Consuming Raisin Regularly Prevent Hypertension

Consuming a handful of raisins three times a day on a regular basis is believed to help preventing and reducing hypertension. Thereby, the main risk of heart disease can be suppressed.

The conclusion was obtained from the studies presented in United States major cardiology conference.

This clinical trials conducted at random, to be believed as the first official measurement of the raisins benefits on blood pressure, involving 46 people with a condition known as pre-hypertension. Their blood pressure ranged from 120/80 mmHg to 139/89 mmHg, or higher than normal blood pressure.

Compared with people who are snacking on cakes or biscuits, raisins group showed decrease in their blood pressure, seven percent over the 12 week study.

The researchers are not so sure why raisins showed this promising result. But they suspect it's related to high levels of potassium in the shrinking dry grapes .

"Raisins are filled with potassium, which is good in lowering blood pressure," said lead researcher Harold Bays, Medical Director, Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center.

"Raisins are also a good source of fiber and anti-oxidant that may change biochemistry of blood vessels, changing them not too stiff. In turn, it can reduce blood pressure," says Bays was quoted as saying by AFP.

A handful of raisins, a total of 60 grains, contains one gram of fiber and 212 milligrams of potassium. Raisin is often recommended as part of a low-fat diet and rich in fiber, in order to reduce blood pressure.

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Delicious Foods without Fat

Delicious food usually donate a lot of fat to our body. But there are also tips for making a tasty dish but still healthy.

Usually the topping of ice cream is milk or chocolate. But you can actually replace it with a variety of fruit such as strawberries, pineapple, or your another favorite fruits.

 

When grilling, usually butter or cooking oil will become a choice for smearing on meat or fish. For a healthier option, you can replace it with applesauce, mashed bananas, or pureed pears.

Salad is a healthy diet because it contains lots of vegetables rich in vitamins. But it's often found the use of unhealthy sauces. For that, you can replace it with lemon juice or fresh orange juice.

Soup is one of the favorite food when the rainy/winter season arrives. However, the thick cream commonly found in soup contribute also fat. Well, to replace that fatty soup, you can make vegetable soup. Don't forget to add the potato to get the creamy texture in your soup.

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Recipe: Cheese Chicken Steak

This classic European chicken steak will always have its own fans. Bread crumbs layer on the outside is crunchy & crispy. But the inside are soft tasty chicken breast with melted cheese and a delicious fragrance of smoked beef. Hmmm .. yummy!

Ingredients:
2 pieces of chicken breast without skin and bones
2 pieces of smoked beef
2 pieces of mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
50 g of flour
50 g of bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Complement:
100 g of French Fries

Directions:

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts. (You can watch this "how to" youtube video from Taste of Home Magazine)
2. Wrap those chicken breasts in plastic and then use meat mallet to flatten them.
3. Insert 2 pieces of smoke beef and a piece of cheese in the middle of chicken breast.
4. Dredge the chicken breast in flour, then dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs until blended.
5. Fry in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown.
6. Remove from the heat and drain. Serve with French fries.

note: this recipe is for 2 people.

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Recipe: Fruit Pudding

For the sake of easiness, the ingredients will be divided to ingredients A and ingredients B.

Ingredients A:
1 pack of red jello
1 can of canned lychee, drained it but do not dispose its juice
200 ml of water
150 gr of sugar
1 teaspoon of Vanilla powder


Ingredients B:
2 packs of white jello
600 ml of whole milk
150 gr of sugar
2 tablespoons of strawberry jam
100 gr of green apple
100 g of papaya
1 piece of banana
1 tablespoon of lime juice

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Recipe: Nasi Goreng Seafood

"Considered Indonesia’s national dish, this take on Asian fried rice is often made with sweet, thick soy sauce called kecap (pronounced ketchup) and garnished with acar, pickled cucumber and carrots." www.cnngo.com

Alright, this time we're gonna share you the 2nd of World's Most Delicious Food. Nasi Goreng Seafood (literally Seafood Fried Rice)

Ingredients:
500 grams of white rice
200 grams shrimp, peeled, tail set aside
100 grams snapper fillets, cut into pieces
60 grams of squid, cut into pieces
100 grams of pineapple, cut into pieces
50 grams of peas

Seasonings:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 spring onions, chopped
2 cm ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon soy sauce (kethcup)
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon flavoring, if desired
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Cooking oil

Directions:

1. Heat cooking oil and sesame oil, and then saute garlic, onions, ginger until fragrant.
2. Add the shrimp, snapper, squid. Stir.
3. Add white rice, soy sauce, pepper powder, salt. Mix well and cook until the flavors to infuse.
4. Add pineapple, peas. Cook briefly, stirring until blended and well cooked.
5. Seafood fried rice ready to serve.

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Pomegranate for Heart, Bone, Fresh Mouth and Strong Teeth

Currently, pomegranate is quite popular. We can eat it directly or made juice of pomegranate. Because of its high vitamins and antioxidants, this sour but fresh fruit is able to counteract diseases.

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) has round shape almost as big as oranges. It's tree can reach up to 5-8 m high. People of South China and Southeast Asia often plant it in the yard as an ornamental plant. Besides it tastes good, pomegranate also has tremendous benefits for health.

Pomegranates are rich in  polyphenols antioxidant (annins and anthocyanins), vitamin C, vitamin B5, potassium and fiber. Recent research suggests that, drinking pomegranate juice every day may lower cholesterol levels, and increasing blood flow to the heart. Pomegranate juice is also effective for maintaining stable cardiac performance and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Here are some great benefits of pomegranates for health:

Heart
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants that are good for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Pomegranate also maintain the arteries, in order not to be blocked by "plaque", which can lead to stroke risk.

Erectile Dysfunction
Drinking pomegranate juice for three months on a regular basis can prevent erectile dysfunction of men.

Tooth
Pomegranate fruit has antibacterial subtances which are good for "cleaning" the mouth cavity, preventing plaque on teeth and bad breath.  Just gargling with pomegranate juice regularly, and we will have fresh breath and strong teeth.

Bone
Pomegranate has good subtances for reducing bone inflammation and preventing bone loss. therefore regularly eating pomegranates is good for preventing osteoporosis.

Cancer
Researchers believe that eating fresh pomegranate or pomegranate juice will prevent and treat lung, prostate, skin and breast cancer.

Alzheimer's
Antioxidants in pomegranates can prevent Alzheimer's disease. For the pregnant woman, eating pomegranates or pomegranate juice can protect the fetal brain from damage.

And try to eat fresh pomegranates. If you have to buy pomegranate juice, make sure it's made of 100% of pomegranate, in order to get maximum benefit of this fruit.

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Tips to Make Delicious Broth

If you thought  making the broth is easy before; boiling bones or meat into the water, then finish. Apparently, it's not as simple as that! Many people doing the wrong way when boiling bones or meat, so that the broth doesn't have a good quality. So if you don't want that to happen, try to follow these cooking tips.

1. To make delicious broth can never be instant, time spent for cooking broth is 1-2 hours.
2. If the broth looks dirty (because of some residual blood, fat, etc.), discard the broth, wash the meat/bone immediately. Then re-boil meat/bones in fresh water over medium heat. Once boiling, immediately turn off the heat, discard the water. Prepare a hot water again, put the meat / bone in the hot water and cook over low heat to make a good broth.
3. Never use high heat to make broth, because the marrow and blood will be separated from the rest of the bone (if the broth is made from cow/chicken bone). As a result, the broth will become muddy and fishy, and the tasty bone juice will be trapped inside and couldn't be released. Use the slow cooking technique.
4. If there is floating foam on the boiling broth, skim and discard the foam.
5. Never put raw bones into the boiling broth.
6. Do not mix the broth with un-boiling water, the flavor may get change, and the broth will become easily stale.

additional tips:

1. The broth shouldn't smell fishy. To eliminate the fishy smell, you can add other ingredients such as green onions, celery, or carrot skin while boiling the broth.
2. The broth shouldn't greasy.
3. The broth color should be clear.

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