‘Light’ Olive oil, Olive oil and Extra Virgin Olive oil

Confused ? What’s the difference between olive oil, ‘light’ olive oil and extra virgin olive oil ?

Nutritionally there’s no difference. They all contain the same number of calories and fat, albeit a healthier monounsaturated fat. The choice is largely down to the taste you want. Avoid using any olive oils for deep-fat-frying. They don’t tolerate such high temperatures as more suitable oils, such as rapeseed and groundnut which are also cheaper.

‘Light’ Olive Oil

The name implies it may contain less calories, but it is light in taste and colour only. Good for day-to-day cooking and for lightening dressings and marinades either on its own or combined with other olive oils.

Olive Oil

A blend of refined oils. It’s a little stronger than ‘light’ olive oil, but milder than extra virgin. So also good for shallow frying, roasting, baking as well as for dressings.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This has undergone the least processing and is the purest oil you can buy. Use it raw rather than cooking with it when you want a rich, stronger flavor. It’s ideal for salad dressings, mayonnaise and drizzling over vegetables and pasta.

A little taste of Chateau Siran

Chateau Siran is a historic property in Medoc, France, set apart from its neighbours in the Margaux appellation by several factors, but sharing a common reputation for elegant, high-quality wines. It is one of the few Bordeaux wineries that had remained in the same family for 150 years, run today by Edouard Miailhe, who spends half the year over seeing the winery in Bordeaux and half the year in the Philippines. And although its surrounding neighbours all fell under the 1855 Classification, which ranked 61 chateaux in Medoc, Chateau Siran did not; its owners didn’t see the need for it to be entered at the time. In 2003, it was classified as one of the Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnel, one of the nice chateaux chosen out of 400 potential candidates. The winery produces both Margaux and Bordeaux Superieur wines, since 25 hectares of its vineyard fall under the Margaux appellation and 15 lie in the AOC Bordeaux Superieur area. Grapes are picked and sorted by hand. The flagship wine of the house is a Margaux known simply as Chateau  Siran, made to walk that fine balance of power and elegance that the best Margaux wine typify. It’s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc from 33-year-old vines; compared to other Margaux wines, this one has a higher percentage of Petit Verdot, giving it a spicy edge, and great ageing potential. At the private tasting held by the G8 – a group of wine-loving importers, distributors and F&B personalities who meet once a month for a blind tasting – the coverted 1998 vintage of this wine was served. According to the combined tasting note of the group, this was a ‘very drinkable, velvery, complex delight, which showed remarkable changes in the glass. It had integrated white pepper and capsicum, squishy blackberries and a hint of graphite on the nose, and a palate of black fruit compote and cherries. It had a weighty mid-palate, a hint of soy sauce and a rounded spiciness.’

Raw Food Revolution Part 2

Hie all , welcome back to continue our discussion about Raw Food Revolution. Yesterday, I already talk about Raw food philosophy and Raw food redefined. Today I would like to talk about The raw kitchen and Baby steps.

The Raw Kitchen

If you are keen to start incorporating elements of the diet into your lifestyle, you’ll be glad to know that going raw has never been easier. According to Loo, most raw food can be found in the fresh produce aisles in supermartkets, and you can easily purchase fresh fruit from the food courts or order salads from cafes and restaurants.

Back home, all you really need to prepare raw food dishes is a set of knives. Phyo recommends going for ceramic knives as they oxidize vegetables slower than metal ones, and they don’t require sharpening. Both Loo and Phyo also suggest investing in a quality high-speed blender to make sauces, soups and smoothies. You can also consider purchasing a dehydrator, which stimulates drying in the sun. it is ideal for making crackers, bread and dried fruit, and for experimenting, creating and imparting new textures to your dishes.

As fresh and unprocessed food tend to go bad faster, be prepared to buy smaller quantities and to go grocery shopping more often. However, there are also less perishable items such as dried herbs and spices, nuts and oils that you can keep stocked in your pantry. Phyo shares that she keeps on hand at least five types of nuts, a variety of sea vegetables including nori, and condiments such as olive oil, apple cider vinegar and unpasteurised miso.

Baby Steps

According to nutritionist Pooja Vig, those who commit to a raw food diet end up eating a lot more healthy food such as fruit and vegetables, while cutting out unhealthy processed foods. However, she stresses that studies have been inconclusive about the diet’s long-term health benefits.

While heat inevitably reduces the vitamins in some food, other micronutrients, such as lycopene in tomatoes, are more widely found in cooked rather than raw food. It’s a limited idealogy to say that cooking is toxic. Some methods such as deep-frying may be harmful, but light cooking methods are not, and they kill harmful microbes, too. Some such as those with poor digestive power, may also find a raw food diet unsuitable.

The jury may be out on the virtues of a 100% raw food diet, but the good news is that you don’t have to eat only raw food to experience its benefits. Any major impact to the body usually does it more harm than good. Safely integrating raw foods into your diet will reduce the chances of unpleasant detox symptoms.

Instead of going cold turkey, begin by adding more smoothies, shakes, salads and soups into your diet. If you normally have eggs and bacons for breakfast, first blend and drink up a glass of your favourite fruit smoothie or protein shake, and then enjoy your eggs and bacon. What typically happens is that you’ll only be able to eat half the amount you usually do.

For most of us, the point is not to aim for a total transition to raw foodism but to gradually up our intake of fresh, unprocessed food. After all, cutting back on frivolous calories and nourishing out bodies with the right, nutritious good is the sure and indisputable route to better health.

Raw Food Revolution Part 1

If you, like many of us, were caught up in the festive swirl of food-filled parties and soirees, chances are you would be battling the post-festive hangover of sluggishness, bloatedness and possibly, weight gain. But while most would think to simply reduce calorific treats in a bid to shed the pounds, some have chosen to take it a step further by eating only fresh, uncooked food.

Popularized in the West, raw foodism (practitioners are known as raw foodists) is an increasingly common diet that has taken health-concious individuals the world over by storm. And it seems that weight loss is just one of the many perks that the raw food lifestyle brings.

Raw Food Philosophy

A raw food diet consists of eating unprocessed foods that are not heated above 47 degree Celsius, so as not to destroy the vitamin and enzymes present. Raw foodists believe that these enzymes assist in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, thereby allowing our bodies to maximize the energy derived from the food.

A raw food lifestyle is about getting the most nutrition out of every food we eat. America based celebrity raw food chef and cookbook author Ani Phyo elaborates; ‘Raw food is nutrient-dense so you are not eating empty calories. Each bite is packed with vitamin, minerals and all the things out bodies need to function as well-oiled machines’.

The diet is said to be the ultimate healing diet and its proponents even suggest that it can reverse and cure chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. In Loo’s case, going on the raw food diet healed her eczema (a condition where skin is susceptible to turning dry and inflamed) and turned her hair black from the roots, despite the fact that she’s had white hair since primary school. Many raw foodists also report health benefits including weight loss, mental clarity, more radiant skin and higher energy and fitness levels.

Raw Food Redefined

There are several subcategories of raw foodists ranging from fruitarians (people who consume mostly fruit) to those who eat raw meat. However, the majority follow a raw vegan diet that emphasises uncooked and unprocessed fruit, vegetable, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains and beans.

While it hardly sounds exciting or appetising, don’t be misled into thinking that all they eat is rabbit food. You may just be surprised by the similarity in flavours and textures to cooked food that raw dishes boast. As Phyo rightly observes, many of us actually already enjoy dishes such as guacamole and gazpacho without realizing that they are raw.

Over the past 8 years, raw food chefs have also developed a plethora of recipes to turn fresh produce into imaginative, delicious creations that can rival cooked dishes – think zucchini pastas. Veggie burgers and chocolate cakes made using only nuts, dates and cocoa powder.

hyo, who created over 250 raw recipes including noodles, wraps and ice cream for her cookbook Ani’s Raw Food Essentials, shares: ‘Raw fruit and vegetables are beautiful and vibrant, and the addition of fresh herbs and spices really brings out their flavours.

To be continue in Part 2 ….

10 Ways To Control Your Hunger Pangs

1. Start your meal with a salad or soup

Why ? They will help to fill your little stomach and take the edge off your appetite, which mean you’ll be less likely to overeat at the next course. In one study participants were given meals with exactly the same number of calories either as solid food or as soup. When the calories were given in the form of soup, people said they felt fuller for longer. Researchers also found that after soup, participants went on to eat less at their next meal

2. Be snack meat

Why ? The hungrier you are when you start to eat, the longer it takes your hunger to subside. So in other words, the hungrier you are, the more you need to eat before you feel full. The best way to avoid getting hungry is to eat every 3-4 hours – three small meals with a couple of healthy snack in between is perfect. Protein-rich snacks like a yoghurt or a boiled egg or fibre-rich snack such as oatcakes or hummus with crudités are the best choices to make you feel full longer

3. Up the protein

Why ? Eat slightly larger portion of lean protein such as lean meat, fish, shellfish, eggs and low-fat dairy products (for example, skimmed milk, cottage cheese, low-fat yoghurt).

4. Turn off the TV

Why ? If you’re distracted while eating, you’re more likely to miss the I’m full signals that your stomach sends your brain when you’ve had enough to eat. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people listened to a detective story as they were eating, they ate 13 percent more calories than they did without any distraction.

5. Fill up on fibre

Why ? Fibre-rich food are more filling. Choose wholemeal bread, and brown rice and pasta instead of white; and add beans and pulses to salads and soup.

6. Choose foods that take time and effort to eat

Why ? Corn on the cob, a crunchy salad or fish with bones cannot be rushed, and will force you to eat more slowly and help you to feel full quicker.

7. Eat more fruit and vegetable

Why ? Their high water content will help fill you up.

8. Drink before you eat

Why ? Try a large of vegetable juice or fizzy water 10 minutes before you’re due to sit down to eat.

9. Take your time

Why ? Lay your knife and folk down on the table between each mouthful. Chew food thoroughly before taking a second mouthful and focus on what you’re eating – all of these thing help slow down the pace at which you eat. When you eat slowly, you’ll feel full quicker.

10. Eat an apple

Why ? Before each meal, in one study in Washington, 346 people were asked to eat an apple 20 minutes before each meal/ without making any other changes to their diet, participants lost an average 1½ stone in just 3 months. Researchers felt that the apples helped to promote a feeling of fullness, which meant participants didn’t eat as much at the subsequent meal.