Food Recipes

Fish tanks and aquariums are a popular hobby for people of all ages. People can sit and stare at fish for hours. I remember when I received my first fish tank. It was the most exciting thing of my life. I had never had fish before and did not even think about getting any. One day, however, I was down at the local pet shop and they had a contest or drawing where the winner would receive a free fish tank. I had never one a drawing like that before, and did not anticipate winning, nor did I think they were that legitimate or that I would have much of a chance of ever winning anything, but signed up anyway, even as a little boy.
One day a random phone call came and I answered the phone. It was the pet shop! They told me that I had won the fish tank! I could not believe. Nothing this exciting had ever happened to me. I was jumping up and down around the house and told my mom we had to go get it right then. We also bought some gold fish and other fish to put in the fish tank. I could sit and stare at them for hours. A www.VarietyAccess.com>hobby is a recreational activity outside of work or one's career. What better www.VarietyAccess.com>hobbies are there then ones you could do for hours and still enjoy them? I raised my fish for a couple months, but had to learn how to take care of them. Eventually my fish all died and one of my friends was playing with a bee-bee gun in my room one day and accidentally shot the tank. But, it was fun while it lasted.
Later in college, one of my friends had a huge fish tank in her apartment, with several piranhas. She invited us over to watch her feed her piranhas one day. She bought a bag of about 20 live gold fish to feed to her piranhas. All I can say is, it was awesome! We sat there for an hour or more, all of us, like watching TV, but staring at this fish tank as the piranhas attacked and devoured the gold fish. As soon as she dumped the fish into the tank, it went wild. The piranhas just began tearing the goldfish apart. It was one of those moments in life where you are glad that you are not a goldfish, but a human participating in a hobby of feeding the goldfish to the piranhas.
One of my friend's little brothers got a new fish tank and some fish while we were in high school. I am sure he could sit there and stare at them for hours, too, just like everyone else. The reason I am telling about him though, is because he named all of his fish Marcus every one of them. Anyway, I thought that was funny, so I wanted to write it.
My friend has some fish right now. They have a fish tank and a bunch of goldfish. Their fish have lived for a long time, now, and the goldfish are getting huge. The tank is dirty right now, though. A couple weeks ago they brought over a friend's cleaning fish to eat all of the dirty muck in the tank. It only took a few days for the fish to eat all of the muck and make the tank look as good as new. Too bad we cannot have some sort of cleaning animal around the house that would clean up like that. It would sure save a lot of trouble, but I guess for now we will have to settle with the www.VarietyAccess.com>online hobby store and more.

Dear friends, we as humans are a composite of mind, body and spirit. All these three in proper coordination, create the world around us. The things, which we want in life, are first created in our mind, then our mind sends signals to our brain and the brain sends signals to various parts of our body to take action and thus "reality" gets created. This means that whatever we imagine in our minds gets converted in reality. The program of our mind decides what we imagine. I mean if I want to decorate my bedroom, everything from the type of furniture I choose to the budget decision will depend upon my "broader attitude" towards life.
If I am a "budget conscious" person, then this will affect right from the initial stages of the design. I will look at the design from a conservative point of view. Thus everything, which gets created in reality will have an influence of my personality.Here I am not trying to say that only high budget designs are good. I have seen works of many interior designers, who have spent their entire lives on studying low cost design projects
and also have won awards for their magnificent work.
That's why any interior design project can not be fulfilled without active participation of the client or the user. Creativity doesn't have any boundaries of budget. Any piece of art which fulfils the functional need and also the aesthetical need can be easily accepted as an architectural element. Budget is not a constraint at all. On the other hand the budget constraint sometimes is useful to generate some good ideas for a particular
problem.An interior designer is not an artist, because an artist basically performs his acts to satisfy his own desire. This could be any performing art or other forms of arts. His piece of work may not have any functional use from user's point of view.An interior designer is not even a technician or engineer. Because when an engineer builds a design he need not worry of making it "beautiful". His primary aim is to make it functional. He puts his entire energy in making the design functional.That's why an interior designer is one who satisfies both the functional as well as aesthetical part of the design. Sometimes it is easy to accomplish the functional part of an interior design, but since the definition of beauty is different for everyone, it is extremely difficult to satisfy each and every user's aesthetic hunger.This is particularly true about interiors in public spaces. For example a bank building has a definite use and function for all the users. We can safely create a list of functions a person would perform when he visits a bank. But this does not mean the bank reflects his personality, like the first paragraph of this article mentions.That's why interiors in public spaces always are designed by taking into consideration something called as "mass personality". This is a general attitude of the kind of mindset everyone would have or is likely to have when he/she visits that space. If you
visit large corporate software office premise, you will see this picture. Office interiors always have a certain kind of order in them. The use of colors, design styles have a kind of commitment in them, which is expected from you when you work there.On the other hand a bar or a restaurant has some sort of mood generating atmosphere, which sets you loose. Because this is what is expected in a public space like a restaurant.
Thus any interior space is always associated with people. A space which serves its functions best and makes the users comfortable is bound to succeed as a favorite place.

Recently the well known American news anchor Peter Jennings died of lung cancer just a few months after he publicly announced that he had the disease and that he was going to fight it with everything he had.

After his death, I read some of the tributes that poured in about the life of Peter Jennings. One of the common themes that appeared in the statements made by his friends and colleagues was that they remembered what a determined, competitive man he was.

They said that he took on his battle with cancer head on, and that he fought his cancer the same way he battled everything, with steely will and determination. And unfortunately he didn’t win.

Reading about Peter Jennings’ losing battle with lung cancer reminded me of another conversation I had had about cancer very recently.

Last week I had a meeting with one of my business associates, a man named Brian, to discuss some business matters.

After our business meeting was finished, Brian started telling me about his parent’s experience of living with cancer. A lot lof what Brian had to say was very thought provoking to me.

Brian told me that his mother had been diagnosed with a bad type of bone cancer and doctors had told her that she had only a very short time to live. Yet in spite of the fact that her cancer kept spreading to other parts of her body, she managed to live fourteen years longer than what her doctors had originally predicted.

Brian said that he often wondered why his mother managed to live such a long time with cancer when many of his younger friends who got cancer died of it quite quickly.

Brian told me “I come from a sports and and athletic background, and so a lot of my friends are athletes. My athletic friends tend to be very focussed and competitive people, and they’re used to being very aggressive. When they were diagnosed with cancer, I watched them go into their competitive and athletic mode, and they would say ‘I’m going to fight this thing’.

They would fight their cancer the same way they fought their athletic battles, with gritted teeth and courage and determination.

Brian said, “What I noticed about these guys who were so tough and fought cancer so hard was that in a lot of cases they burned out really soon.

When my mother got cancer, Brian continued, “Her approach was kind of the opposite. She wanted to live, but she never said she was going to fight this cancer. One of the things I watched her do is that she decided to drop everything that was stressful from her life.”

Shopping was stressful for her, so she dropped it. Driving a car was stressful so she stopped driving. In fact, she stopped doing everything she didn’t want to do, and she only kept the things she really enjoyed.

And she made a point of becoming very relaxed and enjoying her life.

Then Brian told me, “This experience made me think that maybe the idea of fighting for your life when you have cancer is like trying to fight off insomnia.”

“If you decide to fight insomnia by gritting your teeth and saying ‘I’m tough, I’ve fought lots of battles, I’m going to fight this insomnia and I’ m going to beat this thing, well, you’ll never fall asleep. It won’t work.”

Now I can’t say that what seemed to work for Brian’s mother in living with cancer is the miracle key for anyone else who has cancer. This wasn’t a scientific study, and many other factors are involved.

But Brian’s comments about his mother’s approach to living with cancer, and his comments about trying to use will power to fight insomnia are worth keeping in mind when we are facing a problem. Not every problem can be solved with will power and determination.

In such fields as business and sports, an attitude of determination and competitiveness can be very useful, and can be highly rewarded. If we have been very successful in these fields by being high powered, determined and aggressive, we may try to use the same approach to tackle every problem. Aggressively and head-on. With grit and determination.

However, being aggressive and determined does not work on every kind of problem.

If your mate is unhappy in your marriage, or your child has a serious illness, or if you have too much stress in your life, then using determination and aggression will not solve these problems. In these situations, aggressiveness does not work.

We need to recognize those situations where another approach might work better.

Sometimes what we need to do is relax more, let go of our illusion that we can control everything, become more humble, and be open to living in the moment even when we don’t know all the answers.

Diet is a double edged sword. Improper diet increases the risk of cancer but a proper, well balanced diet reduces the cancer risk.

Diet is one of the most important lifestyle factors and has been estimated to account for up to 80% of cancers of the large bowel, breast, and prostate. Diet affects the risk of many other cancers, including cancers of the lung, prostate, stomach, esophagus and pancreas.

Prostate Cancer:
High consumption of meat, especially red meat, substantially increases the risk of prostate cancer.

Vegetables, especially cooked tomatoes, reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In one clinical trial, the role of Vitamin E as a prostate cancer reducing factor was established. In this study there was a 32% decrease in prostate cancer incidence and 41% decrease in prostate cancer mortality in people receiving Vitamin E supplements when compared to controls.

Breast Cancer:
In Japan, people consume Tofu, a soya product. It contains isoflavones that moderate the estrogen receptors in the body such as breast tissue. The incidence of breast cancer is low in Japan when compared to Western women; only 1/4th of the mortality rate of Western women. Japanese women's low fat diet, high fish consumption and drinking green tea also decrease their breast cancer risk.

One case control study found that regular consumption of soy foods was associated with a marked decrease in breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. No effect in post-menopausal women.

A Japanese case-control study also found that tofu intake (3 times/wk compared with less than 3 times/wk) was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. Again, soy intake was not protective against post-menopausal breast cancer.

In one study conducted in America, the relation between soy intake and breast cancer risk found that tofu consumption was protective in both premenopausal and post menopausal Asian women.

Lung Cancer:
Lung cancer risk is substantially decreased by a variety of carotenoids. Carotenoids act as antioxidants and thus minimize cell damage.

One study in Boston focused on the effect of different types of carotenoids on lung cancer risk. It was observed that lung cancer risk was significantly lower in subjects who consumed a diet high in a variety of carotenoids. This was especially true with non-smokers who had 63% less risk.

One study conducted in Hawaii reported further evidence for a protective effect from certain carotenoids against lung cancer and that greater protection was afforded by consuming a variety of vegetables compared to only foods rich in a particular carotenoid.

Stomach Cancer:
Nitrates in food and other preservatives added to food including meat are converted into 'nitrites' in the human stomach. The nitrites undergo nitrosation to form 'nitrosamines' and 'nitrosamides'. This increases the risk of stomach cancer in people eating vegetables from nitrate rich soil.

In one study, Vitamin C appeared to protect against the risk of stomach cancer by inhibiting formation of nitrates in stomach.

Cancer of the stomach is 5 times more common in Japanese people compared to Western populations. When Japanese people migrated to the United States, they progressively acquired the low incidence of the US due to changes in their diets.

In one study conducted in Hawaii that involved both Japanese and Caucasians, the stomach cancer risk was associated with consumption of rice, pickled vegetables, and dried/salted fish, and a negative association with vitamin C intake.

One ecological study in Belgium showed a relation between the nitrate and salt consumption and stomach cancer. The analysis of this model showed that the significance of nitrate as a risk factor for stomach cancer mortality increased markedly with higher sodium levels.

Dietary habits and stomach cancer risk was studied in Shanghai, China. According to this study, risks of stomach cancer were inversely associated with high consumption of several food groups, including fresh vegetables and fruits, poultry, eggs, plant oil, and some nutrients such as protein, fat, fiber, tea and antioxidant vitamins.

By contrast, risks increased with increasing consumption of dietary carbohydrates, frequent consumption of preserved, salty or fried foods and hot soup/porridge, with irregular meals, speed eating and binge eating. This provides evidence that diet plays a major role in stomach cancer risk.

No single food can completely prevent cancer but a balanced combination of different groups can help. Appropriate diet can prevent 3-4 million cancers each year.

Cancer is a very serious illness. This dreaded disease has caused many deaths; cancer is a disease that’s characterized by uncontrollable cell division and the danger of these mutant cells to invade the neighboring healthy cells and infect them. There are many types of cancer and most of them are deadly which can cause death, while there are some treatments available; there has been no known cure that’s potently effective just yet. Some treatments can kill the cancerous cells while some control the symptoms such as pain. Millions every year gets afflicted with different types of cancer and millions more die every year all over the world. Cancer has been a serious predicament in the medical world and there are concerns on the probability of finding a cure soon.

There are some major efforts being done to correct this but funds have been dwindling making these researches an effort that needs the aid of many people. Many foundations, colleges and other medical groups are doing intensive scientific endeavors to understand fully the development of cancer and what possible treatments, therapies and cure could be done to prevent cancer and its growth. They are called cancer research. In cancer research they discover new methods of treating cancer with the development of new technology and new discoveries about the disease. With proper funding, cancer researches would be able to flourish and hopefully find the perfect cure.

Many organizations have been doing their best to help fund this research facilities, doing fund raising projects and programs for public awareness. It is essential for the public to take notice of this programs because anyone from anywhere can be afflicted with cancer. Gradually, more and more people have found ways in doing both, raising funds for cancer and spreading awareness. When doing such, you hit the head of a nail twice making it more beneficial for cancer victims. Any method is appreciated as long as it spread awareness and help bring in money to aid cancer research. The current popular method is by selling cancer wristbands, which are inscribed with inspiring and informing statements.

Cancer wristbands have been the craze lately, many are wearing them because they are cool and fashionable and yet they help out in finding a cure for cancer. Remember the ribbons everybody used to wear for AIDS. Cancer Wristbands now are what the AIDS ribbons were then. This stretchy cancer wristbands, usually made from either from rubber or silicone, are a great way to do fundraising. They are one size fits all and don’t cost too much. There is a 100 percent profit in cancer wristbands, which may be donated to cancer researches and also boost cancer awareness. In doing so, you not only get a cool looking cancer wristband, you are also helping out the countless cancer victims all over the world.

Many say that this trend started out when Lance Armstrong came out yellow “LiveStrong” wristband to promote and fund cancer research. That promotion had all the right ingredients to capture the people’s interest. Present was the revered American icon asking the people for help, the item was very affordable, was a good conversation peace and it showed that if you were wearing it, you were concerned about other people and their needs. It was also for a cause everyone wanted to help in and deserved all the help t can get. Soon enough, everyone was wearing them, from high profile people, to entertainers with big names straight to the president.

After that, many cancer wristbands went into the market spreading the word, many organizations joined the bandwagon and produced their own cancer wristbands. It has come to be that the color of the cancer wristband represented which type of cancer was to be benefited; for example, pink bracelets were in aid for breast cancer. Messages and statements would be inscribed in the bracelets empowering the knowledge of the people about cancer and tugging their hearts and the hearts of others to help out for the worthy cause.

Cancer wristbands are not only cool, they also help out, many small organizations can help out by browsing the internet and order them from reputable manufacturers who pledge assistance for every cancer wristband you purchase. You may also do your own fundraising; some sites offer very low prices for wholesale purchases so that you can sell them at a markup price so you can have earnings to donate to research facilities. Be aware, support cancer wristbands to help cancer research.

The Army defines seven values that soldiers should strive to emulate in their daily lives. These core values establish a standard of conduct; they form the foundation of personal behavior that defines the person, as well as the expectations soldiers have of one another. These values are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

Here's the thing. The Army didn't invent the values. There are many more than seven values that identify desirable human conduct and behavior (and plenty that define undesirable behavior as well), and they've been around for a long time. So, that said, it should come as no surprise that the seven Army values are not just for the military - they apply to each and every citizen.this makes perfect sense, as all soldiers are citizens first.

We all have positions in life.stations, if you will.and it matters not what your station in life happens to be.some or all of these seven values are tested as a matter of course, each day of one's life. The values are as applicable to the student as they are to the professor; as important to the patient as they are to the doctor; as challenging to the child as they are to the adult; and as attainable by the penniless as they are by the millionaire. In short, the seven values are for everyone. What are the values, and how are they applicable to everyone?

Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers. Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.

For the citizen, this means showing your faith in our nation, your elected and appointed leaders and your fellow citizens. People want to know they can trust you. And you want the same reassurances from others.

Duty - Fulfill your obligations. Accept responsibility for your actions and those entrusted to your care. Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the unit.

For the citizen, you've got a job to do and people depend on you to get it done. If someone needs help, give it to them. If you need help, seek it from your peers. Be consistent in action and deed.

Respect - Treat people as they should be treated. How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.

Act courteously toward friends, acquaintances and strangers alike. If you disagree with an opinion or point of view, challenge the position, but avoid the personal attack. Remember that your actions speak volumes about yourself and your business or organization.

Selfless Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.

Take care of your children, your parents, your siblings, and co-workers. Go the 'extra mile' for your customers and clients, even if gains you nothing more than some personal satisfaction. Volunteer to take on the tough job, or the mundane job that others avoid.

Honor - Live up to all the Army values.

Live up to the values of your business, your community, your church, your family. Act accordingly, and others will recognize you as an individual of principled character. Don't fall into the trap of, "but I just did what others did before me". Given the choice, take the 'high road'. Distinguish yourself from those who would be satisfied to do less.

Integrity - Do what is right, legally and morally.

Ask yourself, "Is this the right thing to do? How does it reflect on who I am?" If your inner voice is sounding the alarm, it's doing so for a good reason. Avoid shortcuts, cheats, or otherwise doing less than what is expected. Don't compromise yourself, your friends, family or business for some short-term satisfaction. Integrity offers long-term rewards that can't be acquired any other way.

Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity with physical and moral courage.

Is a boss asking you to do something questionable? Watched the local bully pick on someone repeatedly? Been in a group that disparages a certain race or ethnicity? It may be safer to go along with the crowd, or do nothing at all. It takes inner strength to stand up to peer pressure, bullies, social challenges, and moral dilemmas. It's easy to be a follower.anyone can do that. True leadership requires all of one's audacity, nerve and 'guts' to negotiate the difficult roads that lie before us.

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These are values for everyone. No, they're not always easy to live up. Our standards are challenged all the time. We make mistakes. Hopefully, we learn from them, and over time, these values become a part of who we are.

The best news is that if we emulate these values singularly, we become a better people collectively. And that is why the values are so important. They set us apart from those who choose not to live up to them.

Easy summer salads, lighter foods for a brighter summer

Easy summer salads do not need dozens of hard to get ingredients or heavy bottled sauces. Go light and use a few good quality vegetables, well combined with a little well-chosen meat, fish, or dairy, (quality over quantity) and a simple but delicious homemade dressing. For quick tasty summer salad, make it quick, make it light but make it taste sublime!

Easy summer salads are the way to go, now that the winter blues are fading into the distance and salad days are here. The best salads are light, bright and easy to prepare.

After all who wants to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen when friends are round for lunch, the garden is in bloom and the wine is chilled and ready to pour. But before you start to cook you save a lot of energy by buying the right ingredients for a simple salad. That way you don't need the heavy bottled sauces and dressings to make a great flavor

Do you really want to take a beautiful crisp summer salad and soak it in a mixture of fat, sugar, salt and chemicals? If you start off with great food and don't do too much to it you don't need all these strong tastes as you still have great food.

All you need is to combine it well so that the flavors work together, have a nice crunchy texture and add a little light dressing to set it all off, and let the taste buds do the rest Freshness is, as in all cooking, the way to a good salad. Don't take what the supermarkets give you. Although it's easier to pick up the ready packed tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers etc.

To make sure you get the best, take a minute or two and pick over the vegetables, choose what is firm ripe and ready to use. The same of course applies with meat and fish. There is a reason why supermarkets prepackage, and it's not always convenience. So choose well, cook quickly and simply and your friends won't have finished the wine by the time you get there! Enjoy a little bit of summer now with this easy poached chicken salad.

Easy poached chicken salad

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (skinless)

1 finely sliced red onion

1 whole half onion

4 good ripe tomatoes sliced thickly

250 grams/4ozs salad leaves mixed

4ozs raisins soaked in hot water for ten minutes

1 half lemon

2 fresh or dry bay leaves

1-teaspoon peppercorns black

1 small French, stick loaf or similar sliced into 1/2 slices

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1clove garlic crushed

1/2 dessert spoon Dijon or other mild mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar and mustard together with the garlic, slowly add the olive oil while whisking and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a pan of water to the boil with the bay leaves, 1/2 white onion, lemon and peppercorns.
Carefully add the chicken and simmer gently until cooked, if you unsure it is worth investing a few dollars in a meat thermometer. The temperature should be at least 75 celcius/167 Fahrenheit, put the sliced bread on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt.

Bake in a medium oven until crisp but soft in the middle. Mix the leaves together with the onions and raisins. Turn in the salad dressing and put into 4 good-sized bowls. Place slices of tomato and bread around the edge. Slice the warm chicken at an angle and put attractively on top off the salad. Sit back, enjoy and get someone else to do the washing up.

Experts have discovered that certain foods can actually help you to lose weight without the stress of dieting or exercise. The down side is that many of us have a tendency to dress these foods up with cheese, sour cream, butter or other calorie-laden flavor enhancers. This causes the weight loss effect to be lost. It may be difficult to not add extra calories to these foods but with a strong will power it can be done.
A negative calorie food can be defined as a food that results in a slimming effect for the body. In other words a carrot (without anything else) will cause your body to use an increased amount of energy when digesting it and other foods, this can lead to an overall reducing effect on the body. This is partly from the amount of energy it takes to digest the carrot or other "negative calorie food" and partly from the elevation in metabolism that these foods naturally create. The overall effect is a net loss of energy, which is measured in calories.
It should be understood that 'negative calorie' doesn't mean that the food has zero calories in it, nor does it have an anti-calorie or a negative calorie.
Here is a partial list of negative calorie foods: apples, cranberries, grapefruit, lemon mango, oranges, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, asparagus, beets, cabbage (green), carrots, cauliflower, hot Chile peppers, cucumbers, endives, garden cress, garlic, green beans, lettuce, onion, papaya, radishes, spinach, turnips and zucchini. There are more and you can learn about them from a medical doctor's very popular book.
In his book, Foods that Cause You to Lose Weight, Dr. Neal Barnard explains the effects these foods have on the body. A quote from Dr. Barnard's book reveals some startling facts, "They found that those who ate foods that were very low in fat and high in carbohydrates, lost weight steadily, without limiting how much they ate. But those on high-fat diets could not effectively lose weight even if they ate skimpy portions." Dr. Barnard is referring to the published results of an experiment conducted at Cornell University and published in the May 1991 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A book reviewer posted on a website how he lost 30 lbs. utilizing the information from Dr. Barnard's book.
It is important to exercise caution when dieting because there are certain things that your body needs to remain healthy including proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are necessary for the body to function at its optimum level. You cannot remain optimally healthy by eating the negative calorie foods alone.
This article is for information purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat or prevent any health condition. Please consult a doctor before dieting.

Why should you use olive oil? Well there are several reasons. Substituting olive oil, a monounsaturated fat, for saturated fats or polyunsaturated fats can:
• Reduce blood pressure
• Inhibit the growth of some cancers
• Benefit people at risk for or with diabetes
• Lessen the severity of asthma and arthritis
• Actually help your body maintain a lower weight

HEALTHY HEART BENEFITS
Atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries, occurs when particles of LDL cholesterol stick to the walls of the arteries. Eventually these particles build up and form plaque. This plaque narrows the blood vessels and increases the work load of the heart in an effort to get oxygenated blood to the entire body. The result can be a heart attack or stroke.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and antioxidants like chlorophyll, carotenoids and vitamin E. Scientists have identified a compound in olive oil called oleuropein which prevents the LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. It is the oxidized cholesterol that sticks to the walls of the arteries and forms plaque. Replacing other fats in your diet with olive oil can significantly lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack. 

CANCER INHIBITOR
A study published in the January 2005 issue of Annals of Oncology has identified oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid found in olive oil, as having the ability to reduce the affect of an oncogene (a gene that will turn a host cell into a cancer cell). This particular oncogene is associated with the rapid growth of breast cancer tumors. The conclusion of the researchers was that oleic acid when combined with drug therapy encouraged the self-destruction of aggressive, treatment-resistant cancer cells thus destroying the cancer. Olive oil has been positively indicated in studies on prostate and endometrial cancers as well.
Unlike other fats, which are associated with a higher risk of colon cancer, olive oil helps protect the cells of the colon from carcinogens. A study published in the November 2003 issue of Food Chemistry Toxicology suggests that the antioxidants in olive oil reduce the amount of carcinogens formed when meat is cooked. 

BLOOD SUGAR CONTROLLER
Diabetics or those at risk for diabetes are advised to combine a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with olive oil. Studies show this combination is superior at controlling blood sugar levels compared to a diet that consists entirely of low-fat meals. Adding olive oil is also linked to lower triglyceride levels. Many diabetics live with high triglyceride levels which put them at risk for heart disease. 

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES
The body uses the healthy fats in olive oil to produce natural anti-inflammatory agents. These anti-inflammatory agents can help reduce the severity of both arthritis and asthma. Uninflammed cell membranes are more fluid and better able to move healthy nutrients into the cells and move waste products out. A lower incidence of osteoporosis and dementia is found in areas where people consume large quantities of olive oil. 

A FAT THAT HELPS YOU LOSE FAT
Sounds impossible, right? A study conducted on eight over-weight men published in the September 2003 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition yielded results that indicate a significant loss of body weight and fat mass can be achieved without increasing physical activity and making only one change in eating habits: the substitution of olive oil for saturated fats. The eight men were divided into two groups and for four weeks ate similar foods with the exception that the first group ate more saturated than unsaturated fats. The second group consumed the same number of calories as the first group, but the fats were mostly monounsaturated fat (olive oil). At the end of four weeks, the men from the second group were lighter and had a lower body-fat index than the men who ate the saturated fats.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BUYING AND STORING OLIVE OIL
Exposure to light and heat can turn olive oil rancid. This destroys the healthy, antioxidant properties of the oil. Look for olive oil that is sold in darkly tinted bottles. Also, look carefully at the display in the grocery store. Are there glaring lights or sunny windows nearby? If so, you will want to check out some different stores. My favorite grocery store keeps the olive oil on the shelves closest to the floor and away from the fluorescent lights.
When you get home, find a dark, cool cupboard for storage. One suggestion is to pour some of the oil from the original container into a smaller container. The original container can be kept in the refrigerator for maximum protection. (The oil will become cloudy and more solid in the refrigerator.) The smaller container you select for your weekly supply of olive oil should be opaque and have a tight-sealing lid. Exposure to air is another enemy of the fragile antioxidants.
Confused about the different grades of olive oil? Extra-virgin olive oil is produced from the first pressing of the olives. It has the lightest flavor and contains the richest array of antioxidants. The next pressing of the olives produces fine virgin oil. Refined means that chemicals were used to extract the oil instead of pressing. Avoid refined olive oils. Pure olive oil is a blend of refined and virgin olive oils. I don’t recommend pure grade either. If you see the words cold pressed on a bottle of olive oil that means heat was not used when extracting the oil. Remember, heat destroys antioxidants, so cold pressed is a good thing.
One last thought on this subject. If you are considering switching to olive oil from other oils, you might be shocked when you first look at the differences in price. I’m a serious bargain hunter. I always buy generic and look for bulk discounts whenever possible. But even the most determined penny pincher understands that there are simply some things that are worth the extra money. Olive oil is one of them.

Dietary considerations can present a Hobson’s choice in diabetes. Even when the intake is nutritious, assimilating it can be another matter. Then there is the problem of progression of diabetic complications if one ends up with excess glucose or fat in the system. Excess carbohydrates in a meal, and the resulting uncontrolled blood sugar levels can be detrimental to any number of tissues, from the lens of the eye, to the neurons, small blood vessels and the kidneys. Fat is also a problem with increase incidences of atherosclerosis, large vessel disease and cardiac complications. What, then is the appropriate macronutrient for the diabetic population? Enough medical literature exists to suggest that in diabetes, proteins are probably the best bet.

Proteins are the natural choice of the body when faced with diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetes, muscle protein is broken down into amino acids to be converted into glucose by the liver. If left to fend for itself, this can create a commotion within the body. Since proteins have to supply enough energy to substitute for carbohydrates, proteins are broken down faster than they are made. The body ends up with a protein deficit, a situation with subtle, yet far-reaching effects on normal body functions. Importantly, for diabetics, a protein deficit has been shown to impair resistance to infections (Ganong WF). Replenishing the depleting protein stores is a vital requirement of all diabetic diets.

Importance of proteins in a diabetic has been well documented. The American Associations of Clinical Endocrinologists have made it clear that not much evidence exists to indicate that the patients with diabetes need to reduce their intake of dietary proteins. The AACE recommends that 10-20% of the calorie intake in diabetes should come from proteins (AACE Diabetes Guidelines). It is in fact believed that this is one nutrient that does not increase blood glucose levels in both diabetics and healthy subjects (Gannon et al).

Nutrition therapy for diabetes has progressed from prevention of obesity or weight gain to improving insulin’s effectiveness and contributing to improved metabolic control (Franz MJ). In this new role, a high protein diet (30% of total food energy) forms a very pertinent part of nutrition therapy. One of the most important causes for type II diabetes is obesity. Excess body fat raises insulin resistance and higher levels of insulin are required to bring down blood sugars as the weight increases (Ganong WF). Another problem with excess fat is the clogging of arteries with atherosclerotic plaques that is responsible for a wide range of diabetic complications. Any mechanism that reduces body fat decreases insulin resistance and improves blood glucose control. Parker et al have also shown that a high protein diet decreased abdominal and total fat mass in women with type II diabetes. Other studies by Gannon et al. and Nuttall et al have verified that blood glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin (a marker of long term diabetic control) reduce after 5 weeks on a diet containing 30% of the total food energy in the form of proteins and low carbohydrate content. It is speculated that a high protein diet has a favorable effect in diabetes due to the ability of proteins and amino acids to stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Thus, a high protein diet is not only safe in diabetes, but can also be therapeutic, resulting in improved glycemic control, and decreased risk of complications related to diabetes.

The benefits of a high protein diet do not end here. Individual protein components of such a diet, when aptly chosen, can have other advantages as well. Dietary supplements containing proteins like whey and casein come highly recommended. Casein is a milk protein and has the ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained, slow release of amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several hours (Boirie et al. 1997). A slow sustained release of nutrients matches well with the limited amount of insulin that can be produced by the pancreas in diabetes. A protein supplement containing casein can thus increase the amount of energy assimilated from every meal and, at the same time, reduce the need for pharmacological interventions to control blood sugar.

Whey proteins and caseins also contain “casokinins” and “lactokinins’, (FitzGerald) which have been found to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive humans (Seppo). In addition, whey protein forms bio active amine in the gut that promotes immunity. Whey protein contains an ample supply of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine appears to enhance glutathione levels, which has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties -- antioxidants mop up free radicals that induce cell death and play a role in aging.

Thus, development of a protein supplement containing casein and whey can provide an apt high protein diet and its health benefits to individuals suffering from diabetes, obesity and hypercholesterolemia.

Everyone at one point in his or her life needs or wants to loose weight. Whether it is for health reason, or just to feel better about you, deciding on a weight loss plan is not as easy as it sounds.

There are literally thousands of plans and products on the market today designed to help the overweight shed unwanted pounds.

One such plan is the low carb diet plan. On this plan, carbohydrate intake is limited to a few grams per day. By limiting breads and pastas, the body uses the fat that stored and there by the dieter starts to loose weight within weeks. Some of the foods that should be avoided when on a low carb diet are; Candy, Donuts, Cakes and Pastries. Anything containing white flour such as bread, rolls, bagels, pasta and white rice should also be avoided.

Although this may seem like a lot of choices to give up, all of these foods are very high in carbohydrates. This is particularly dangerous for those suffering from diabetes. Health expert theorize that a high carbohydrate diet could raise their blood sugar levels to life threatening levels.

There are good carbohydrate choices. Meat is naturally low in carbohydrates. Liver is the exception to this rule. Egg’s, poultry, fish, shellfish are good menu choices. They are easy to prepare and are full of vitamins. Green vegetables that are low starch include broccoli, asparagus, spinach, salad vegetables; cauliflower, green beans, Brussels sprouts and celery are also good choice foods that compliment any meal.

There are so many good choice foods to choose from, and so many ways to prepare them that the bad choice foods will not be missed when on a low carb diet.

Fiber is another essential part of dieting. Fiber helps the body in many different ways. When you do not get enough fiber it defeats the purpose of a diet.

Some of the health benefits that come from a low carb diet are; Lower insulin levels and stabilized blood sugar, which is a great health benefit to diabetics. Lower blood pressure, Lower Cholesterol, more energy, and perhaps the most important reason for dieting, keeping the weight off.

Unlike other diets, the low carb diet is safe for everyone. There are no side effects from being on this diet as there are not any food limit restrictions for a low carb dieter.

There are so many menu choices that a different meal can be prepared every day and the dieter would not have the same meal twice. For someone who has made a serious commitment to loose weight, a low carb lifestyle should be seriously considered.

Holiday meals can be prepared following low carb diet recipes that are easy, elegant, and very tasty. With all of the sites on the Internet dedicated to low carb cooking, there is no reason to fear dieting any longer.

Gone are the days when dieters had to starve themselves and suffer the pains of hunger all for the sake of loosing weight. The low carb offer a healthy alternative to dieting.

Exercise is an important tool in managing your diabetes in order to live a longer, healthier life.

1. Exercise increase insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. The key problem of Type 2 diabetics is insulin insensitivity, or insulin resistance. By exercising you can improve how well your insulin works; this helps you to control your blood glucose level.

2. Exercise improves your cholesterol levels. Exercise helps by raising the good kind of cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the bad kind of cholesterol (LDL). Exercise can also lower triglyceride levels. This is good news for diabetics as diabetics are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. I myself have had cholesterol problems, but between proper diet and exercise and no drugs, I now have a much healthier cholesterol levels.

3. Exercise can decrease blood pressure. Many diabetics also have hypertension or high blood pressure. Exercising can reduce both your resting blood pressure and your blood pressure during effort (including exercise). This is very important for reducing your chances of heart disease and stroke. I also used be on blood pressure medication, and have been able to get off the drugs. Because of the strong genetic component, this took more than just diet and exercise; I take several supplements specifically to help keep my blood pressure in the healthy ranges. I also work on stress management and meditate, but exercise is a key ingredient to lowering it in most people.

4. Exercise can also improve heart efficiency, and help it work less. This also helps with the cardiovascular risk factors. You will be able to exercise harder and it does not feel harder. This will make performing your daily tasks easier. Many people do not exercise because they think they do not have the energy. They need to exercise to get the energy. Your resting heart rate can also lower.

5. Exercise can improve your mood. Diabetes can be a stressful disease, exercising can help you feel better mentally. Exercise can even improve depression which can be an issue with a disease like diabetes.

6. Exercise aids dramatically in weight-loss and maintaining weight-loss. Specifically, the right kind and right amount of exercise aids in fat-loss and preservation of muscle tissue. Losing weight can improve blood pressure, insulin resistance, glucose levels, and cholesterol levels above and beyond what exercise alone does.

7. Exercise helps you to reduce your chances of diabetic complications. Better control of your blood glucose helps prevent serious complications of diabetes, including blindness, neuropathy, and kidney failure.

Please talk to your doctor and start exercising! You will feel so much better!

Raw vegetables are dangerous and must be thoroughly fried, steamed, and boiled into submission. So thought our ancestors. The original sin of a recalcitrant vegetable was of course lessened by heat, but the conscientious nineteenth-century cook continued to boil it long after it had sogged into a jelly-like mass, just in case some evil remained.

In the nineteenth century an hour’s cooking barely sufficed for cabbage and for corn on the cob. They did not fix broccoli at all, and I can understand why. I have tried to imagine broccoli after an hour of cooking, but the mind rares back and refuses even to approach the sheer horror.

Which reminds me of an event in the summer of 1956, when my classmate Patsy Sutherland and I lived with Grandpa Hess while we went to business college in Missoula, Montana. Grandpa was a crusty old widower, set in his own way of housekeeping, but he tried to be gracious. In midsummer he bought a whole crate of tomatoes. Luscious, red, ripe tomatoes. They sat in the cellarway for two days, and each time Patsy and I passed them our mouths watered. Each evening we thought he’d invite us to have a tomato or two, but he didn’t. When we arrived home on the third evening, he said, “Girls! I fixed the tomatoes today. Help yourselves!”

He had stewed every last one of them.

Some of those old tomato recipes are good, though. The originator of Tomatoes Maryland probably had an old-fashioned wood stove that could gently simmer something all afternoon on a back burner or in the oven. Which means this was most likely a fall or winter dish rather than a summer one, as people let the cookstove fire go out on summer afternoons.

TOMATOES MARYLAND

Break into bits 2 slices of stale bread. Add to 4 cups canned or fresh tomatoes, peeled and quartered, with half an onion, chopped, and about 2/3 cup brown sugar. Salt lightly.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

My notes say, “It does need three hours to cook, even with the pan lid off most of the time. Perhaps some of the thin tomato juices could be poured off at the beginning, shortening the cooking time.”

Tomatoes Maryland is the kind of sweet side dish American cooks like to serve with chicken or pork. I was going to say, “cooks from regions other than the Northeast.” Then I remembered applesauce with pork, cranberry sauce with turkey, mint jelly with lamb, and baked beans with salt pork. Not to mention pancakes and syrup with sausages cuddled up close. And mincemeat pie, that ultimate mixture of meat and sweet. (And, yes, real mincemeat, as opposed to a packaged mix, does contain meat.)

I will add that some people of Grandpa’s generation did eat diced raw garden tomatoes for breakfast, just as one would eat strawberries, with sugar and cream. You see, it was safe to eat them raw with sugar and cream, because the tomatoes then ceased to be a vegetable and became a fruit.

And actually those old-time breakfasters were right. Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes are good with sugar and cream. Let’s face it, most things are good with sugar and cream. And of course tomatoes really are a fruit.

In my 'un-biased' opinion, the crockpot / slow cooker is one of the most convenient and easy to use appliances in my kitchen. The time savings features of the slow cooker and the delicious dinners that have resulted more than offset any minor drawbacks.
Before I list my top reasons why the crockpot is the most useful appliance in any kitchen, I will list a few of the areas where it does not perform as well.

- Large cuts of meat such as boneless prime rib or leg of lamb are still best when oven roasted.

- Except for stews and chowders, the slow cooker does not cook fish very well.

- The slow cooker collects a lot of the juices since the steam does not escape during cooking and these juices can become diluted and watery, which can affect the flavoring of the food.

- If not careful, a slow cooker can overcook food -especially some of the more tender meats and poultry.

These drawbacks are relatively minor compared to the positives which I will list now.

- The slow cooker needs virtually no tending while it cooks, freeing you up to do other chores or recipes.

- The slow cooker will tenderize less expensive, tough cuts of meat and make great stews out of them.

- The slow cooker allows you to be out of the kitchen for extended periods of time -sometimes even all day.

- Burning your food is rarely a problem. The slow cooker will make many dishes for you better than any other appliance -especially those that tend to stick to the bottom of a pan.

In my opinion the slow cooker is one of the most under-utilized and yet superior of kitchen appliances. When used for what it does best, you will find that you are able to prepare great dishes in less time than you thought
possible!

Lobster, once the food of poor farmers, is now considered a special treat for many. Although some people prefer the meaty claws, I think that lobster tails are the best tasting part of this delicious creature. A great meal of lobster tails might seem like a gourmet feast to your guests, but they are actually quite easy to prepare. Add a little sprig of garnish and a fancy side dish and you’re sure to impress even your mother in law.

Your lobster tails might start off a fresh or frozen, being in New England, fresh lobster is easy to come by but frozen might be all you can get in some parts of the country and in the off season. If your lobster tails are frozen, you need to thaw them out (you can cook them frozen but they will not be as tender). Put them in the fridge for 10 hours or so or thaw them in the microwave on defrost – be very careful if you choose this method as you don’t want them to start cooking in the microwave.

After they are thawed, remove the meat from the shell by cutting open the back of the shell – split it down the middle and open it up to reveal the meat. Lift the meat out – you can leave the fan part of the tail on for show or not. Remove the vein.

Boiling Lobster Tails

Boil a pot of water large enough for all the tails to float in, add 1 tsp salt for each quart of water. Drop the tails in the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute per oz thawed (so 10 0z of tails needs to cook for 10 minutes). If you are cooking a lot of tails, add a minute or two on to the total time.

Cooking Lobster Tails in the Oven
Lobster tails can be baked or broiled in the oven. To cook thawed lobster in the oven,set the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tails with butter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If broiling, place the tails 4 or 5 inches from the heat and broil for 2 – 5 minutes. When broiling keep a very close eye on them so that they don’t burn on the tops.

Cooking Lobster Tails On The Grill
Oil the grill to keep the lobsters from sticking. Put the grill on medium heat. Brush the lobster tails with butter and place on the grill. Make sure that the tails do not burn – if there are any flames on the grill move the lobster away from it. Grill on each side for 4-5 minutes.

Take care not to overcook your lobster or it will be rubbery and tasteless. Lobster is cooked when it is no longer transparent.

I agree that too much technology isn't healthy. It leads people to be more sedentary.
I also find it difficult to believe that being surrounded by and in close proximity to radio and electromagnetic waves isn't harmful.
Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of suspected causes of many other things you mention, which are too many to go into here, but I will point out a few. Don't forget that there is tonnes of pollution in the skies.
Also, due to widespread travel, we are exposed to viruses and other germs at a much higher frequency than in the past.
I am a food allergy sufferer. So are many of my relatives. It goes back generations. I had friends who had had anaphylaxis, growing up in the 60s, including one who had an allergy to peanuts.
What has changed historically is the amount of exposure to allergens on a regular basis. Go to the store and look at the ingredients in cookies, crackers, soups and sauces. You will find soy, wheat, corn or corn syrup in almost everything. Look at chilled cookie dough. It will have these as well as several types of nuts and other things you would never imagine.
I have found cheeses to contain soy or other unusual products. Many cereals, candy and other items warn they may contain traces of nuts. Any exposure to trace amounts of an allergen can trigger an immune response that prepares for a severe response to subsequent exposures.
Other things that have changed with our food supply are the quality and types of substances added to food.
For example, the types of oils used. Butter was more widely used as an ingredient. Then hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils were popular, but turned out to be bad for health. Now palm oil and palm kernel oil are becoming popular and are unhealthy. Cottonseed oil, used for industrial purposes, is being used as edible oil. It is linked to lower sperm counts in men.
We have genetically modified (GM) foods, where let's say, a gene from a sea plant or some other organism is imbedded into the DNA of a plant to ward off pests, fungi, or resist drought.
Sounds reasonable, but why are food and chemical companies spending lots of money to prevent legislation requiring labelling of GM foods?
Something else that older folks will recognise that has changed with our food supply is its containment.
Prior to the 70s, I can't remember anything being sold in plastic containers. Everything was in glass, cans, or waxed boxes. Grocery bags were paper. Plastics has a lot of good points. It doesn't break easily and is much lighter, but some plastics can leach chemicals into food. Some of these chemicals affect hormones in humans.
People should be careful about what types of plastics they use for food storage.
Health awareness has increased awareness and diagnosis of some conditions, so comparing statistics of now and then might be misleading.
A lot of 'problem children' probably had attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder back then, but would never have been diagnosed. Who would have known if they had Type 2 diabetes or heart disease? Things like that used to be normal, and people didn't always know why someone died.
Don't you think artificial lighting has something to do with sleep disorders? Is it natural for most people to be up so late? Light affects one's biorhythms, which affect one's health.
It has only been a little more than a century that humans have been staying up so late on such a wide scale. Anyhow, think about it.

Scientists face many obstacles on the path to greater knowledge. But new research suggests how to avoid one of the more common pitfalls: spilled coffee.
"I cannot say for sure if coffee spilling has been detrimental to scientific research to any significant extent," says study author Rouslan Krechetnikov, a mechanical engineer at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "But it can certainly be disruptive for a train of thought."
Krechetnikov and his graduate student Hans Mayer decided to investigate coffee spilling at a fluid dynamics conference last year when they watched overburdened participants trying to carry their drinks to and fro. They quickly realized that the physics wasn't simple. Aside from the mechanics of human walking, which depends on a person's age, health, and gender, there is the highly involved science of liquid sloshing, which depends on a complex interplay of accelerations, torques, and forces.    
{Let's not forget the physical characteristics of the fluid e.g. temperature and viscosity. Perhaps there are produce development applications for convenience beverages designed to be consumed on the go!}

As a software engineer descended from three generations of butchers, I might be uniquely qualified to answer this question. My perspective as a programmer and general hacker gives me the ability to decompose complex problems into structured solutions; creating an algorithm is almost no different than creating a recipe. And while I’m not a butcher by profession, my overall familiarity with the butchering, preparing, and cooking of meat in its various forms may give me some insight into the “problem domain.”
In order to consider the future of meat, we must first look at its current state. So I’ll start with my “State of the Meat Union,” which may be controversial to some, but I’ll take you through my thinking step by step.
In the United States, ConAgra – and two or three other companies to a much lesser extent – process 80 percent or more of all meat. All meat! If you’re eating meat in this country, there’s a high probability that the animal came from a particular factory feedlot, ConAgra processed it into products, and you bought the end result at a Wal-Mart. This is the lifecycle of what most people eat as “meat”: a consolidated, monolithic supply chain controlled by a literal handful of special interests concerned only with making profits. The resulting meat products lack taste, are unhealthy, and are chock-ful of preservatives, additives, antibiotics and artificial flavoring.
This is why I say: the mass production of processed meats is not the future of meat. It’s the future of something that might resemble meat if you squint your eyes, but it’s not what I call meat. It may be classified as food, but it’s not meat.
Does that make me a “meat purist”? Absolutely.
The future of meat I want to see is one where sustainable farming practices, increased diversity of livestock and an emphasis on quality at all levels of production creates incredible meats that more people can enjoy. I experienced this firsthand when I purchased my first “quarter of a pig” share from a community shared agriculture hog farm in upstate New York. I have eaten a lot of meat in my life, and I am here to tell you that I have never had anything before or since that’s come anywhere close to the exceptional quality of the meat they produced for me. Pulled pork, bacon, ribs, ham, sausage – it was all addictively delicious. Now that I know what I’ve been missing, I don’t want anything else!
It’s the kind of thing you just can’t buy in a big-box grocery store, because it’s simply impossible for the mass producers to achieve that level of farm-to-table quality. It’s not profitable enough for them, and it’s too hard for them to do in a factory. Put plainly: I don’t want a future where “meatfood” that’s cloned or genetically modified, grown, synthesized, and processed in a factory laboratory is the norm. Their unsustainable mass production techniques have generated a multiplicity of severe problems in animal health, human health, environmental health, created and exacerbated terrible diseases, perpetrated unbelievable and outright criminal wastes of medicines and other resources… I could go on and on and on, but their worst atrocity is simply that their “food” tastes nothing like real meat, and to me that’s what matters most.
I therefore propose that we limit the problem domain to small-scale meat production and consumption. This should include protecting industrious small farms from the predation of the big agribusiness mafia and their paid enforcers, the United States government. If we can’t protect them, there is no future of meat! Legislation has been and will continue to be handcrafted by Big Ag lobbyists and then given directly to the best Congress their money can buy. These laws will continue to be unevenly enforced, killing their smaller competitors in the market and placing undue burdens on the artisans and small business folk who are bringing us the future of real meat. If we care about that future, we need to make sure this doesn’t happen.
I’ve identified the following areas where I believe we can use information and technology to create hacks for small-scale meat production and consumption. Each of these in turn can be broken down further into more specific solutions in their particular areas, hopefully guided by our “steakholders.” I also pose a few questions to get the brainstorming started:

• Husbandry and cultivation of livestock – How can we help small farmers adhere to sustainable practices? How do we get them greater yields, better and faster distribution? What data do farmers need to do their job better?

• Storage, preservation and preparation, consumption – Can we use technology to measure production and consumption, monitor quality? What can crowdsourcing do to help consumers find / prepare meat?

• Government corruption – See above; what do we need to do to protect the future of meat? Can we do data visualizations that reveal uncompetitive business practices or unfairness in the laws? Do we need systems that can monitor prices, report bad practices?

• Education – How do we inform people how great real meat tastes? What can we do to teach people to “take meat back”, learn home butchery (everyone should be able to bone a chicken and know how to make chicken stock), no longer be afraid of meat?

Serial entrepreneur and investor Michael Arrington and popular technology blog TechCrunch both covered the debate over California’s Proposition 37, which would require the labeling of foods that have been genetically engineered or contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Why? Tech investor and entrepreneur Ali Partovi launched a provocative video (below) and IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for Facebook ads that counter anti-Prop 37 corporate advertising.
Many of the big agricultural chemical and CPG companies like Monsanto, DuPont, Coke, Pepsi and General Mills have collectively spent more than $35.6 million on anti-Prop 37 advertising. So, Partovi is hoping to level the playing field, or “democratize democracy,” as he says, by crowdfunding $50,000 which he is matching for a total of $100,000. With these funds, Partovi is running Facebook ads “where you can’t you can’t fool people with deceptive ads, because the community’s opinions speak louder,” he writes.
TechCrunch reports the ads are already a big success, garnering a click-thru rate of 4 percent at $0.15 per click, which is reportedly 20 times better than the internet average. Partovi is also encouraging people to use Facebook’s new Promoted Posts feature, which allows anyone to pay $7 to improve their visibility in their friends news feeds, to spread the word.
Sure, technology as a democratizer is interesting, but there is another reason why the technology community might care about Prop 37.
Currently, information asymmetry puts consumers at a disadvantage. The science behind GMOs is inconclusive on both sides and, without regulation, the food industry gets away with labeling foods “all natural.” These products can command a premium and thus allow companies to unfairly increase prices, which is deceptive to the free market. Enacting Prop 37 would “return us to a baseline of basic transparency from which a free market can thrive,” says Partovi. Free markets only work when there is transparency and people are able to make decisions based on information, which does not exist in the case of GMOs. If Prop 37 is enacted, and, armed with this information, a significant enough number of consumers decide not to buy these products, the onus will be on the companies to conduct more research and produce better data.
“You know, not all engineering is created equal. Like with Google maps versus Apple maps, sometimes engineers make mistakes. But Apple let their customers know they were releasing new maps for iPhone and then their customers have been left to decide whether they like it or not. Similarly, Prop 37 is not a warning label, it’s just an informative label.”

Ingredients :

• 1 cup whole urad daal (urad sabut)

• 1tbsp Red kidney beans (Rajma)

• 1 onion finely chopped

• 1 tomato finely chopped

• 1" Ginger piece

• 2-3 green chilies finely chopped

• chopped coriander leaves

• 4-5 flakes Garlic paste

• 1/2 cup stirred curd

• 1/2 cup fresh stirred cream (malai)

• 2tbsp butter

• 1tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

• 1/2tsp turmeric powder

• 1/2tsp Garam masala

• Red chili powder to taste

• 1/2tsp dhania powder

• Salt to taste 

Method : 

• Soak rajma in water overnight.
• Add water & little salt and pressure-cook Rajma and urad daal till soft for about 20-25 minutes. Mash and boil again for 15-20 minutes and add curd and cream to the daal.
• Now in kadhai heat oil, splutter cumin seeds and add garlic paste, fry till light brown. Add onions and fry till golden brown.
• Now add ginger, green chilies and tomatoes and fry till tomatoes soften.
• Now add dry masalas (turmeric powder, chili powder, dhania powder & salt) and fry again for a moment.
• Add daal and stir on medium flame. As soon as it starts boiling remove from the gas.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder and garnish daal makhni with coriander and add butter.
• Serve daal makhni hot. Goes well with laccha paratha, naan or rice.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup chana daal

• 7 cup water

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/4 tsp cumin powder

• 1/4 tsp corriander powder

• 1 tblsp tamarind pulp

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tblsp vegetable oil

• 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds

• 1 chopped garlic clove 

Method :

• Soak the chana daal in 4 cup water for 2-3 hours then wash and drain. 
• Boil 3 cups water and the salt in a pan.
• Add the chana dal, cover the pan and cook over medium flame for 30 min.
• Stir the dal when cooked.
• Add cayenne, turmeric, cumin, coriander, sugar the tamarind pulp (skin & seeds removed).
• Stir well and allow to simmer uncovered.
• In a separate frying pan, heat the vegetble oil over low heat and add the mustard seeds and chopped garlic to it.
• When the oil gets hot, add the oil mixture to the simmering pot of dal.
• Immediately cover the pot and keep covered for 2 min. while the dal continues to simmer.
• Cook chana daal uncovered for another 5 min. and the dal is ready to be served with rice or bread.