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If you were scared away from Mexican food by the Center for Disease Control’s last report about it-and even if you weren’t-you may be wondering if there are any healthy choices in Mexican cuisine. Mexican food is an American favorite-even if it is just the Taco Bell variety. The key to eating healthy and enjoying Mexican cuisine is to make simple changes in the ingredients that you use and to change your preparation techniques. Before “civilization” came, centuries ago, Mexican food was very healthful. By using the key elements of beans, corn, fresh vegetables, and lean meats you can make your Mexican food healthy.

Enchiladas are a favorite Mexican dish-but they are usually loaded with fat as well. Just eliminate dipping the corn tortillas in the hot oil and soften them with a tomato or low fat broth based sauce and you can cut out a lot of calories.

Your choice of dairy products also greatly affects the fat content of your Mexican food dishes. There are lots of low fat and non fat dairy choices on the market today that you can substitute in your dishes. If you love sour cream, and don’t want to leave it out, use nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt as an alternative.

The cooking of Mexican food is where a lot of fat comes in. Look for dishes which are not fried-stay away from chimichangas and chile rellenos. Fajitas and soft tacos are good choices if they have lean meats and not a lot of dairy.

Choose corn tortillas and soften them by putting them for just a short time on a heated griddle. There are also many wheat flour tortillas on the market which are low fat, or nonfat and high fiber choices.

Believe it or not, refried beans can contain as much as a day’s worth of saturated fat in them because of lard and cheese. Make them a low fat alternative by mashing beans with a little bean juice, spices, and possibly even your favorite salsa. They taste great and are very healthy.

You can eat Mexican and eat healthy just choose well.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Food and Cooking and she loves Mexican food. For more information about mexican food visit foodax.com

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Writing this review of meats on father’s day is probably fitting, as most fathers are meat and potatoes men. Let’s face it, what red blooded man doesn’t like a thick juicy steak with mashed potatoes for dinner? Try to serve him some fish and chips and he’ll probably have a fit. Well, there’s more kinds of meat than just steak. We’ll cover a few of them here and what you can do with them.

Yes, it’s true. There is nothing like a good piece of steak. But a steak is not just a steak. There are many different cuts of steak. Why? Because there are many different parts of the cow. And contrary to what you may think, they all don’t taste the same.

For example and we’re going to review these by body part of the cow, there is your chuck beef, which is located just in back of the cow’s head. This part of the cow is exercised the most and so the meat is the toughest as far as texture. You really want to season this meat considerably and tenderize it if you want to eat it without breaking your jaw. Pot roasts are usually made from chuck. It’s best to cook the meat medium rare. Actually no meat should be cooked too much if you ask the experts.

The brisket is located underneath the chuck. This part of the cow is usually used for corned beef and barbecued beef. Corned beef and cabbage is actually made from boiling the meat instead of broiling it. This is one of the rare times that you would boil meat. You can also make pot roast with brisket if you prefer.

Moving to the back of the cow, or the rear end, this is the round. The round is either top or bottom round and most of your ground beef is made from this part of the cow. Ground beef of course is used for making your typical hamburger or meatball. Meatloaf can also be made out of ground beef.

Moving back to the front of the cow, just behind the chuck is the rib. The rib is one of the most delicate cuts of beef that you can get. The rib is great for either broiling, grilling or roasting. This is where you get your rib and rib eye steaks. Just in back of the rib and cooked pretty much the same, is the short loin and sirloin. Sirloin steaks are probably some of the most popular steaks around and very tasty.

The shank, which is located in the cows legs, is great for making stews. There is also a classic dish made from the shank which is called osso buco, where you would braise the shank. Shank cuts aren’t as popular as most of the other, but they still have their uses.

The number of ways you can cook each of these different parts of the cow are numerous. This fine animal has given us some classic dishes such as prime ribs and filet mignon.

Meat eaters certainly do have a lot to look forward to and a lot to be thankful for…High cholesterol and all.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Food

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Closely related to onion, shallot, and leek, garlic has been known for more than 5,000 years for its special smell, taste and healing powers. Throughout all of recorded history, people have been using garlic for a variety of purposes; either culinary or medical. It come as a surprise to some, but apart from its legendary powers to “scare vampires away,” garlic has been considered for centuries a natural health improver that originates from a simple perennial plant.

Due to its numerous components, garlic has been found to lower blood pressure and thus reduce the incidents of strokes, prevent hypertension, improve the human immune system, prevent heart disease -by enhancing the elastic properties of aorta in the elderly-increase the body’s strength and energy levels, lower cholesterol levels and fight cancer-due to its high diallyl sulphide concentration. In short, garlic is one of the best natural healing herbs and culinary ingredients currently available.

From the earliest times, garlic has been used as an article for diet. In fact, garlic has been consumed by ancient civilizations on a daily basis. This herb’s unique capabilities come from its components, such as calcium, selenium, zinc and potassium. Its essential oils-whose principal active agent is allicin-have made people want to praise this health fighter’s strong antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral properties. From healing an upset stomach to fighting infections, garlic has been incorporated in modern medicine practices and has experienced tremendous success for its positive results.

Since garlic is easily incorporated into a meal, one can chop or crush garlic bulbs and individual cloves after peeling them or even add the whole garlic head for some extremely tasteful culinary creations, this aromatic ingredient brings an extra tone of healthy nutrition to daily cuisine. After garlic is ingested, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and then diffused through various organs. Patients suffering from intestinal upsets have added 7-9 cloves of garlic into their daily diet plan so as to keep the acids released inside the stomach from developing over a specific amount. Fresh garlic can also be directly applied in the naked skin’s surface, if one suffers from athlete’s foot, skin infections and acne. Moreover, fresh garlic mixed with honey can be an extremely effective home remedy for colds, throat irritations or other areas of the human respiratory system that might be affected during a period of flu.

Finally, those hesitating in adding garlic to their daily diets due to its characteristic odor that causes bad breath, there is always the solution of chewing a strong gum, fresh parsley leafs, thyme or peppermint, right after consuming a meal that contains any quantity of garlic. Always remember to choose from firm garlic bulbs, which are taut, unbroken and white or light in color. It is essential to keep garlic stored in dry, cool places and if properly stored, garlic can last for several weeks. Concluding, if you are not a garlic fun, avoid buying braids of garlic to hang on your kitchen cabinets, as its bulbs will be spoiled before you have a chance to use them. Keep in mind that garlic is an excellent germs fighter, antibiotic and powerful health agent, making it a perfect natural addition to your meals. Do not let its odor keep it out from your fridge or cool cupboard. Eat garlic and keep health problems, such as migraines, influenza and blocked arteries, always far away.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including
Alternative Health, Relationship, and
Nursing

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