by Melanie on October 12, 2007
Hi! I'm Melanie. A little birdie told me that possibly you aren't subscribed to this site. Are you nuts?
Subscriptions are totally free, and you can sign up either for Emails or the RSS feed. It's so easy, so do it now, and welcome to Dietriffic!
Recently we’ve been taking a look at some of the cooking oils available in supermarkets and health food stores. Some of these oils have been pretty well known. However, rice bran oil is one which is relatively new to me, and I actually had an extremely difficult time finding sound information about it.
What is rice bran oil?
Well, it is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of the rice. It has a very mild and clean flavour, making it suitable for a range of different dishes. It is notable for its high smoke point of 250°C, and also for its zero trans fat content. In terms of the touted health benefits, it is a source of the antioxidant vitamin E, and contains the plant sterol oryzanol, which is thought to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
[click here to read on…]
by Melanie on October 10, 2007
Today is World Mental Health Day. This special day is officially commemorated every year on October 10th, and is truly a great opportunity to communicate with the general public about mental health issues. Here in Australia it’s also National Mental Health Week.
Without a doubt, mental health issues are a concern, and most people have been touched in some way or another, whether through personal experiences, or through the experiences of a close family member.
In 2005 the Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Christopher Pyne, said “There is no health without mental health. Physical and mental health can no longer be separated.” This is so true!
[click here to read on…]
by Melanie on October 9, 2007
I know how frustrating it is to arrive home from work, look into the cupboards, and realise there’s nothing in there! It’s very easy to head down to the local takeaway when this happens, but what can we do to avoid this situation?
Most of the time I visit the supermarket at the end of the week, to buy all of my food for the week ahead, except for say milk, or bread etc. However, when I haven’t been organised, I find myself having to shop more often, and spending much longer than I should have to throughout the week. I know that if I’d been better prepared on the first visit, this wouldn’t have happened. [click here to read on…]
by Melanie on October 8, 2007
In Australia, it’s estimated that around one-third of the weekly household food budget is spent on convenience foods. This includes takeaways, supermarket ready meals, and foods prepared outside the home.
No doubt there are many reasons for this, such as busier lives, and no time or energy to cook meals from scratch. In many cases, people living alone don’t feel like cooking for one. On the downside however, convenience foods are high in fat and salt, as well as being very expensive.
Over the next couple of days we’ll take a closer look at cooking for one, and the challenges that this often poses.
Maybe you’re unsure of what to buy at the supermarket. Here are a few of the “bare essentials” that every pantry should contain:
[click here to read on…]
by Melanie on October 6, 2007
There has been a long-running debate over the safety of seafood for pregnant women, with most of the concern centering on whether methyl mercury can accumulate in certain fish, and would therefore be dangerous to developing fetuses.
It seems however, that a new recommendation may have turned past FDA guidelines onto their head!
The Maternal Nutrition Group, made up of 14 dietitians, nutritionists, and physicians, made the announcement earlier this week, together with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.
The group have recommended that pregnant, breast-feeding and postpartum women consume a minimum of 12 ounces of seafood per week, as part of an overall healthy diet. They also caution that only 6 of the ounces of seafood come from albacore tuna, due to its mercury content.
[click here to read on…]
