dua dikesan baru dihantar pembekal ke pasar berkenaan sebelum diletakkan di atas kerusi batu di pusat menjual babi itu bersama bahagian organ lain antaranya hati dan limpa.

“Bagaimanapun, darah haiwan berkenaan mengalir dan membasahi lantai yang digunakan peniaga kerang untuk meletakkan kerang di kawasan berkenaan.

“Apabila ditanya, peniaga kerang terbabit seolah-olah tidak mengetahui ia perbuatan yang boleh mengundang rasa kurang senang pengguna Islam. Peniaga berusia 50-an terbabit mendakwa kerang berkenaan hanya perlu dibersihkan dan dijual kepada pelanggan di pasar berkenaan,” katanya.

Menurutnya, lokasi memproses kerang dan pusat penyembelihan daging babi terbabit yang terletak di tempat sama dianggap tidak strategik dan boleh menjadi haram dimakan sekiranya berlaku percampuran antara air atau darah khinzir dengan kerang yang diproses.

Sementara itu, Setiausaha Politik Perdana Menteri, Datuk Jailani Ngah yang melihat lokasi penyembelihan babi di pasar Chow Kit menganggap kawasan berkenaan sudah uzur dan tidak sesuai untuk dijadikan pusat pemprosesan makanan halal.

Menurutnya, kawasan pemprosesan babi terbabit tidak hanya terletak berdekatan pusat memproses kerang, malah turut terletak bersebelahan dengan pusat penyembelihan dan memproses ayam daging