Panlasang Pinoy

Diverticulitis Diet

The diverticulitis diet is a meal plan which is particularly designed for people who are suffering from a digestive disease called diverticulitis. This disease involves formation of pouches in the large intestine which get inflamed. Once this occurs, the person can suffer from abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and cramps.

For acute cases of diverticulitis, going through a diverticulitis diet could help in alleviating the pain. This may be accompanied by medications like antibiotics but to effectively beat the discomfort and pain, it is best to do changes in the diet. If you are suffering from this problem, then it is time for you know more about the proper foods to eat.

Photo Credit: Mike G

This illness requires clearing up the infection and curing the inflammation. The colon has to be rested too. That is why, diverticulitis diet involves intake of high amount of liquid. Chicken broth that is liquidized can help a lot. You also need to increase the amount of water that you drink everyday. Since eight glasses is the recommended amount for an average person, you would need to take it up a notch and drink at least ten to twelve glasses per day. This will enable you to do cleansing much faster. Aside from water, green herbal teas and fruit or vegetable juices are recommended too.

Fiber from the right types of food should do positive effects on your body. However, you should do the fiber increase gradually. It is not recommended to suddenly bombard your digestive system with whopping amount of fiber from fruits and vegetable as this may make it harder for your digestive tract to function. This could also make things worse because you may experience cramping, bloating or having too much gas. You can start by eating cooked vegetables, green salads, steamed fruits without the skin and low fiber cereals.

As you progress with the diverticulitis diet, you have to carefully elevate the amount of fiber that you ingest. According to the American Dietetic Association, the recommended amount is about 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day along with 6 to 8 grams of soluble fiber. This should promote enhanced stool formation and excretion so that the pressure on the colon would be reduced. It is still ideal to ingest more fruits and vegetables because these have high amount of fiber. Focus on eating more apricot, blackberry, blueberry, grapefruit, prune, asparagus, broccoli, spinach and cabbage. Along with these, you can also add whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, oat bran and grits.

It is important to be a little cautious when eating foods with high amount of acidity as these may cause heart burn and high amount of acid within the digestive tract. It would be best to eat in little proportions too so that it would be easier to digest the food. There should be less food residue to enable the system to cleanse properly.

As part of the diverticulitis diet, you should also avoid food and drinks that have high amount of sodium because these can lead to dehydration and makes it harder for your digestive system to perform its work.

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Date Published: Jun 01, 2012 - 11:30 pm

Ginisang Sitaw Recipe

Ginisang sitaw is a vegetable dish mainly composed of string beans. This is one of the most common Filipino vegetable dishes because it is easy to prepare and budget friendly, as well.

Cooking ginisang sitaw means to sauté the string beans along with other tasty ingredients. We will be using the three most common ingredients for “ginisa”: garlic, onion, and tomato. I also used ground pork to give the dish a meaty flavor. Aside from ground pork, you may also us the following: shrimp, chicken, fried tofu (for vegetarians), or nothing at all.

I like this dish because it’s simple. When there is not enough time to prepare lunch or dinner, this is one of the 30 minute or less dishes that I make. If you on a budget, this recipe can help you save money without sacrificing your nutrient intake and the quality of your food.

Another string beans dish that I recommend is ginataang sitaw at kalabasa.

Try this Ginisang Sitaw Recipe and let me know what you think.

Ginisang Sitaw Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch string beans; cut into pieces about 3 inches in length

1 medium tomato, cubed
6 ounces ground pork
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Watch the cooking video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqrPIF_myxw

Cooking Procedure

Heat oil in a pan
Sauté garlic, onion, and tomato.
Add the ground pork. Cook until color turns medium brown (about 3 to 5 minutes)
Add the fish sauce and sprinkle the ground black pepper. Stir.
Put-in the string beans. Stir gently. Cover and cook in low to medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes.
Remove the cover and stir to distribute the ingredients.
Turn off heat. Transfer to a serving plate.
Serve. Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 4

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Date Published: May 31, 2012 - 11:30 pm

Kangkong with Bagoong Recipe

Kangkong with Bagoong can be considered as an appetizer. It is composed of river spinach and shrimp paste. This recipe is so easy; you do not need any cooking experience in order to perfect this dish.

There are many ways to cook the kang kong: you can boil it; steam it; or blanch it. The method that I highly recommend is blanching. This involves boiling the kang kong for sometime and then soaking it directly in ice water. This method preserves the fresh color of the leaves and maintains the crisp texture of the stalk.

As for the bagoong, you may use the ready to eat bottled shrimp paste, or make one for yourself. Our ginisang bagoong recipe might come in handy.

Aside from the bagoong, you will need to brush the leaves with additional ingredients to enhance the flavor – all are listed in the recipe below.

Try this Kangkong with Bagoong Recipe and let me know what you think.

Kangkong with Bagoong Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch Chinese Kang kong, chopped into 5 inch pieces

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce (patis)
1/4 cup ginisang bagoong
4 to 6 cups water for boiling
4 to 6 cups ice water
12 pieces ice cubes

Cooking Procedure

Pour water in a cooking pot and let boil.
Put-in kang kong and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour ice water and add ice cubes in a large bowl.
Transfer the vegetable from the cooking pot to the large bowl with cold water. Let it stay for 3 minutes. Drain.
Combine sesame oil and fish sauce. Brush the kang kong leaves with this mixture.
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with bagoong.
Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 4

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Date Published: May 29, 2012 - 8:02 pm

15 Calcium Rich Foods That You Must Eat

Calcium is an integral mineral that contributes when it comes to developing and strengthening bones. This is crucial for babies since they are still growing and the development in their bones has to be supplemented with enough calcium. The same goes for pregnant women who have babies growing inside them. Actually, the tendency is that they need to take in more calcium since the fetus consumes the calcium in the mother’s body. The need for this nutrient does not stop, especially as you grow older. That is why, for both young and old, eating sufficient calcium rich foods is necessary. As we age, the bone also has the tendency to become brittle due to lack of calcium. Aside from that, we often do activities that could further promote loss of this nutrient like smoking. If there is not sufficient amount of this within an adult’s body, it could lead to osteoporosis or continuous reduction of bone density mass. The good thing is that incorporating calcium rich foods within your diet will help you prevent such health problems.

Here are 15 different calcium rich foods and the amount that you can get per serving:

• Calcium fortified cereal—1000 mg / ¾ cup • Low fat and plain yogurt—415 mg / 8 oz. • Orange juice that is calcium fortified—350 mg / cup • Sardines—325 mg for every 3 oz. • Fortified soy milk—300 mg / cup • Spinach—291 mg / cup • Low fat milk—290 mg / cup • Low fat cottage cheese—206 mg / cup • Cheddar cheese with reduced fat—200 mg / ounce • Canned salmon with bones—181 mg for ever 3 oz. • Processed tofu with calcium—163 mg / ¼ block • Crab meat—123 mg / cup • Almonds—110 mg / 1/3 cup • Cooked broccoli—61 mg / cup • Cooked beans—25-65 mg / ½ cupPhoto Credit: Like_the_Grand_Canyon

If you are planning to nourish and strengthen your bones by eating calcium rich foods, you also have to make sure that you have sufficient Vitamin D in your body. This is what enables the bones and the body to absorb calcium so it can be used up properly. Without Vitamin D, the calcium that you get from food will merely go to waste.

Vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to sunlight, especially during the early morning. For warm months, all you need to do is spend a few hours outdoors to sustain your body’s needs for Vitamin D. However, during winter or colder months, the amount of this vitamin inside the body drops drastically.

There are calcium rich foods that have been fortified with Vitamin D. It includes dairy products and other foods which are specifically manufactured to have this vitamin so that calcium would be absorbed better. The amount of Vitamins that you can get from Vitamin D foods might not be equal to that which you can get from sun exposure but this will prevent Vitamin D deficiency.

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Date Published: May 25, 2012 - 3:21 pm

Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice is one of the fried rice recipes that I like mainly because it is a meal in itself (like the delicious yang chow fried rice which I enjoy eating). The next thing that got me interested was that idea that we can play with the ingredients that we want to use. For example, vegetarians can use only vegetables less the shrimps, while adventurous individuals can add other ingredients.

Cooking fried rice is really easy; there is no reason for you to get intimidated. All you need to have is a little faith in yourself (that you can do it), a little patience, and this recipe. You will surely enjoy delicious tasting fried rice in no time. You might also want to refer to our tips in making the best fried rice for additional guidance.

Try this Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice recipe and let me know what you think.

Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

12 pieces medium sized shrimps, shelled and gutted

1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 small carrots, sliced
5 cups cooked Jasmine rice, preferably a day old
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Cooking Procedure

Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a small bowl. Heat the vegetables in a microwave oven for 4 minutes. Set aside.
Combine rice, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix well.
Melt butter in a wide pan.
Put-in shrimps and cook for a minute per side. Remove the shrimps and then set aside.
Using the same pan with the remaining butter, add-in the rice. Gently stir every 30 seconds for the next 5 to 7 minutes.
Pour-in soy sauce. Stir until well distributed.
Put-in shrimps and vegetables. Stir. Cook for 3 minutes more.
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve. Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 6

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Date Published: May 23, 2012 - 10:04 pm

Ginisang Labanos Recipe

Ginisang Labanos is the Filipino term for sautéed daikon (or white radish). This is a simple vegetable recipe that goes well with hot steamed rice.

This recipe uses sliced pork and shrimp. Although there are some similar recipes that do not use meat or seafood (which makes it purely vegetarian), I opted to add pork and shrimp to enhance the flavor. I did this because daikon is one of the vegetables that require a little bit of an acquired taste to be enjoyed because of its mild bitter flavor. I liked the outcome because there is a collaboration of different flavors which makes it more attractive to the palate.

Aside from Ginisang Labanos, you can also use daikon when cooking pork sinigang or sinigang na hipon. This even makes a good appetizer known as ensaladang labanos or daikon salad.

Try this Ginisang Labanos Recipe and let me know what you think.

Ginisang Labanos Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb daikon (white radish), sliced into thick strips

1 medium carrot, sliced into thick strips
1 medium tomato, cubed
3/4 cup pork, thinly sliced
3/4 cup small shrimps
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Cooking Procedure

Heat oil in a pan
Sauté garlic and onion
Once the onion becomes soft, put-in the tomato. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add the pork. Cook for 5 minutes.
Pour-in water and let boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add-in the daikon and carrot. Stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Put-in the shrimp, fish sauce, and ground black pepper. Stir and cook for 10 minutes more.
Transfer to a serving plate.
Serve with hot rice. Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 4

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Date Published: May 21, 2012 - 8:45 pm

Top 10 Favorite Tilapia Recipes

Tilapia, also known in some parts of the world as St. Peter fish, has been the most sought after fish for many reasons. In terms of availability, this fish is there all year long – thanks to the countless fish farms that grow tilapia. It has now been in the 5 most significant varieties of fish in terms of fish farming.

Cooking tilapia is similar to cooking any other fish. You have to prepare it based on the dish that you plan to cook before execution. This means cleaning the fish by removing the scales, gills, and innards before anything else. We all have different ways of preparation. For example: after cleaning, I rub salt all over the before frying it. If being grilled directly over heat, I leave the scales in so that it won’t stick on the grill.

Photo Credit: Agriculturasp

In the Philippines, there are countless tilapia recipes available in every region. These recipes range from simple fried or grilled tilapia to more complex recipes that use different ingredient combinations. I’ve tried maybe close to 40 tilapia dishes, and I know that there are still more that I have to discover. Among the dishes that I tried came my 10 most favorite recipes.

What are you favorite Tilapia Recipes? Here are mine:

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Date Published: May 17, 2012 - 9:12 pm

Corn and Potato Chowder

If you liked our Clam Chowder Recipe, you will surely love this delicious Corn and Potato Chowder. It has a real rich delicious flavor and the ingredients are easy to find.

Chowder is a type of thickened soup that is usually eaten with crackers. The thickening agent for this recipe is the potato. When the potato starts to cook, the starch breaks down and gradually mixes with the milk. The combination of ham and corn gives this soup a nice taste, while the milk and cheese provides the rich flavor. During dinner, this dish is best to eat with some saltine crackers. For lunch, I enjoy having Corn and Potato Chowder along with a roast beef sandwich or tuna salad wrap.

Try this Corn and Potato Chowder recipe and let me know what you think.

Corn and Potato Chowder

Ingredients

1 ½ cup ham, cubed

2 cups potatoes, cubed
15 ounces (1 can) whole kernel corn
14 ounces (1 can) cream style sweet corn
2 cups fresh milk
1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking Procedure

Heat a cooking pot.
Pour-in milk and cream style sweet corn. Stir and then bring to a boil.
Add the ham and potatoes. Cook covered in medium heat for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Put-in the kernel corn, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add-in the cheese. Stir until melted.
Transfer to a serving plate.
Serve hot. Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 4

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Date Published: May 16, 2012 - 9:26 pm

What is Scarsdale Diet?

The scarsdale diet is one type of weight loss program that is making a big buzz in the health and fitness world these days. Is this the right diet for you? Before you even venture into doing it just because your friend went through the process or your sister recommended it to you, it is better to know more about this diet first. That way, you can identify if this will also be beneficial for you.

In a nutshell, the scarsdale diet is a low-fat and low-calorie diet program that is developed by Dr. Herman Tarnower. This diet is accompanied by a book that was first published in 1978. The book contains the essential details about the program.

This diet is based on a seven-day diet program which can be repeated for another week. Then, after the two-week diet, there will be a couple of weeks to rest before starting over again, if desired. The meal plan for this diet is structured because the food which can be eaten in every meal is specified. However, the good thing is that there is no limitation in portion so you can eat until you are satisfied so long as you are not overstuffed.

Does the scarsdale diet work?

Two weeks may seem like such a short time to shed off those extra pounds but the truth is that, for over 20 years, this diet has made people become slimmer.

Photo Credit: Dave Pullig

What this diet primarily does is that it pumps up your metabolism so that you would continuously burn fat. The specific foods included in the diet does not contain high amount of fat. Hence, the tendency is that your body will use up the stored fat. With increased metabolism and efficient fat burning, two weeks is more than enough to see significant weight loss.

One concern with scarsdale diet is that this may lead to vitamin deficiency if the program is followed for more than 2 weeks. That is why, there has to be a rest in between cycles so that the body has time to replenish its nutrients. Besides, the body will also reach a plateau if the diet program is followed for more than 2 weeks straight. This means that your system will adjust to the limited amount of food that you eat. Because of that, weight loss might not be as efficient anymore.

This is not a long-term diet program because of the rigidity of the menu plan. However, it is effective in preventing obesity, enabling you to avoid a lot of health complications.

Here is a sample of the food that you can eat while on scarsdale diet.

Breakfast—This remains the same everyday. You have to consume ½ grapefruit or if this is unavailable, substitute this with other fruits that are in season. You can also have a slice of protein bread without spread. For drink, have a cup of tea or coffee without sugar, cream, milk or honey.

Lunch—Indulge on fruit salad until you are satisfied. Coffee, tea, diet soda, or water can go with the salad too.

Dinner—Feast on broiled, lean hamburger. Add tomatoes, 4 olives, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, celery and lettuce. You can also drink diet soda, water, coffee or tea.

With this diet, you do not have to starve yourself just to lose weight. Just be a little choosier when it comes to the types of food that you will munch on.

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Date Published: May 08, 2012 - 8:11 pm

Tasty Sliders Recipe

It is getting warmer these days, time to heat-up that grill and enjoy some sliders. For those who aren’t familiar with them, these can easily be described as mini-burgers. So, where did these delicious tiny tasty snacks got its name?

Sliders are invented by the White Castle Restaurant. These were called as such because the servers slide them down on the counter towards the customers. The original sliders are square in shape and have holes to distribute heat. This cooks the slider without the need to flip the patty.

This is best eaten with some crispy homemade French fries. The good news– you don’t need to go far to search for the recipe, we got it all taken care of. And before I forget, feel free to add as much hot sauce as you can handle. Cheers!

Try this Tasty Sliders Recipe and let me know what you think.

Tasty Sliders Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (80:20 fat ratio)

1 packet (1 ounce) French onion soup mix
10 pieces dinner rolls (bread)
Individual cheese slices
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped sliced onions
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
Salt and ground black pepper

Cooking Procedure

In a large bowl, combine ground beef and French onion soup powder; mix using your clean hands.
Scoop about 2 1/2 ounces of meat and form it into a ball-like figure. Gently press the meat so that it becomes flat.
Season with salt and ground black pepper
Grill each side in medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes. The thicker the patty, the longer it takes to grill
Remove from the grill and assemble. Start by spreading mayonnaise on the dinner roll, and then arrange the patty. Add cheese, sliced onion, and pickles, if you like.
Serve with homemade French fries.
Share and enjoy!
Number of servings (yield): 6

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