As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, we not only think about that one day, but what the spirit of that day, the embodiment of the Anzac legend has meant through these 100 years, and still means today.
Allied forces from Australia and New Zealand didn't enter the war on that April morning 100 years ago. Our troops had been engaged earlier, both in training, planning and in other theatres. But it was this April morning that still lives in our memories. Anzac day is not a day to celebrate war. War isn't anything to celebrate. It is the last and least desired outcome. Anzac day celebrates the spirit of coming to the aid of a friend, of mateship, of wanting to do the right thing, even when no rewards will be given, when suffering may result, when loss may occur.
History tells us that April morning had no chance of success. Landing on that beach, with gun fire raining down, and problems with coordination of multiple landings, meant that many didn't survive getting to dry land. Those that did, bunkered down and were then engaged in charges of futility against a native enemy. And against the odds, the beach head was taken and defended and a brutal phase of trench warfare took place.
But yet, 100 years later, the enemy is the friend, the names given to those places by the Allied forces remain, protected by Turkey. Why? The Turkish forces gave credence to a foe that never gave up, that was resilient, that fought hard. The ultimate respect to a foe. And wherever these forces fought across WW1, the same respect was earned and given. Australians and New Zealanders can move around northern Europe thanked for their contributions and joined in mourning for the common losses, and towns are still teaching about the sacrifices made to protect their homes, when the soldiers were so many, many miles from their own.
How does the spirit of that morning pervade though history? It is of the same desire to help out when WW2 came and the world again descended into war. It is of the committment to fight in lands not our own, to protect those who are in need when our own country was under threat. Of fighting and dying to protect Great Britain, to liberate Europe, to draw a line and die fighting to protect our own shores, in Papua New Guinea, and fight to liberate the oppression in the Pacific, in Singapore, Malay, Philippines and many other countries. A legend that was upheld in the Malay conflict, Korea, Vietnam and other times of war.
Throughout history, not just in the Anzac spirit for fighting but I see it in many ways. Thinking of organisations such as the State Emergency Services (SES), the Rural Fire Service (RFS), the Surf Life Saving Association - all volunteer organisations staffed by people who are often out when the worst of nature, or the worst in people, affects so many others. Of all the volunteers who give freely of themselves to ensure others get help. Of people who are out helping you and I save our homes, when their own is under threat, or being lost. Of that desire to help without benefit, and often impact to their own livelihood. Where the thanks may just be a smile, a hug from relieved residents, and a cup of tea. But that thanks is enough. The spirit of wanting to help out a stranger, of giving of oneself to work with others. Of mateship forged in a helping hand. Where status in life, race or religion are ignored and only the chance to help is recognised.
So when I celebrate Anzac Day, I celebrate and am thankful for the embodiment of this spirit not just on that fateful shore, but how it has been the inspiration for the generations that followed. The spirit that unites Australian's and New Zealander's.
So when you bite into an Anzac biscuit, you may just enjoy the great taste of oats, coconut and sweet, golden syrup. But when I make them, I am grateful for the reason they exist.
What does it mean to others? As the world joins in celebrating our day, some of their views articulated are below:
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/24/the-many-faces-of-anzac-day-how-grief-became-a-national-rallying-point
The movie scene that captured the fruitlessness and desperation of that campaign, and the birth of the legend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eeijbtbnjQ
Bella's Bites
Friday, 24 April 2015
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Effects of high sugar intake
In the previous post I wrote about what calories look like and what is required for your day.
In this post I will go a little into what excess sugar intake can do for your health.
The first point to make is that this is on excess sugar. That is, eating beyond moderation or balance for your lifestyle and activity. It is also about the consumption of sugar rather than the consumption of calories. Remember, calories are in different forms in different foods, so calories are more than just sugar.
Everyone associates lots of sugar intake with obesity. What is less understood is the actual contributions of sugar intake on health. If few experts can agree beyond "it makes you fat" then it is hard to accurately state the side effects. This is partly why so many government health agencies and other independent research is still reviewing the data. However there are numerous studies on sugar intake and the results. The only question is whether the effect is directly attributable to sugar intake or partly attributable with other factors also involved.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently reviewing its sugar intake guideline. This means that it is looking at the emerging data to provide a global recommendation for sugar intake. Its current guideline is from 2002. The draft is available from their website for viewing. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/). Whilst the draft guideline advocates less than 10% of total energy intake per day be by sugar (ie: 50g or 12 teaspoons), with a statement that achieving 5% offers additional health benefits. The draft guideline was formulated based on analyses of all published scientific studies on the consumption of sugars and how that relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.
So, 12 teaspoons a day doesn't sound too bad. I know I don't add that much when I think about what I eat and drink during the day. But.....
The hard thing is that all of us think only of the sugars we see. The added sugar from a sugar container. The sachet with the coffee. One of the key findings that are commonly understood is the amount of hidden sugars - those sugars added to processed foods. These are unseen and therefore hard for us to even recognise as part of our daily sugar intake. Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of sugar.
An ABC Catalyst science program "Is Sugar Making Us Sick" reviewed sugar (http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2015/01/08/4159335.htm). In it is some interesting data collated and reviewed. However it still notes that the scientific conclusion is not clear. Some of the studies showed:
But these studies alone aren't enough to prove that sugar causes heart disease, as it's not clear that the link is directly attributable to sugar and not another confounding factor. That is, is sugar the only contributor to this effect or is there other contributors or common factors. Eg: are people who are more likely to eat more sugar also less likely to perform regular exercise, which is known to have a positive effect on heart disease. Or are there other factors that may lead to increased heart disease such as smoking. The ongoing reviews of the data are required to provide that clear link. However, even with this finding as it is, the evidence would indicate enough basis to examine your sugar intake and reduce.
But how to review your intake? All products bought should have ingredients and nutrition labels.
With the ingredients label, the ingredients are all in volume order - from the most to the least. So if a product such as tomato sauce (ketchup) has sugar before tomatoes, it means there is more sugar in the sauce than tomatoes. So be guided by the location of sugar in the ingredients.
One recent action in Australia has been to also provide a star rating guide to food to show the actual nutritional quality of a product - across energy, fat, sugar and salt. This provides an easy way to judge a product. Some of the largest cereal manufacturers are yet to use it, and a recent review shows why.
(http://ow.ly/KqqkI) The manufacturers talk about the benefits of their product such as "contains wholegrains" and "no artificial flavours" but play down the contribution of sugars in the same product. The star rating system quicly shows the actual benefits so it can be simply understood and compared.
The cereals with the most sugar were Kellogg’s Frosties (41.3g per 100g), Kellogg’s Froot Loops (38g) and Kellogg’s Coco Pops (36.5g) – all of which are heavily promoted to children. So this means that for all these cereals, out of every 3 mouthfuls, you are eating more than 1 mouthful of sugar. Try for yourself to review the sugar content of cereals and see what they contain. Not all cereals are the same!
A star rating system would be very useful in other countries as it is a simple but effective communication tool, especially where nutrition aspects is less discussed in the media and classroom. And the benefits will be large. Western countries are already counting the costs of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. How well can a country like the Philippines handle this epidemic? Prevention, education and reduction are better to be implemented now to reduce the long term effects and provide positive benefits for life.
In this post I will go a little into what excess sugar intake can do for your health.
The first point to make is that this is on excess sugar. That is, eating beyond moderation or balance for your lifestyle and activity. It is also about the consumption of sugar rather than the consumption of calories. Remember, calories are in different forms in different foods, so calories are more than just sugar.
Everyone associates lots of sugar intake with obesity. What is less understood is the actual contributions of sugar intake on health. If few experts can agree beyond "it makes you fat" then it is hard to accurately state the side effects. This is partly why so many government health agencies and other independent research is still reviewing the data. However there are numerous studies on sugar intake and the results. The only question is whether the effect is directly attributable to sugar intake or partly attributable with other factors also involved.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently reviewing its sugar intake guideline. This means that it is looking at the emerging data to provide a global recommendation for sugar intake. Its current guideline is from 2002. The draft is available from their website for viewing. (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/). Whilst the draft guideline advocates less than 10% of total energy intake per day be by sugar (ie: 50g or 12 teaspoons), with a statement that achieving 5% offers additional health benefits. The draft guideline was formulated based on analyses of all published scientific studies on the consumption of sugars and how that relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.
So, 12 teaspoons a day doesn't sound too bad. I know I don't add that much when I think about what I eat and drink during the day. But.....
The hard thing is that all of us think only of the sugars we see. The added sugar from a sugar container. The sachet with the coffee. One of the key findings that are commonly understood is the amount of hidden sugars - those sugars added to processed foods. These are unseen and therefore hard for us to even recognise as part of our daily sugar intake. Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of sugar.
An ABC Catalyst science program "Is Sugar Making Us Sick" reviewed sugar (http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2015/01/08/4159335.htm). In it is some interesting data collated and reviewed. However it still notes that the scientific conclusion is not clear. Some of the studies showed:
- In a study of more than 90,000 women, those who had one or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks a day were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study compared with those who did not consume sweetened drinks. But many of these women had also gained weight.
- For every additional 150 calories of sugar per person per day, the prevalence of diabetes in the population rose by 1 per cent, even after taking into account obesity, physical activity, and other types of calories.
- A recent US paper, based on a study that followed a large number of adults for over 14 years, found that consuming added sugars significantly increased the risk of death from heart disease. Over the course of the study, participants who consumed 25 per cent or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10 per cent added sugar.
- Other research showed that women with diets that had a high glycemic load (increased blood glucose associated with sugar intake) had an increased risk of coronary heart disease, with those in the highest bracket of consumption having a more than two-fold increased risk over 10 years of follow-up.
- And a study that followed 40,000 men for two decades found that those who had one can of sugary drink per day had a 20 per cent higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack than men who rarely consumed sugary drinks.
But these studies alone aren't enough to prove that sugar causes heart disease, as it's not clear that the link is directly attributable to sugar and not another confounding factor. That is, is sugar the only contributor to this effect or is there other contributors or common factors. Eg: are people who are more likely to eat more sugar also less likely to perform regular exercise, which is known to have a positive effect on heart disease. Or are there other factors that may lead to increased heart disease such as smoking. The ongoing reviews of the data are required to provide that clear link. However, even with this finding as it is, the evidence would indicate enough basis to examine your sugar intake and reduce.
But how to review your intake? All products bought should have ingredients and nutrition labels.
With the ingredients label, the ingredients are all in volume order - from the most to the least. So if a product such as tomato sauce (ketchup) has sugar before tomatoes, it means there is more sugar in the sauce than tomatoes. So be guided by the location of sugar in the ingredients.
One recent action in Australia has been to also provide a star rating guide to food to show the actual nutritional quality of a product - across energy, fat, sugar and salt. This provides an easy way to judge a product. Some of the largest cereal manufacturers are yet to use it, and a recent review shows why.
(http://ow.ly/KqqkI) The manufacturers talk about the benefits of their product such as "contains wholegrains" and "no artificial flavours" but play down the contribution of sugars in the same product. The star rating system quicly shows the actual benefits so it can be simply understood and compared.
The cereals with the most sugar were Kellogg’s Frosties (41.3g per 100g), Kellogg’s Froot Loops (38g) and Kellogg’s Coco Pops (36.5g) – all of which are heavily promoted to children. So this means that for all these cereals, out of every 3 mouthfuls, you are eating more than 1 mouthful of sugar. Try for yourself to review the sugar content of cereals and see what they contain. Not all cereals are the same!
A star rating system would be very useful in other countries as it is a simple but effective communication tool, especially where nutrition aspects is less discussed in the media and classroom. And the benefits will be large. Western countries are already counting the costs of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. How well can a country like the Philippines handle this epidemic? Prevention, education and reduction are better to be implemented now to reduce the long term effects and provide positive benefits for life.
Saturday, 27 December 2014
An insight into how the fast food industry manipulates food and us
How many calories do you need each day? The answer is "it depends on what you are doing". A person working hard doing manual labour expends more than someone sitting at a desk all day. So the calories in needs to be balanced with how much you burn up, unless you are trying to lose or gain weight. The standard applied is that the average human needs to consume approximately 2000 calories per day. Previously I have shared about what a calorie is and how calories are used to different efficiencies by the human body (ref http://bellasbitesph.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-wrap-catchup-from-world-of-science.html). The problem is that the food industry can only grow in limited ways - either they sell the products to more people, or people need to eat more. The ability to sell to more people is limited by many factors - how much time we have to eat, how much money we have to spend on eating, and the ability of manufacturers to get into new markets/countries and change peoples eating traditions. So to sell to more people is the hard and slow road to growth. How about making the same people who are already used to eating the products just eat more? This is exactly the question food manufacturers invested time and money into answering.
Dr Kessler, the former head of the US Food and Drug administration wanted to share his insights on the growth of overeating. As a former pediatrician, lawyer and head of the prime US body across food, he is well credentialed and has insight that is useful to understand.
In the first part of the article, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/10/09/3604793.htm, Dr Karl breaks down the main points of Dr Kessler's book "The End of Overeating". In this we learn how the food industry studied what drives our eating desires and how to create food that panders to this desire. In the second article, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/10/16/3608823.htm, the reasons why poor quality fast food is often chosen over more nutritious and better for you natural foods. Sugars and fats were rarer in the diet for many, many years of our human development. So any sweet or fatty food was a pleasurable reward for the body. Eaten in small amounts, no damage is done. For example, the food industry has created foods to reduce time spent chewing, which means that you get this pleasurable reward quicker. It also means that you can eat more in the same time. With the food being higher in calories, you are consuming more. And being an emotionally linked reward, your brain overrules you stomach. This is why the food industry uses packaging and advertising that triggers emotional reactions.The problem with this type of food is that it doesn't actually satisfy your hunger. So the only thing to do is to eat more often, and the profits of the big food industry will grow along with our waistlines. The other problem is that our tastes get conditioned to the higher levels of salt, fat and sugar and therefore to get a reward, more is needed.
So what to do? Some simple ideas:
1) Realising what is going on. - understand the food you are eating and ensure you are eating a diet that contains less processed ingredients, grains, fruit and vegetables.
2) Let sweets and fats be a reward but eaten in moderation.
3) Eat foods that will satisfy your hunger and let your brain trigger the natural response to stop eating when full, which will also be when you have the amount of calories your body actually needs.
4) Continue to do exercise.
5) As always, too much of anything is never a good balance.
To help illustrate what 2000 calories looks like, the New York Times recently put out this article, which helps show some common US chain foods -"What 2000 calories looks like at large chains". The additional thing to keep in mind is the earlier article about how calories in different types of food are digested and used by the body. It is still the same message - a calorie in a slow digested, unprocessed food source will be better for the body than a calorie in a soft drink.
In the next piece I will explore more about the way in which calories affect us. My hope is that these easy to read articles help us become better informed to make wise food and health choices. Because...don't you deserve better information to make your own choices.
Dr Kessler, the former head of the US Food and Drug administration wanted to share his insights on the growth of overeating. As a former pediatrician, lawyer and head of the prime US body across food, he is well credentialed and has insight that is useful to understand.
In the first part of the article, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/10/09/3604793.htm, Dr Karl breaks down the main points of Dr Kessler's book "The End of Overeating". In this we learn how the food industry studied what drives our eating desires and how to create food that panders to this desire. In the second article, http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/10/16/3608823.htm, the reasons why poor quality fast food is often chosen over more nutritious and better for you natural foods. Sugars and fats were rarer in the diet for many, many years of our human development. So any sweet or fatty food was a pleasurable reward for the body. Eaten in small amounts, no damage is done. For example, the food industry has created foods to reduce time spent chewing, which means that you get this pleasurable reward quicker. It also means that you can eat more in the same time. With the food being higher in calories, you are consuming more. And being an emotionally linked reward, your brain overrules you stomach. This is why the food industry uses packaging and advertising that triggers emotional reactions.The problem with this type of food is that it doesn't actually satisfy your hunger. So the only thing to do is to eat more often, and the profits of the big food industry will grow along with our waistlines. The other problem is that our tastes get conditioned to the higher levels of salt, fat and sugar and therefore to get a reward, more is needed.
So what to do? Some simple ideas:
1) Realising what is going on. - understand the food you are eating and ensure you are eating a diet that contains less processed ingredients, grains, fruit and vegetables.
2) Let sweets and fats be a reward but eaten in moderation.
3) Eat foods that will satisfy your hunger and let your brain trigger the natural response to stop eating when full, which will also be when you have the amount of calories your body actually needs.
4) Continue to do exercise.
5) As always, too much of anything is never a good balance.
To help illustrate what 2000 calories looks like, the New York Times recently put out this article, which helps show some common US chain foods -"What 2000 calories looks like at large chains". The additional thing to keep in mind is the earlier article about how calories in different types of food are digested and used by the body. It is still the same message - a calorie in a slow digested, unprocessed food source will be better for the body than a calorie in a soft drink.
In the next piece I will explore more about the way in which calories affect us. My hope is that these easy to read articles help us become better informed to make wise food and health choices. Because...don't you deserve better information to make your own choices.
Friday, 5 December 2014
Cyclone update - Hagupit (aka Ruby)
UPDATED WITH DATA FROM 6 AM 8 Dec (Philippine time)
Attached below is the latest tracking data from the University of Wisconsin - Madison school of tropical weather. This shows the current position and predicted track. It is important to note that #Hagupit (aka #RubyPH) is already reduced to a tropical storm so it has lost its intensity. The associated rain and cloud for the next 3 days is shown in the data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology data (screenshots for the 3 days as of midnight each day).
For the data from the BOM, you can see the isobars (which means lines of same pressure) which shows the pressure is increasing slowly, which indicates the low pressure system is gradually losing strength.
Because sometimes just facts are hard to obtain, I have attached below some pictures from different sources.
I am not an expert in meteorological events so please defer to them, and as such I just present the facts from some of these resources and don't try and interpret them. However I would also encourage you to only get facts from reliable, trained sources.
The University of Wisconsis-Madison has a tropical weather watch site which provides useful information and tracking data
- See - CIMSS Tracking (http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/real-time/storm.php?&basin=westpac&sname=22W&invest=NO&zoom=4&img=1&vars=11111000000000000000&loop=0).
The data from the Uni of Wisconsin offers projections as well as wind classifications. 4 = 125knots (230km/h), 3 = 110 knots (200 km/h), 2 = 95 knots (175 km/h), 1= 75knots (140 km/h).
This shows the storm has lost its intensity and will be a tropical storm as it leaves the Philippines.
Above from http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=mslp-precip&tz=ACST&area=SEA&model=G&chartSubmit=Refresh+View
The BOM also has global sea temperature analysis. From the data across November, you can see a large patch of very warm sea water (above average), which then produces the heat to power strong atmospheric conditions (such as cyclones).
%2BGLOBE.jpg)
Stay safe, be prepared, don't panic. At this point in time, Bella's will be open on Saturday but, like everyone, we will be monitoring the situation to ensure we are all safe.
Attached below is the latest tracking data from the University of Wisconsin - Madison school of tropical weather. This shows the current position and predicted track. It is important to note that #Hagupit (aka #RubyPH) is already reduced to a tropical storm so it has lost its intensity. The associated rain and cloud for the next 3 days is shown in the data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology data (screenshots for the 3 days as of midnight each day).
For the data from the BOM, you can see the isobars (which means lines of same pressure) which shows the pressure is increasing slowly, which indicates the low pressure system is gradually losing strength.
Because sometimes just facts are hard to obtain, I have attached below some pictures from different sources.
I am not an expert in meteorological events so please defer to them, and as such I just present the facts from some of these resources and don't try and interpret them. However I would also encourage you to only get facts from reliable, trained sources.
The University of Wisconsis-Madison has a tropical weather watch site which provides useful information and tracking data
- See - CIMSS Tracking (http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/real-time/storm.php?&basin=westpac&sname=22W&invest=NO&zoom=4&img=1&vars=11111000000000000000&loop=0).
The data from the Uni of Wisconsin offers projections as well as wind classifications. 4 = 125knots (230km/h), 3 = 110 knots (200 km/h), 2 = 95 knots (175 km/h), 1= 75knots (140 km/h).
This shows the storm has lost its intensity and will be a tropical storm as it leaves the Philippines.
 |
| Data showing projected path and wind strength of Hagupit (aka Ruby) |
 |
| Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) current position and forecasts for the next 3 days) |
Above from http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=mslp-precip&tz=ACST&area=SEA&model=G&chartSubmit=Refresh+View
The BOM also has global sea temperature analysis. From the data across November, you can see a large patch of very warm sea water (above average), which then produces the heat to power strong atmospheric conditions (such as cyclones).
Stay safe, be prepared, don't panic. At this point in time, Bella's will be open on Saturday but, like everyone, we will be monitoring the situation to ensure we are all safe.
Saturday, 29 November 2014
How the size of what you eat affects how much you eat
Ever had someone use the expression "your eyes are bigger than your stomach"? It is often used when people choose more food than they can possibly eat. (Thank goodness takeaway containers were invented!).
There is a large psychological part to how much we eat. From the size of the bowl, the size of the portion or the size of the eating implement. Other factors such as the hunger signals to the brain can often lead to over ordering. The fact that the stomach is a limited size will always set a limit on what we consume. But our brain can often tell us differently.
In Dr Karl's article "Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs" - he touches on some of these aspects of portion sizing and how much we eat and why.
Supermarkets often play upon your appetite when you shop. If you shop when you are hungry, you will tend to make more purchases, especially of more fatty foods that are appealing to a quick solution to hunger. Ever notice that stores put chocolates and other lollies, chips, etc in prominent locations towards the start of your supermarket journey? This is not by accident. They know you are less cautious about spending at the start and will make impulse decisions. After all, once you have the chocolate in the trolley, it is rare that you will remove it. And they know you still need the staples that you came shopping for, so you won't neglect getting them.
We all enjoy our indulgences, but understanding how food manufacturers and shop designers take advantage of large amounts of psychology and where we are tempted is important. Just to get you started, try and observe what colours are used predominately in packaging for sweets such as chocolates and lollies, and other snack items. In future articles I will go into some of these aspects. After all, to be forewarned is to be forearmed....just so we can even out the odds.
There is a large psychological part to how much we eat. From the size of the bowl, the size of the portion or the size of the eating implement. Other factors such as the hunger signals to the brain can often lead to over ordering. The fact that the stomach is a limited size will always set a limit on what we consume. But our brain can often tell us differently.
In Dr Karl's article "Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs" - he touches on some of these aspects of portion sizing and how much we eat and why.
Supermarkets often play upon your appetite when you shop. If you shop when you are hungry, you will tend to make more purchases, especially of more fatty foods that are appealing to a quick solution to hunger. Ever notice that stores put chocolates and other lollies, chips, etc in prominent locations towards the start of your supermarket journey? This is not by accident. They know you are less cautious about spending at the start and will make impulse decisions. After all, once you have the chocolate in the trolley, it is rare that you will remove it. And they know you still need the staples that you came shopping for, so you won't neglect getting them.
We all enjoy our indulgences, but understanding how food manufacturers and shop designers take advantage of large amounts of psychology and where we are tempted is important. Just to get you started, try and observe what colours are used predominately in packaging for sweets such as chocolates and lollies, and other snack items. In future articles I will go into some of these aspects. After all, to be forewarned is to be forearmed....just so we can even out the odds.
Friday, 21 November 2014
The Wrap: A catchup from the world of science, diet, nutrition and health - A calorie is not a calorie
Last week I gave some introductions about some of the areas of interest and sources for information on the world of science as it relates to health, diet, nutrition and health.
Hopefully you have had the chance to digest that and are ready for a new serving.
In this blog I won't try and retell the information available, but simply provide an introduction and feedback.
Going back to basics, many people wonder what a calorie is, especially when we read the nutrition information on the back of the packet. In this article, Dr Karl explains that not all calories are the same, and the way the body uses them can be very different.
The article:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/11/12/3889049.htm
What is interesting is how a calorie is just a measure of energy but its use in food labeling doesn't take into account the source of the energy. As you can see from the article, what the calorie is contained in makes a big difference into its effect on the body and how the body uses it. So when we read the calorie count, the missing information is where it is coming from. You will need to read the levels of protein, fat and sugars to help be guided on its nutritional use. Also remember that your body needs a certain level of fuel each day, so make sure it is getting the right types of fuel to match what you are doing, but also that you enjoy what you are eating and reward yourself for choosing wisely.
A big thanks to the ABC for making these articles available.
Hopefully you have had the chance to digest that and are ready for a new serving.
In this blog I won't try and retell the information available, but simply provide an introduction and feedback.
Going back to basics, many people wonder what a calorie is, especially when we read the nutrition information on the back of the packet. In this article, Dr Karl explains that not all calories are the same, and the way the body uses them can be very different.
The article:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/11/12/3889049.htm
What is interesting is how a calorie is just a measure of energy but its use in food labeling doesn't take into account the source of the energy. As you can see from the article, what the calorie is contained in makes a big difference into its effect on the body and how the body uses it. So when we read the calorie count, the missing information is where it is coming from. You will need to read the levels of protein, fat and sugars to help be guided on its nutritional use. Also remember that your body needs a certain level of fuel each day, so make sure it is getting the right types of fuel to match what you are doing, but also that you enjoy what you are eating and reward yourself for choosing wisely.
A big thanks to the ABC for making these articles available.
Perspective and experiences and desires drives how we relate to things and what we expect.
We receive some very positive feedback on our garlic bread from people and it always surprises me. Why? The feedback is that the garlic butter used contains real garlic and the bread is so lovely. The reason I am surprised is that I would only ever think of making garlic bread using real garlic, real butter and good quality bread.
But this is symbolic of what we want to do and achieve at Bella's Bites - use genuine ingredients, cook with authenticity and provide a great dining experience. We want you to expect good quality food and genuine flavours. So whether it is seeing and tasting garlic in a slice of garlic bread, or tasting rosemary and sage in our slow cooked pork stew, or apples in our moist apple cake, you can know that the flavour you taste is only from the same ingredient used.
One of our regular customers, who will admit freely that she is a tough but fair food critic, said that she could taste that our food was not commercially made. It was the loveliest compliment, because she then explained that this meant she could taste that our food was made with genuine ingredients, without shortcuts and made to a high level of quality with heart and soul put into it too.
As I write this I am eating our slow cooked herb pork stew and to me, this stew is exactly what she is referring to. We take hours to cook it, we use our own, made stocks, heating it and adding specific flavours that compliment the pork. We make our own seasoned flour so we can get the right flavours in the coating. We use white wine to soak up the flavours after browing the pork. Yes it takes time and effort, but getting the feedback from our customers that they can taste the results of this effort makes it worthwhile.
Another comment we often get about our dessert cakes - our moist apple cake, and our carrot cake is "you can tell these are home made". Again, the people who say this are providing a compliment as they explain that they can taste the real ingredients. They can also taste that it is not commercially manufactured in having to be full of preservatives and sugars so it can survive being transported and stored for a period of time before consumption.
Just as importantly as the feedback we get when things are done well, we also value feedback when things don't go well! We need to know where we can improve, and sometimes it is simply that we have used the same ingredient but there is some variation in it that has affected the flavours. One example is in our Spicy Sausage Salad. Customer feedback was that the spicy cured meat we were using didn't have enough "kick". Some sausages have variation in their flavour and we could taste ourselves that there was sometimes a reduction in spice that wasn't acceptable. To this end we have chosen a slightly spicier salami to ensure we can provide a good level of spice consistently. We hope you can taste this too!
Hopefully seeing and tasting good quality food that is filling, made with a focus on health and nutrition and fresh ingredients, as well as great value for money will help shift your perspective in what you expect from food. Hopefully you can also just enjoy relaxing at Bella's Bites.
But this is symbolic of what we want to do and achieve at Bella's Bites - use genuine ingredients, cook with authenticity and provide a great dining experience. We want you to expect good quality food and genuine flavours. So whether it is seeing and tasting garlic in a slice of garlic bread, or tasting rosemary and sage in our slow cooked pork stew, or apples in our moist apple cake, you can know that the flavour you taste is only from the same ingredient used.
One of our regular customers, who will admit freely that she is a tough but fair food critic, said that she could taste that our food was not commercially made. It was the loveliest compliment, because she then explained that this meant she could taste that our food was made with genuine ingredients, without shortcuts and made to a high level of quality with heart and soul put into it too.
As I write this I am eating our slow cooked herb pork stew and to me, this stew is exactly what she is referring to. We take hours to cook it, we use our own, made stocks, heating it and adding specific flavours that compliment the pork. We make our own seasoned flour so we can get the right flavours in the coating. We use white wine to soak up the flavours after browing the pork. Yes it takes time and effort, but getting the feedback from our customers that they can taste the results of this effort makes it worthwhile.
Another comment we often get about our dessert cakes - our moist apple cake, and our carrot cake is "you can tell these are home made". Again, the people who say this are providing a compliment as they explain that they can taste the real ingredients. They can also taste that it is not commercially manufactured in having to be full of preservatives and sugars so it can survive being transported and stored for a period of time before consumption.
Just as importantly as the feedback we get when things are done well, we also value feedback when things don't go well! We need to know where we can improve, and sometimes it is simply that we have used the same ingredient but there is some variation in it that has affected the flavours. One example is in our Spicy Sausage Salad. Customer feedback was that the spicy cured meat we were using didn't have enough "kick". Some sausages have variation in their flavour and we could taste ourselves that there was sometimes a reduction in spice that wasn't acceptable. To this end we have chosen a slightly spicier salami to ensure we can provide a good level of spice consistently. We hope you can taste this too!
Hopefully seeing and tasting good quality food that is filling, made with a focus on health and nutrition and fresh ingredients, as well as great value for money will help shift your perspective in what you expect from food. Hopefully you can also just enjoy relaxing at Bella's Bites.
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