The Truth About Dog Food Products

Would you ever knowingly feed your dog another dog?



Most people would be really shocked at even the thought of such a thing, yet these are some of the things that the dog food companies are actually feeding to your pets every day.
If you look on the side of a dog food bag at the ingredients you're only really given a partial story of what actually goes into the food that you are feeding your dog.
Many people would be surprised, if not even shocked at what goes into average bag of dog food.



The problem really lies in that the regulations for dog food are much more lenient than the regulations for human food. Here are some other things that you should know about dog food products.

Many dog food companies will mark their dog food as being chemical free although it contains many hormones and chemicals. As long as a dog food company does not add anything to the dog food once it enters the factory for rendering then they can mark their food as being chemical free.

The problem is that before the food enters the factory it can be so pumped full of hormones and chemicals as to really make your dog sick.

Not only that, but many dog food companies will put the euthanized bodies of dogs and cats into that same mix, sometimes without even removing them from their bags or taking their collars and tags off.

So the next time you're looking for genuine information about dog food products make sure that you are looking deeper than what the dog food companies are telling you.

-Virgilio J Vallecera-

Reasonable Dinner Ideas For Students

When students are in college, they are often on a tight budget. They don't have a lot of money since all their money goes to tuition, books, and their average monthly bills. Since college students don't have a lot of money they often rely on fast food to satisfy their meals and hunger.

We all know that fast food can be very dangerous if it is consumed on a regular basis. So why do college students eat fast food so often? Easy, the answer is that it is very cheap. If fast food restaurants offer a complete meal for about $3.00 due to their dollar menu, who wouldn't go there? What college students don't realize is that you can make dinners at home for a very cheap price. Need some ideas? Look below for a some ideas on cheap dinners.

Soup - Soup is a great dinner for a college student. Soups are often low in calories and are enriched with many vitamins and minerals. You can get soup from the grocery store for a very low price, while being able to choose from a ton of different flavors. Have a bowl of soup and another little side and you'll be all set! You can never go wrong with soup there is a flavor for everyone!

Sandwiches - Remember when you were a little kid and you always had your mom make you grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly? Bring those days back! We all love those sandwiches just never think to make them. They are very cheap, all you need is a jar of peanut butter and jelly, some bread and you can be set for a few weeks! You're never too old to eat peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter banana sandwiches, or grilled cheese.

Deli sandwiches - Deli sandwiches make great meals! Get some lunch meat and a loaf of bread and you have a dinner. Get all your favorites, and if you want to make it healthier add some of your favorite vegetables. You can never go wrong with a deli sandwich, they are cheap and easy to make!

Cereal - You're probably wondering why cereal is under the dinner category right? Well who said you can have cereal for dinner? If you're hungry but don't have a big appetite cereal is the way to go! It is very cheap, lasts a while and is a great small dinner of snack! Also there are many different kinds so you can never get sick of it.

Mexican food - Mexican food is great for dinners. You can make nachos, quesadillas, burritos, anything really. These are all cheap, fast, and easy to make. We all order them when we go out to dinner so why not make them at home and save a ton of money?

There are many ideas for college student dinners. Next time you go grocery shopping look around and don't just go down the isles you usually do. You want to explore and get more ideas for cheap dinners. There are many ideas out there, these are just a few. There are many cheap college student dinners you just have to go looking for ideas!

-Tom Tessin-

The Facts about Cholesterol

Cholesterol is:

- A fat-like substance found only in animal food.

- A tasteless, odorless, and transparent liquid that feels oily when you touch it.

Any non-animal food (plants, fruits, vegetable, beans, or nuts) will not contain cholesterol: only animals can produce it. Although we've been told that high blood cholesterol is risky for our heart and that we should watch out for cholesterol in our diet, the majority (2/3) of the cholesterol found in our blood is made by the liver. The rest (1/3) does come from the diet. Still, we discovered recently that if you eat less, your liver might adjust and make more.

So, how do you lower your blood cholesterol level? First and foremost by eating less saturated and trans fat.

In short: The cholesterol found in your blood comes from 2 sources:

•First Source: liver - two-thirds of the cholesterol available to the body.

•Second Source: one-third of the cholesterol comes from foods, like:

- Meat

- Egg yolk

- Dairy product

Cholesterol:

- Is found in every cell of your body (in cell membranes, your brain, and nerves).

- Is needed to produce estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D.

- Cannot be used for energy (so it provides no calories).

Cholesterol is not as bad as we often assume it is. There are actually two types of cholesterol:

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol.

When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (Good) Cholesterol About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body.

Eating cholesterol is very much like choosing how to eat fats: there is a good and a bad. Keep bad cholesterol at a minimum and you will reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease significantly.

- Carl Juneau -

Top 10 Must-Not-Miss Thai Food

Thai cuisine is one of the best gourmets in the world. It is well known for the diversity of ingredients, outstanding spiciness and ample medicinal properties. Most of Thai food is cooked and refined with more than two types of herbs or spices which are beneficial to health.

The (mostly unconscious) principle Thai food is the balance of five flavors which are spicy, salty, sweet, sour and bitter. The one indispensible ingredient which is generally used in seasoning a majority of Thai cuisine is fish sauce. Thai food is eaten either as a single dish or with rice.

Steamed rice is the staple food although sticky rice is more popular in the north and northeast of Thailand.

Thai food is one of many things that you should not miss while you are traveling in this beautiful "Land of Smiles". Since there are numberless delectable Thai dishes, I am writing this guideline for you to select the most distinctive and authentic ones out of the plethora of Thai signature dishes.

The following list is a top 10 rank of Thai food that you must not miss. The consideration and ranking is based on the popularity, uniqueness and authenticity of the delicacies. Here are the winners.

10. Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himmapan (Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts)

Even though Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himmapan does not represent the overview of Thai food but it is a very nice treat to your bland taste buds. Since it is by no means spicy or hot, this slightly sweet and salty chicken fried with crunchy cashew nuts is aptly satiating for children or beginners who are not used to spices.

9. Por Pia Tord (Fried Spring Roll)

Fried spring roll is one of the most popular appetizers among foreigners because it is not spicy and comes with sweet and sour dip. Spring rolls are crispy pastries with fried vegetable fillings. Though spring rolls are commonplace in many Southeast Asian countries, Thai Por Pia is different in flavors with a special dip prepared from Japanese apricot.

8. Panaeng (Meat in Spicy Coconut Cream)

Panaeng can be cooked using either pork, chicken or beef. Panaeng tastes like Thai red curry but the coconut milk sauce is relatively thicker and richer. Compared to Thai red curry, Panaeng is mildly spicy and sweet. Paneang is best served with warm steamed rice. There is nothing to dislike about Panaeng expect the fact that it can be too greasy or fleshy for some people.

7. Som Tam (Spicy Papaya Salad)

Som Tam is one of the most popular foods among Thai people for its fiercely spicy and sour flavors. Som Tam, which literally means Sour Pounded, is a spicy salad made from a mix of fresh vegetables including shredded unripened papaya, yardlong beans and tomato. Som Tam is unique that the spicy dressing and salad vegetables are pounded and mixed in the mortar using a pestle. Somtam is usually served with grilled chicken and sticky rice. Som Tam is good for your health that it contains no fat, low calorie and high vitamins. This is a truly authentic Thai dish that will make a great impression. The only reason why I'm ranking Som Tam at No.7 (though it deserves higher rank) is its strong spiciness that might leave your tongue burned and swollen. Just say Mai phed (not spicy) to your waiter if you really want to try.

6. Moo Sa-Te (Grilled Pork Sticks with Turmeric)

This tantalizing sweet-flavored grilled pork sticks are refined with rich, juicy sauce made of turmeric and curry powder. Moo Sa-Te makes a savory hors d'oeuvres that will appease any taste buds. These juicy grilled pork sticks are usually served with two saucy dips, one is a mildly spicy thick sauce with ground peanuts, coconut milk and curry powder and another one is a sweet and sour vinegar sauce with chopped shallot, pepper and cucumber to mitigate its oiliness.

5. Tom Yam Kai (Spicy Chicken Soup)

Chicken soup is very good to eat when you have a cold but Tom Yam Kai or spicy chicken soup is a yummy treat that you will fall in love with just in a first sip. Tom Yam Kai is a clear chicken soup seasoned with a blend of chili, lime and fish sauce. The broth is simmered with Thai herbs as lemon grass, shallot and galangal which give it a unique and satiating aroma. My foreign friends order this tasty soup anywhere they go so you should not miss it by any means!

4. Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup)

Although Tom Kha Kai is another variation of chicken soup, it deserves the No.4 because of its unparalleled taste and popularity. Similar to Tom Yam Kai, the broth is prepared with many types of Thai herbs with the special addition of coconut milk that makes this soup unique. Though the soup is seasoned with chili, lime and fish sauce just like Tom Kha Kai, thanks to the coconut milk, the broth is milder and less spicy. This is probably more liked by non-spicy eaters.

3. Kang Keaw Wan Kai (Green Chicken Curry)

Since we are having three dishes in a row made of Kai, you would have guessed that it is chicken in English. Not that chicken is particularly popular in Thai cuisine; it is usually used in most curry and soup. Kang Kiew Wan, literally translated as Sweet Green Curry, is nicely sweet and slightly spicy and tastes very delightful with a proper blend of the spiciness from green curry chili paste, blandness from coconut milk, sweetness of sugar and saltiness of fish sauce. It is usually eaten with steamed rice or served as a sauce to rice noodle known as Kanom Jeen likewise to how you eat Spaghetti.

2. Pad Thai (Fried Noodle)

This national dish prides itself for its long history traced back in previous centuries. Pad Thai flaunts the authenticity of Thai culinary arts in using only fresh and best ingredients and the well-balancing of the five fundamental flavors. The stir-fried noodle becomes popular because it tastes yummy and comes with a choice to add in a set of seasonings to suit your appetites. Through history, Pad Thai has evolved into two different styles: the classic and the variation. The classic Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chili pepper plus bean sprouts, shrimp and tofu and garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander while another style is relatively dry and lightly-flavored. The latter is easily found in street vendors and dominant in Thai restaurants in the West but the having classic Pad Thai freshly cooked in its original country is a way to go.

1. Tom Yam Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

No other dishes can defeat this renowned Tom Yam Goong as the optimal representative of Thai gourmet. Tom Yam Goong is truly one of a kind with its fierce spiciness and sourness and a blatant use of fragrant herbs including galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, shallot, tamarind and chili pepper. There are two styles of Tom Yam; the clear spicy soup and thick spicy soup. The latter is cooked by adding coconut milk or milk to the broth in order to thicken the stock and give the dish a milder flavor. Tom Yam is very versatile and can be made with prawns, chicken, fish and mix of seafood, and mushroom. Tom Yam Goong is the most popular variety of Tom Yam since Spicy Shrimp Soup is the original. Though not very surprising, Tom Yam Goong is definitely a signature dish of Thailand.

Even though it is commonly known that Thai food utilizes many health herbs and spices, there have always been debates whether Thai food is really good for health since they tend to be somewhat greasy. It is important to note that it depends on each dish; some can be highly caloric but many dishes make a good use of herbs. Garlic, for example, is very good healthwise because it can prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cancer.

No matter what the food is, the same old concept of moderate intake comes into play. From Mcdonald's burger to Japanese Sushi, a key to optimal fitness is to avoid overconsumption. Thus, a claim that Thai food is mainly coconut-based and fattening should never be an adequate reason for you to still order a Big Mac. Ravish your taste buds with Thai food - tasty and healthy!

- Siwawut Chaiya -

Top 10 BBQ Mistakes by Novices

There are several common mistakes that many barbecue cooks make when preparing food on the barbecue. Check out these top ten mistakes NOT to make when preparing food on the barbecue.


1. Being in too big of a hurry.
Barbecueing and smoking meats takes time and patience. You can't rush it.
Figure 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound for most meats.
If you're tending a wood-burning smoker, figure on adding fuel every 30-45 minutes.


2. Opening the lid to peek too often.
This lets out the heat and the smoker will be below temperature.
Open the lid only when necessary to mop or move or turn the meat.
The meat's not going anywhere, so you don't need to keep checking up on it.


3. Trying to do a brisket or spare ribs the first time you use your smoker.
Start off on the road to "Perfect Q" with the simplest meat to smoke-a whole chicken or a pork picnic roast.
They're cheap and hard to ruin.
Don't fill up the smoker with meat until you've had some successes. Start with just one item.


4. Using lighter fluid to start your charcoal briquettes.
This can give you some really awful odors and tastes in your smoked meat.
Use a chimney starter for charcoal.
If you must use a charcoal lighter fluid, let the coals burn for at least 30 minutes before you put on the meat.


5. In wood burning meat smokers, making the fire too big and closing the inlets and exhaust dampers to control the flame.
This is a no no.
Open that exhaust damper all the way.
Regulate the oxygen intake with the inlet damper.
Be careful how you close that inlet damper-your fire can smolder and give you some nasty-tasting smoke.
Best advice-keep your fire low and your dampers open.
Remember, a bad-smelling smoke=bad-tasting meat.


6. Using green wood.
You must use seasoned wood to get good results when you begin barbecuing.
The old pros can use a mix of green and seasoned wood, but beginners should not use the green stuff until they know about fire and temperature control.
Using green wood without knowing what you're doing is the surest way to ruin the meat.
You'll get creosote and that will make bitter meat that cannot be saved.


7. Trying to adjust too many things at once.
Don't adjust everything on the smoker at once.
Change one thing, see what happens, then change another.


8. Changing things too much at once.
Make small changes to the smoker.
Open or close the intake vent a little bit, not a lot.
If you are continually making big changes, you will continually overshoot the correct temperature point.
Your temperature curve will look like a giant sawtooth.
Make the changes in small increments.


9. Putting cold meat into the smoker.
This can lead to the condensation of creosote on the surface of the meat if you don't have a clean-burning fire.
Beginners should allow the meat to warm up on the counter, but for no more than an hour, before you put it in the bbq smoker.
Experienced smokers can put the cold meat directly into the smoker.
Some say this helps smoke penetration.


10. Inviting the family, the in-laws, and the preacher and his wife over the first day you get that new smoker.
Practice some, get to know your smoker on a personal basis.
Do a pork picnic shoulder, some chickens, then some ribs and finally when everything's coming together, do a brisket.
Then invite the whole gang over and wow 'em good.



- Ron Goodwin -

Viva La Vegan - Why it's not hard to be a vegetarian

People are generally pretty shocked that I choose not to eat animal products of any kind.

“Don’t you feel like you’re missing out?” they ask wide-eyed with their eyebrow raised.

The answer is no. The only thing I feel I’m missing out on is contributing to the mass slaughter of farmed animals.
Eating meat; fish and dairy causes environmental destruction, damages human health, contributes to global hunger and inflicts immense suffering on billions of animals across the world.


Sometimes they get the vegetarian thing. Most people have seen images of factory farming, which are pretty shocking. They push it to the back of their minds, but kind of understand vegetarians.


Vegans on the other hand seem like freaks, after all what’s wrong with taking the cows excess milk right?

Well the cow wouldn’t have had milk without a calf and what happens to the calf? They get ripped away from their mother within the first days, the males often going to veal crates, or being killed on the spot and the females enduring the same fate as their mother; Excessive milking, mastitis and slaughter when she gets worn out due to overwork.


Chickens bred for laying eggs are only useful if they are female. Thousands of male chicks (yes the cute yellow fluffy ones) are crushed alive or left to die in rubbish bags, suffocating and squashed by the other chicks.
Therefore even free-range eggs raise ethical questions and as for battery cages, they are outdated and extremely cruel.


The hardest thing about being a vegan, isn’t resisting temptation to eat meat, but trying to avoid hidden animal products in everything from sweets and beer to bread and even soy products.
The best thing to do is to get used to reading ingredients. If a product that you like contains an animal product that could be easily replaced, write the company a letter and explain why you won’t be using their product anymore and suggest a simple change they could make.


- Catherine Smith -

Quick Tips on Wine

There are many people that would love to get into wine, but are intimidated. Many people consider wine an elitist hobby, but it actually is nothing more than crushed grapes. Wine to many people is a wonderful joy and truly makes life worth living. Many people that want to start drinking wine usually have a few questions.



Here are some answers to some of the most popular questions:


How can I make wine last longer?


Many people buy a bottle of wine and only drink one or two glasses. You can easily make wine last longer by keeping it stored in the refrigerator and by returning the cork to the bottle. You can buy products that create a vacuum and re-cork the bottle of wine, so that it even lasts a longer amount of time. If you have a very expensive bottle of wine, you can purchase a product that removes all the air and replaces the bottle with a special gas and then re-corks it. This type of procedure can have your wine last for years.


What temperature should wine be served?


This question really depends on what kind of wine it is.
Most red wines are served at room temperature or a slightly cool temperature of 65 degrees. Some people like it even cooler at around 60 degrees. If you are talking about white wine then the temperature should usually be at or about 45 degrees. If the white wine has extra body, you can usually serve it a little warmer at around 55 degrees. So if you want to get into wine, follow the above tips.



Wine can be used to enhance the gifts in your personalized gift basket. I enjoy giving and receiving gift baskets with wine, cheese, personalized items, Belgian chocolate and gourmet specialty items. I've given this type gift basket for Christmas and Birthday gifts with great success. Experiment with your wine tasting, ask your friends, add a bottle in your next Gift Basket.



- Nancy Woodward -

Alcoholic Drinks And Its Effect on Your Weight Loss Program

"I'll just have a little..."

If you are not careful, this little phrase can be an absolute killer for your weight loss plans during this holiday season.

And I'm not just talking about the food.

The hidden danger is in all the alcoholic drinks and cocktails that's being offered to you. Yes, those party drinks can do more harm other than just getting you intoxicated and embarassingly uninhibited!

Did you know that these drinks contain an incredible number of calories?

In fact, alcohol is the number two most energy-dense food, losing out only to fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, and alcohol comes in a close second at a whopping 7 calories per gram.

What this means is that each alcoholic drink you consume will cause you to take in an alarmingly high number of calories.

Here's a sample of some of the more popular drinks, together with their calorie counts...

• 1 glass of Bailey's lrish Cream - 468 calories
• 1 glass of Margarita - 453 calories
• 1 glass of Martini - 413 calories
• 1 glass of Pina Colada - 297 calories
• 1 glass of Vodka Cranberry - 250 calories
• 1 glass of Rum & cola - 240 calories
• 1 glass of Screwdriver - 200 calories
• 1 mug of beer - 150 calories
• 1 glass of white wine - 120 calories
• 1 tequila shot - 100 calories

To put those calorie counts into perspective, I'd like to just point out that 2 glasses of Margaritas would have given you about _half_ of your daily calories requirements. Yes, 50% from just 2 drinks.

And we have not even included the calories from the food, nuts and snacks yet! Once we add those in, can you see how easy it is for you to go over the daily calorie requirements, and start piling on the pounds?

Now, this doesn't mean that you should stay away from the alcoholic drinks. It's just that when you drink, you should keep in mind the huge amount of calories in the drinks.

I want you to have fun this holiday. So, if you are the sort that enjoys a drink of two at your parties, I want to leave you with a couple of useful tips to help to reduce the "guilt factor".

- Fill up your glass with lots of ice cubes. You'll not only get a nice cold drink, the water from the melted ice has zero calories too.

- Use soda water to dilute your drink. This helps to fill you up quicker, and it means you won't get tipsy too quickly.

- And probably the most important tip... Do not use the alcoholic drinks to quench your thirst. Remember, you should be drinking these party drinks for fun. After the heavy meal or when you had too much salty snacks, go drink a big glass of water first to quench your thirst. Water works better for this, and it has zero calories!

Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee

World's Most Bizarre Specialty Coffee

Anyone who lives in a big city these days has seen first-hand the proliferation of 4-dollar-a-shot coffee shops. Thanks to Starbucks and their like coffee has become the number 2 commodity in the world (petroleum is number 1).

Grown in dozens of countries world wide the coffee 'bean' is actually the pit of a coffee 'cherry'. In normal circumstances the cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and once the outer fruit is removed the coffee bean is ready for roasting, grinding and transporting to your local cafe.

However, there are three small islands in the Indonesian Archipelago called Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi where this process takes a bizarre twist. You see coffee is coveted by not only by us humans but a local creature called a

Palm Civet. The Palm Civet is a tree dwelling marsupial with a particular fondness for the local variety of coffee cherries.

Of course, these cat-sized coffee aficionados don't have the time to peal the cherries and eat just the fruit, so they swallow them whole. Well guess what comes out the other end? Yes that's right, a non-digested, semi-fermented coffee bean.

It started as a way for locals who weren't brave enough, or too lazy to climb the coffee trees, to have coffee too (mind you some bravery is required to sift through mountains of Civet droppings for coffee beans!).

Through the magic of international trade what was once a source of free coffee beans for impoverished locals turned into the most expensive beverage in the world. It is marketed as a coffee variety called "Kopi luwak". Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is their name for the coffee eating Civet.

Kopi luwak sells for a whopping $75 a pound and it is estimated that the worldwide annual production is only about 500 pounds. Japan is the largest importer of this specialty coffee and it is now available in the United States and many other countries as well.

The flavor of the coffee is described as complex and very rich. This special flavor is attributed to the natural fermentation process that occurs as the beans travel the length of the Civet's digestive tract.

You can be sure that you won't be finding Kopi luwak for sale at your local Starbucks any time soon but if you are ever in a cafe and you notice the daily special is "Kopi luwak" and is going for $5 a cup, how could you not give it a try?

- Joy Symons -

The Major Benefits of Green Tea Antioxidants

Green tea contains many beneficial nutrients and compounds, one example is the antioxidant.
Green tea contains four primary polyphenols and these give rise to the green tea antioxidant.


In recent studies these powerful antioxidants have been shown to fight viruses, slow aging and have an overall beneficial effect on a persons general health.


Catechins which is a part of the four primary polyphenols has been shown in recent clinical tests to destroy free radicals which has far reaching effects for the body. If left, free radicals could damage the body at the cellular level which leaves the body susceptible to cancer, heart disease and degenerative diseases.


About the Green Tea Antioxidant


The ability to protect the brain and fight against diseases such as Alzheimers has also been found to be a benefit of green tea antioxidants. A recent study shows this to be true since high doses of green teas ingredient EGCG reduces the formation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain of mice that developed Alzheimers disease.


EGCG is a flavonoid type of antioxidants that is typically found in plants and has been connected with many health benefits, including protecting against cancer and heart disease.


EGCG is an important antioxidant in green tea that is proven to be the most primary explanation for why green tea is beneficial to a persons health.


The polyphenols in green tea claim to also contain antioxidants that are more potent such as Vitamin C and E.
EGCG is better at protecting the cells and genetic material, or DNA, from damage than Vitamin C by 100 times and Vitamin E by 25 times. The damage to cells and genetic materials has been linked to health problems such as cancer, heart disease and other potentially life threatening illnesses.


The antioxidants that are found in green tea are important to acknowledge and understand. You should also know the positive aspects you can get from the components of these antioxidants that help your health and well-being.



- Colin Holcomb -

8 Chinese New Year Food Symbols for Happiness, Prosperity and Health

"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of
celebrating the Spring Festival.

After all, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to
have your New Year wishes come true!

And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and
health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and
friends?

Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New
Year.

These delicious dishes are served during the
reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve with family
members.

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood
and vegetables) is a must.

Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as huo3 in
hong2 huo3 红火 (prosperous and booming).

2. Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance
in the new year.

Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese
New Year.

In Chinese fish has the same sound as surplus and
abundance 余.

A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the
reunion dinner.

Usually the fish is steamed.

It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail
intact.

This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and
end in the new year.

Best served whole.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds
like someone laughing.

Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings.

These are shaped like gold ingots.

Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which
means the hour of transition into the New Year.

Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are
eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck and
wealth in the New Year.

Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever
bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year.

When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they
mean golden threads through gold ingots.

In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and
Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold
ingots.

5. Oyster

Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means good
things.

In southern China, it is served with thin rice
noodles.

6. Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens.

Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 meaning close/intimate

7. Sticky rice cake

Nian2 gao1 年糕.

Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the
same as high gao1 高.

So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped
with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater
prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity
noodles".

A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity,
Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of
life.

Even more so during Chinese New Year!

For a guide to auspicious Chinese symbols and the culture of
Chinese characters, visit Living Chinese Symbols.

- Kah Joon Liow -

Chocolate

Chocolate is something that almost everyone in this world has ever tasted it. It often referred to something sweet.
And chocolate is actually not a bad thing to eat (for the parents that always don't allow us to eat when we were small), it has a lot of benefits but of course some bad side effects.


While chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system . Other beneficial effects suggested include anticancer, brain stimulator, cough preventor, anti diarroeahl effects.
An aphrodisiac effect is yet unproven.

Circulatory benefits

Recent studies have suggested that cocoa or dark chocolate may possess certain beneficial effects on human health. Cocoa possesses a significant antioxidant action. Some studies have also observed a modest reduction in blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation after consuming dark chocolate daily.

There has even been a fad diet, named "Chocolate diet", that emphasizes eating chocolate and cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking fat-containing milk with dark chocolate, appears largely to negate the health benefit. Processed cocoa powder (so called Dutch chocolate), processed with alkali greatly reduces the antioxidant capacity as compared to "raw" cocoa powder. Processing cocoa with alkali destroys most of the flavonoids.

One-third of the fat in chocolate comes in the forms of a saturated fat called stearic acid and a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. However, unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid does not raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Consuming relatively large amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa does not seem to raise serum LDL cholesterol levels; some studies even find that it could lower them. Indeed, small but regular amounts of dark chocolate lower the possibility of a heart attack, a result of cholesterol imbalance according to the lipid hypothesis

Studies suggest a specially formulated type of cocoa may be nootpric and delay brain function decline as people age.

Mars Incorporated, a Virginia-based candy company, spends money each year on flavanol research. The company is talking with pharmaceutical companies to license drugs based on synthesized cocoa flavanol molecules. According to Mars-funded researchers at Harvard, the University of California, and European universities, cocoa-based prescription drugs could potentially help treat diabetes, dementia ,and other diseases.

Other research indicates that chocolate may be effective at preventing persistent coughing. The ingredient theobromine was found to be almost one third more effective than codeine, the leading cough medicine. The chocolate also appears to soothe and moisten the throat.

Flavanoids can inhibit the development of diarrhea, suggesting antidiarrhoeal effects of chocolate.

On the other hand, eating large quantities of any chocolate increases risk of obesity^. There is concern of mild lead poisoning for some types of chocolate.

Chocolate is toxic to many animals because of insufficient capacity to metabolize theobromine.

A study reported by the BBC indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended.


There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause acne . Various studies seem to show that this is the case for high glycemic index foods in general, though the question is still being studied.


Milk is known to cause acne, including any which is mixed with chocolate.


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