Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Salmon is a delicacy in cultures all around the world, here it is prepared as an ornamental Japanese salmon sashimi.

Found both in fresh and salt water, salmon is a popular fish to make and prepare, however the health benefits of salmon far surpass its delicious taste. Salmon is an unbeatable source of amino acids (digestible proteins) and fatty acids (Omega-3 in form of Triglyceride), which means that eating salmon is good for maintaining proper cardiovascular health, for encouraging the development of muscle and tissue, and for lowering the blood sugar level by improving the body's metabolism. Rich in minerals such as Selenium, Zinc, Phosphorus, Calcium, and Iron, salmon is also a great source of vitamin-D, vitamin-A, and traces of vitamin-B. The main drawcard would have to be the Omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to reduce cholesterol, strengthen cardiac muscles, and help to maintain the flexibility of the arteries. Omega-3 fatty acids are also valuable for the healthy and regular functioning of our bodies by preventing macular degeneration, meaning better eyesight and for longer, and improving the efficiency of the brain and enhancing the memory. In fact, these naturally good fatty acids are even recognised as protecting the nervous system from the ravages of the aging process and the relaxing impact they have on the brain has prompted the suggestion that they could work as effective anti-depressants.

Salmon is scientifically classified by the prefix Oncorhynchus, which indicates the genus of fish in the family Salmonidae, and then various suffixes indicate the particular variety of salmon.

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Best methods for preparing salmon: Salmon is an easy way to feed delicious and healthy meals to your family, and the many and varied ways to prepare the fish are all part of the appeal! Grill salmon steaks for a mouth-watering barbeque, bake a salmon fillet in the oven for a more traditional approach, or try adding an oriental edge with delicious honey-soy broiled salmon served with a homemade marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and ginger. Smoked salmon with Russian-style mini pancakes (blini) are scrumptious when topped with sour cream and chives, and the high regard in which wild salmon from Scotland or the Baltic region are held means that they make a perfect inclusion to gourmet gift hampers for the health or fitness conscious foodie in your life.

It’s not often you see an advertisement for Shredded Wheat, All Bran, or low-sugar organic cereals. What you do see, in a very repetitive and aggressive way, are ads for high-sugar, low-fiber content cereals. You know, Trix (Trix are for kids!), Lucky Charms (they’re magically delicious), Corn Pops, and Cap’n Crunch (one of my childhood favorites).

Those Saturday morning cartoons may entertain the kids and even delight a few adults but they also offer up unhealthy choices in the form of commercials. A new study, conducted by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, shows that cereals marketed to our children have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber, and 60 percent more sodium, not to mention the additional unnecessary calories that they add to the breakfast bowl.

The study, released over the weekend, provides a wealth of information on both the content and marketing of cereals in this country. Using a nutrient profile system and reviewing marketing data for the popular cereal brands, researchers found that the average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year on television. Eleven of the thirteen cereals advertised most to children on television are also marketed heavily on the internet, with not one of them qualifying for inclusion in the USDA WIC Program. (For more information on this report, you can go to CerealFacts.org.)

The Top 10 advertised cereals to children with the poorest nutrition content were: Reese’s Puffs, Corn Pops, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cap’n Crunch, Trix, Froot Loops, Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, and Cookie Crisp.

Of course the food companies are fighting back. General Mills spokeswoman Heidi Geller says kids who eat cereal more frequently, including pre-sweetened cereals, "tend to weigh less than kids who eat cereal less frequently — and they are better nourished." Given that General Mills has the highest number of brands marketed directly to children (8) and the highest amount of money spent on marketing those cereals ($107 million per year), it’s not surprising that they are trying to spin this in a positive light.

Look for cereals that have 10 grams or less of sugar per serving and look at the serving size, which varies.  Cereal bowls, when filled, tend to be twice what the average serving size is (3/4 to 1 cup), meaning that your child is getting twice the amount of sugar than you intended. And many go back for seconds, compounding the issue.

GoodGuides provides the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home. It has a good cereal ranking system, and also allows you to filter by the following topics:

• Environmentally Friendly
• Organic
• Low In Sugar
• Low In Sodium
• Low In Cholesterol
• Low In Saturated Fat

For years tap water has been under scrutiny for the potential risks involved with chemicals, added minerals, and general impurities that can cause dangerous side effects. The fear of the tap led to a surge of bottled water and a craze that has been long-lasting because these attractive little plastic bottles are convenient and no one questioned their source. Emerging research shows that maybe we should not have been in fear of the tap, but rather we should have been embracing it.

In an investigation of almost 200 brands of widely used bottled waters, an Environmental Working Group (EWG) found some startling results when all of the data was collected. The EWG Sr. Vice President for Research, Jane Houlihan, discussed these findings in a congressional oversight hearing in order to speed up the process in helping the government regulate new bottled water standards.

Perhaps the most surprising result of the study was that out of the 188 different brands of bottled water investigated, only 2 disclosed these three basic facts about the water contained in them:

1. The exact source of the water.
2. How the water is purified.
3. Which chemical pollutants may be in every bottle.

These three little facts may seem insignificant, but if you stop to think about it, knowing where the water comes from that you are drinking is a good idea not only as a safety concern but an economical concern as well. Think of how many times you have been in a gas station, restaurant, or amusement park and bought an expensive (between 2 and 7 dollars) bottle of water.

The mystery surrounding the mostly-empty labels on your little plastic bottles is explained by Houlihan because under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives the brand makers of beverages the ability to choose what details they would like to give to their consumers. However, tap water doesn’t get off so easy under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because the Safe Water Drinking Act makes the nation’s 52,000 tap water suppliers develop an annual water report. Houlihan says that the allure of fancy bottles and simple labels has been distracting, “Many people assume bottled water is healthier and safer to drink than ordinary tap water…. The ugly truth is that under lax federal law, consumers know very little about the quality of bottled water on which they spend billions every year.”

So next time you are thirsty and are not near your tap or another local source of water, which 2 brands can you trust the most? The two highest rated bottled waters because of their adherence to the three basic facts listed above are: Ozarka Drinking Water and Penta Ultra-Purified Water. They both list their water sources being geographically specific as well as giving their water treatment methods on the label. Their websites gave recent quality tests done to show the quality of their water.

The disappointing facts of the report also showed that none of the top ten bottled water suppliers in the United States include the specific water source and the treatment method on their labels. By using enticing terms like “perfect, pure, and clean,” the brand makers are advertising a genuine product but not delivering one. Any of these ten waters may in fact be as safe as your local tap water, but if they do not list all three of these requirements on the label, these facts might be hard to find out: Aquafina, Arrowhead, Crystal Geyser, Dasani, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Nestlé Pure Life, Ozarka, Poland Spring, and Zephyrhills.