HOW TO BAKE

Health food enthusiasts often question Splenda. Is this sweetener really safe? Does it taste as good as regular sugar? Can I use it in all of my desert recipes? The fact of the matter is that Splenda is actually extremely easy to use, and it is as safe as regular sugar. Actually, there are even health benefits to using Splenda that you don’t find with regular sugar or other kinds of artificial sweeteners. Using Splenda regularly instead of sugar can help make some of your favorite sweet treats better for you. Here are some of the major health benefits of baking with Splenda:

Foods made with Splenda have fewer calories.

Splenda in and of itself is not completely calorie free. This is a version of sugar, but it is hundreds of times sweeter than actual sugar. That means for every calorie of Splenda you use, you are getting a much greater concentration of flavor. So, to add the same amount of sweetness to your food, you are adding a much lower number of calories. Many of the diet foods on the market today, including diet sodas, actually use Splenda instead of sugar so that they are sweeter. Remember, sugar is not the only source of calories in food, so replacing the sugar in a product with Splenda does not necessarily mean it is good for you, it means it can be actually be BETTER for you.

Splenda helps you care for your teeth.

Dentists love Splenda! While this product does not prevent problems if you do not take care of your teeth and will not fix problems if you already have tooth decay and other dental problems, it is a way to ward off the bacteria that causes cavities. Sugar left in your mouth after eating serves as a food for this kind of bacteria. Splenda does not have the same effect, so there is less “food” in your mouth to attract dental problems.

You can cook with Splenda even if you have diabetes.

Splenda is a type of sugar, but the body does not recognize it as sugar in the blood stream. Therefore, you can eat Splenda even if you have diabetes or another sugar-related medical problem. Eating foods made with Splenda should not cause your blood sugar levels to spike. Be careful, however, because many times, the foods using Splenda as a sugar replacement are filled with other ingredients not healthy for someone with a blood sugar problem. Splenda itself is safe, however, even for future mothers dealing with gestational diabetes.

Splenda can help you lose weight.

Because it adds few calories to food and does not have the same effects on the body as sugar, Splenda can actually help people lose weight. Unless you eat lots of sugar and switch entirely to Splenda, you may not see a significant different in your weight, but combined with a healthier diet and exercise, using Splenda can help you achieve weight loss goals. Losing weight is a great way to help you avoid more serious medical conditions like heart disease.

Some Splenda products contain fiber.

If you purchase Splenda with fiber, you will be consuming one gram of fiber for every packet of Splenda you add to your food. Fiber is necessary for help with your digestion, and many people do not get enough fiber from their daily diets. Splenda with fiber does not taste any differently than Splenda without fiber.

Splenda has been found to be completely safe for consumption.

Other the past several decades, artificial sweeteners have been under fire for causing cancer, headaches, depression, and many other problems. However, hundreds of studies have been conducted to measure that safety of Splenda, and these studies showed that it is not a cancer-causing agent, nor does it cause health problems for the average person. Splenda is safe for anyone to consume, from children to pregnant mothers to senior citizens.

There are other benefits, unrelated to health, to using Splenda as well. Compared to other artificial sweeteners, Splenda is quite affordable. It also comes in a number of varieties, such as white granulated “sugar,” brown “sugar,” and a mixture of Splenda and regular sugar. Splenda can be used as a sugar replacement in most recipes, and in recipes that need sugar (like yeast breads); you can add a mixture of Splenda and regular sugar to reduce the calories in the recipe. Splenda reacts differently to heat than most artificial sugars, making it the perfect product to use in your baked goods. Your family probably won’t even notice the difference, so try Splenda today for a sweet new way to manage your health while still enjoying your favorite baked goods.

I think one of the greatest benefits received by baking your own whole wheat bread is the long term health benefits you reap. When you bake whole wheat bread you control every ingredient put into it. No artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, no bleached then enriched flour and no other unnecessary additives that take away from the health of the bread.

To see for yourself what I’m talking about, go get a loaf of bread that you’ve bought from the store, now read the ingredient list and google all of the really long words that don’t sound like natural ingredients. You will be shocked at what you discover.

For example, the ingredient “monoglycerides,” found in almost every store bought bread, is actually hydrogenated oil/fat otherwise known as trans fat. Hydrogenated oil is oil saturated with hydrogen at a high temperature. This creates tight bonds with the hydrogen which allows it to remain semisolid at room temperature and increases shelf life drastically by delaying rancidity. What allows it to be solid is how tightly the molecules of the fat bond to each other. In your blood stream this means the fat clumps to itself much easier and clogs your veins much easier.

This is why hydrogenated oils and trans fats have been labeled “the silent killer” because they dramatically increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The bread manufacturers try to be sneaky and put monoglycerides in the list of ingredients in place of hydrogenated oils to fool you. You could look at the nutrition panel on the same loaf of bread with the ingredient monoglycerides and under trans fats it will list zero grams. This is because under FDA regulations if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, the package is free to say it has zero.

But lets say you eat four slices of bread (with each serving containing 0.4 grams of trans fat) then you just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the nutrition panel on your bread claims that it has zero grams of trans fat per serving.

You can’t trust store bought bread, it’s that simple. The bread manufacturing companies do what they can to save money in production of the bread but in the long run it costs you your health. The only solution that I’ve found is to bake your own bread. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds, it’s actually very easy once you learn how.

My favorite bread to bake is whole wheat bread because it’s so heart healthy and you get so many vitamins and minerals from it. If the whole wheat bread is made correctly you also get a really amazing tasting bread that can put store bought imitations to shame. I call them imitations because a lot of bread manufacturers actually use white flour to make “whole wheat” bread and then color it with caramel to make it look authentic. So again check ingredients on your bread. If the bread has unbleached enriched flour as the first ingredient you could actually be buying white bread disguised as whole wheat bread, look for caramel coloring in the ingredients list as well to prove this.

Other ingredients to watch out for:

Calcium sulfate: This is also known as plaster of Paris, this additive is used as a dough conditioner and firming agent. As it absorbs moisture and hardens quickly, one caution is that it can cause intestinal obstruction. It is banned in some countries.

Calcium propionate: This additive is used as a mold inhibitor but may be linked to migraines.

So do yourself a favor and start baking your own bread. It’s probably one of the greatest health choices you can make.

Some people can imagine chicken delicious only when it’s fried. Granted one has to admit that it really does indeed taste great when cooked like that, but is it healthy? And if it is not healthy, is there another way to prepare chicken quick and easy which not only will taste great but also provide a much healthier option for those on a diet or who simply wish to watch what they and their families eat.

Well, in fact there is, there’s a much better alternative of cooking it fried and indeed just as delicious, if not more – the simple question then is: Why not bake chicken?

It is not hard as it sounds either. By following simple instructions you are on your way to a healthy and great tasting meal.

To bake chicken we need either a whole chicken or 6 chicken breast pieces. Wash the dressed chicken thoroughly and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle enough salt and pepper to taste. If we want, we may put some marinade mix, like a concoction of rosemary herbs, thyme or oregano, dried or fresh. For simple marinade, try soy sauce and lemon. As we’re doing these, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now we’re ready to bake chicken.

-Put the chicken on the baking dish. Then place it in the oven and make sure it is uncovered.

-Bake chicken for an hour and a half in 350 degrees till we see the chicken skin turn into a luscious and juicy golden brown.

-Place inside a meaty part of the chicken a meat thermometer to check if the meat temperature has reached 170 degrees. If it has then we’re ready to take it out of the oven. To bake chicken thighs we need the meat temperature to reach 180 degrees. These standard meat temperatures make sure we bake chicken well with all parts cooked. Half-cooked chicken, or any meat for that matter, can cause stomach upset or even food poisoning.

-Then we cut the fleshy part of the meat deep. This should reveal white meat inside instead of pink and clear lip-smacking juice, not reddish. To bake chicken correctly all these tests should be satisfied. If not, we bake the chicken some more. Then we’re ready to serve tender and juicy baked chicken, in all its yummy goodness.

When we opt to bake chicken we come out with a healthy and tastier chicken than when we fry it. Deep frying may be a good idea. But baked chicken is still many times better. When re-heating left-overs through the oven chicken often comes out tasting better than if we re-fry left-over chicken.

When we bake chicken we can even opt to stuff it with potatoes, or garlic and onions. There are lesser chances of burning the meat or ruining the skin cover. Lots of times, we need breading to fry chicken-that’s added cholesterol. If we merely bake chicken there is no need for any covering on the skin surface.

So opt to bake chicken more often. It will surely do well for our taste, health, and family.

Baking soda is a sodium bicarbonate, a normal content that maintains the pH equilibrium. Baking soda neutralizes both acids and bases, so it really eliminates odors quite than just covering them upward. In cooking, baking soda releases carbon dioxide when heated, and this causes cookies, breads or cakes to climb. Baking Soda is one of the reality’s greatest elements towards cleaning, deodorizing, preparation, and healthcare purposes. There are many benefits to using baking soda on your rind and hair. There are many products on the marketplace for your hair, system and rind. Baking soda has magic powers that gain your hair, system and rind.

To cleanse hair, make a less piece of baking soda to your shampoo and rinse. It will assist withdraw any build-up from hair products. To tidy your combs and brushes, drench them in a sink filled with hot water, baking soda and bleach. Add a tiny sum of baking soda to arid hair to assist curb oil. Add baking soda to your cleaner to exfoliate, this is ideal for susceptible rind. Baking soda can be used to tidy not just our homes, but our bodies as easily. You can bathe babies with baking soda and a mix of water. This will assist weaken and smooth their rind. Using baking soda instead of soap is a better manner to hold your rind natural and healthy.

Baking soda is used in then many applications such as absorbing unwelcome odors in the fridge, the kitchen sink and flooring coverings. Using baking soda to withdraw shoe odors can cut susceptible rind reactions with new odor removal products. Baking soda can too be used as a deodorizer. When place into the refrigerator and freezer this helps hold your nutrient sweet, and smelling better. The baking soda deodorizes and kills bacterium in your refrigerator while keeping your nutrient sweet. Baking soda has a kind of uses. It is extremely recommended as a hike for your routine washing detergent. Baking soda can too be used to withdraw stains from apparel as easily.

Baking soda is secure and efficient as a paste to withdraw kool-aid and juice stains from kitchen counter tops. When washing your apparel just make some baking soda to withdraw stains. Baking Soda will deodorize your apparel as easily. If you are a heartburn sufferer. Baking soda for heartburn should simply be used as a short-lived alleviation method. Baking soda is really higher in sodium substance and can be harmful if used for the incorrect reasons or in higher amounts. Avoid taking baking soda if you are on prescription drugs or get higher blood force. Baking soda is a vital component in baking gunpowder.