Everybody is familiar with green tea and how great it is for your health. But when you get deeper into the subject, things become more difficult to understand for most people. That is why I have thought it would be helpful to write a little explanatory article defining terms that might sound as a foreign language to the general public.

When you read about green tea in books and magazines, you’ll come across several related terms. Although they are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Here is a list of the green tea compounds, their definitions and benefits:

· POLYPHENOLS are naturally occurring compounds that act as powerful antioxidants. They are the most abundant group of plant phenolic compounds, known to provide much of the flavor, color and taste of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and other parts of the plants. As dietary source of biologically active compounds they prove to be valuable for health. Some of their benefits include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other degenerative disease. These effects of polyphenols come as a result of their antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties.

· CATECHINS are a class of polyphenol present in high concentration in green tea. Catechins are what make green tea special. They make up the bulk of green tea’s antioxidants, and therefore its healing potential. Catechins prevent oxidation, they are anticarcinogenic, lower cholesterol level and the level of LDL in bloodstream, retard blod pressure increase, retard coagulation of red blood cells, prevent allergies, act as an antibiotic, improve viral digestion in the intestines and eliminate body odor.

· FLAVONOLS are another group of polyphenols known for their strong antioxidant properties. They help trap and destroy free radicals and peroxides, keeping them from destroying body tissue. They also work together with vitamin C to help strengthen blood vessel walls.

· GLYCOSIDES are complex sugars which prevent increase in blood sugar.

· CAROTENE is an organic compound found as well in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Carotene is used by the body to make vitamin A. It prevents oxidation, increases immunity and is anitcarginogenic.

· FLOURIDE is a mineral which helps to harden tooth enamel, preventing cavities.

Green tea also has some other ingredients you are probably more familiar with:

· CAFFEINE , which excites the central nervous system, prevents asthma, increases metabolic rate and is also a diuretic. The amount of caffeine varies depending on its type and preparation, but anyways, green tea definitely contains less caffeine than black tea and much less than coffee.

· VITAMIN C, which helps to reduce stress, fight infection and strengthen the immune system.

· VITAMIN E is anticarcinogenic, prevents oxidation and infertility.

· VITAMIN B complex which aids in the metabolism of carbohydrates.

· ZINC prevents skin inflammation and maintains the level of immunity.

· SELENIUM prevents oxidation and deterioration of the heart muscle.

· MAGNESIA prevents oxidation, increases immunity and assists in digestion of ethyl

Hoping that you find these definitions helpful, I’m wishing you a great day and much health!

Why purchase an ice machine?

An Ice machine is an imperative piece of commercial kitchen equipment and commercial restaurant equipment for a food service company. Ice machines are inexpensive and simple to operate and maintain. Buying an ice maker is a beneficial purchase.

Guidelines you should use when choosing the right ice machine for your business.

• Size
• Ice type
• Cooling system type
• Condenser type
• Reliability
• Other (miscellaneous)

Size of your ice machine: When deciding on the right size ice machine, think about the space you have available for the unit and the quantity of ice your business uses yearly. Remember, you will need to manufacture additional ice in the summer time and on weekends. Purchase an ice machine that meets your peak manufacturing needs. Conclude your ice machine purchase by analyzing the major and minor details. Base your final choice on your recent business flow and a potential business increase as well. Evaluate the spec sheets provided for each ice machine and carefully review production charts.Overview:

• Space
• Annual usage
• Peak usage
• Choose over-production instead of under-production
• Review spec sheets

What type of ice is ideal for your business type? Types: Ice machines produce three different types of ice including different cube sizes and designs as well as flaked or nugget ice.

1. Cubes: Cube ice are available in two sizes; half dice or whole dice. Spec sheets provide information about the size of the cubes an ice machine produces. Considered the most popular ice machines, cube machines manufacture a solid cube that melts slowly. Full dice ice machines and half dice ice machines are suggested for carbonated drinks, mixed drinks, ice retail, salad bars and ice dispensing.

2. Flakes: Flake ice machines produce small, hard bits of ice. Flakes rapidly cool foods and drinks all the while generating low production costs. An exclusive characteristic of flakes is they can be easily molded into any shape. Flakes are best used for salad bars, seafood, meat, produce, blended cocktails, and for hospital use.

3. Nuggets: Nugget ice makers produce a pliable, chewable textured ice that provides optimal cooling effect for drinks. Purchasing an agitator kit is crucial for a nugget ice machine since the ice can melt and stick together and cause clogging. Nugget ice’s recommended use is for blended drinks, carbonated, drinks, salad bars, produce and hospital use.

Which Cooling System is best for you, your business and the environment? There are two types of cooling systems:

• Air cooling machines
• Water cooling machines

An Air cooling machines: are effortless to install and low costing to attain, operate and sustain. The air cooling system works by using air and water temperature. They also need more space to function in order to avoid overheating. Air cooled commercial ice machines are environmentally friendly and the food service industry has considered this new system a key innovation. Water cooled machines: on an industrial level this system is more dependable and resourceful but it is also more expensive to operate because it uses more water. Water cooled machines produce less heat and will not affect your room temperature greatly nor do they require as much space for optimal performance to be attained. Overall, if you have limited space for an ice machine it is most convenient to go with the water-cooling system.

Condenser: Remote System unit The remote system unit is resourceful for bigger machines that produce more than 800 lbs every 24 hours. The remote system performs best when it is mounted on the roof of a building in order to minimize the amount of noise and heat it exerts.

Reliability What commercial kitchen merchandisers are leading the industry in ice machine dependability? Manitowoc ice machines and Scotsman ice makers are the most dependable in the industry according to recent service reports.

Other considerations What ice machine capacity and design fits your needs?

• Models
• Connections
• Plumbing
• Energy efficiency
• Standard Features
• Key Kitchen Applications
• Maintenance Requirements
• Food Safety & Sanitation Essentials

There are two types of ice machine models:

• Floor models (large)
• Under-counter models

Floor-model ice makers are the larger of the two and produce anywhere from 300 to 2,000 lbs of ice daily. They average around 25″ in height and range from 22″ to 48″ wide. Floor models offer the option of stacking; increasing daily production. Undercounter ice machines produce anywhere from 100 to 200 lbs daily. Undercounter ice machine models normally fit in spaces that are 35″ to 40″ high. Updated models of countertop nugget ice machines produce larger amounts of ice while relying on a smaller amount of storage capacity providing superior efficiency. For businesses that require larger ice production rates, an ice dispenser is essential. Alternatives for dispensing include ice, water or ice and water in one. These high-capacity models can produce anywhere from 1,450 lbs. to 1,880 lbs. of ice cubes daily. Important consideration: Before ordering your ice machine, measure your doors, hallways and overall installation space for assured product convenience. When measuring these dimensions, add an extra 5 to 8 inches for clearance space above, behind and on all sides.

Connection features What types of connections do ice machines require?

• Electrical
• Water

Electrical and water connections next to your floor drain must be within 6 feet of your ice machine. Ice machines are available in a range of voltages to meet your ice manufacturing requirements. Ordering the right voltage is a critical step in order to meet local, state and national codes and laws. What are the Plumbing Requirements for an ice machine? Ice machines need to be connected to a cold water supply and have alternate drain lines for the machine and bin. It is important to manage the temperature of the water that runs to your ice machine; the lower the water temperature the better the capacity of ice production. Water temperatures should not exceed 90 degrees F.

The Innovation of Energy Efficient Ice Makers: Energy Star The environmental issues that we are currently facing have led organizations and businesses to opt for Energy efficient products. The food service industry has been successful in making steps towards progressing in the way in which energy is used. Energy Star is a program established through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy focused on supporting customers to collectively save money and the environment. With the use of energy efficient products and procedures this program is steadily expanding their services into the food service industry.

Choosing an ice maker that promotes Energy Star in their description will aid in the increase of energy efficiency within your business by an estimated 15% and water efficiency by 10% more than non- Energy efficient models. Air-cooled units typically meet Energy Star’s requirements of maximum potable water and energy expenditure limits. Energy Star qualified ice makers save businesses approximately 1160 kWh each year and $100 annually on water and electric bills. Health codes and Food Safety: It is obligatory to maintain sanitation and hygiene within a food service business. Search for ice machines that come standard with automatic, internal self-cleaning systems along with built-in sanitizers and cleansers. These are the best steps to take in order to avoid violation of health codes.

If you are looking for a coffee roaster machine to enable you to roast coffee at home, you may not need to look any further than your own kitchen cabinets or attic. Roasting coffee at home is the hottest hobby going for the do it yourself types. Not only will you save money, you will also have the best cup of coffee to satisfy the coffee drinker in you. While most home coffee roaster machines can run upwards of a thousand dollars, most people wanting to roast green coffee beans probably have a hot air popcorn coffee lying around the house. The right popcorn popper can roast a half a cup of green coffee beans of your choice in less than 10 minutes. After cooling the freshly roasted beans for around fours or so, you are ready to grind up those beans and make yourself a fresh pot of java.

Not all popcorn poppers can be used as a coffee roaster machine unfortunately. You are looking for one that puts out 1200 plus watts and lets in air via vents inside the hopper. The poppers that have a screen in the bottom of the hopper you will want to avoid as these can be a fire risk. The West End Poppery II and the Nostalgia Electrics brands are the most popular models to use as a roasting machine. If you do not have either type lying around the house, they can be found online or even at a neighborhood yard sale. Be sure to double check the wattage and the way air is induced to the hopper before purchasing. The wear and tear these machines can take is incredible and you will roast several batches of coffee in them before burning them up.

Make sure to use your machine outdoors and make sure that all safety precautions are taken and that you fully understand the whole coffee roasting process. Make sure to have hot baking mitts close by so you can handle the machine when roasting the batch of coffee is completed. It is a quite easy and enjoyable hobby and the end result is a fantastic cup of coffee.

Most people hear the words “Healthy Eating” and cringe because it usually involves some type of strict routine that doesn’t fit in their busy life styles. The words also bring images of counting calories, low carb, low fat foods that taste like cardboard, strict workouts and starvation. The local bookstore carries an array of so called “healthy” cook books full of conflicting nutritional information, not to mention the diet scams that prey on people that are looking for a quick fix.

With all this conflicting information it’s no wonder that most people have no idea what is truly healthy and good for their bodies asking the question “Well, what do I eat?” This leads to more problems than the public is aware of, weight troubles, poor skin, depression, and disease are just a few.

1. Who Is the Creator of Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook? Can You Really Trust Them?

At Healthy Urban Kitchen, Antonio Valladares and Jaime Larose have developed an easy step by step system for shopping, cooking and eating which can cater to any lifestyle, even the busiest. Antonio has been rated “Best Personal Trainer of NYC” and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, New York Times, etc. He has spent fifteen years of his career researching, interviewing, problem solving, refining, testing and developing real world solutions for the epidemic of unhealthy living and weight gain.

2. What Can You Learn With Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook?

Antonio’s wealth of information and Jaime’s flair for fun and cuisine spawned into the Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook which makes healthy eating ultra simple. This book caters to busy people with hectic lifestyles that want to lose weight, but it can benefit all lifestyles. This simple to follow book explains what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, how to simplify shopping, how to cook (fun even for those who hate cooking or simply don’t have the time) and how to turn healthy recipes into delicious meals that reduce fat and help you lose weight.

3. What Will Healthy Urban Kitchen Do For You?

After visiting Healthy Urban Kitchen people are blown away by the simplicity of the program. They throw away all the misleading notions of healthy eating and enjoy the benefits of eating delicious food and more of it. The program takes the weight off and keeps it off, but the benefits don’t stop there. It also produces clear healthy skin, eliminates depression, prevents disease, and drastically revives the body without drugs, diets or surgery. Essentially after exploring the benefits of Healthy Urban Kitchen you find the secrets to improve your life by eating more.

Keeping your colon clean is important but so is the colon cleansing diet recipe that you use to do it. One of the most popular colon cleansing diet recipes is that for the lemonade diet, also known as the master cleanse. This is a fast which requires you to drink only lemonade and use a salt flush every morning. You eat no solid food while you are doing it, so it has been used for weight loss as much as for colon cleansing. If you go online, you will find lots of sites that list the colon cleansing diet recipe for you to cleanse your colon, detoxify your body, and whittle your waist.

Other colon cleansing diet recipes are simple and may be more of a fast than a diet. Herbal teas that have natural laxative properties may be used, along with lots of water, to wash waste and toxins from your body. Unfortunately, when you do a colon cleanse fast, no matter what liquids are on the diet, you risk flushing the natural flora out of the digestive tract.  You should make sure you take pro-biotics to restore your body’s natural flora once you are off your colon cleansing diet. Recipes for colon cleansing don’t usually take these ingredients into consideration, but you can purchase them separately and should always follow a colon cleansing by using them.

Colon cleansing diet recipes that include lots of raw fruits and vegetables are the ones that help you colon cleanse itself naturally and which you can and should maintain for a long period of time. If you can learn to drink a cup of green tea every morning in place of a cup of coffee and eat bran muffins for breakfast instead of fatty breakfast meats, you have already changed a large part of your diet to a colon cleansing diet, and recipes don’t have to be any more specific than that to make a big improvement in your colon’s abilities to cleanse itself.

There are various recipes you can make with corned beef. You can even mix this with your favorite vegetables.

Here are some delectable and delicious recipes you can make with corned beef:

1.Corned Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

• 2 cans regular beer (24 ounces)

• Approx. 9 lbs beef brisket (cut into half)

• cold water (for cover)

• 2 large onions with skins (halved)

• garni bag

• 5 cloves garlic (including skins)

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons dry mustard

Preparation:

Cut the beef brisket in half. Rinse and place into a large kettle. Cover with cold water and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes then drain water.

To make a garni bag use cheesecloth and tie it with string. In the brisket, add beer, cold water (for covering, a garni bag, large halved onions, garlic, mustard, and brown sugar). Bring to a simmer and boil for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Prepare one day ahead to exude more flavor. Conserve water and save the garni bag. Make sure that the beef brisket is inside the cooked mixture.

Serve the corned beef brisket with potatoes and carrots separately in small pots. Ladle the mixture and pour in cups.

Chop cabbages and add to the brisket. Cook until cabbage is tender.

Combine the horseradish sauce ingredients (as listed below). You can serve this with corned beef for dinner.

For Garni Bag:

• 10 whole peppercorns

• 2 tbsps pickling spice (including spices, packed along the brisket)

• 7 whole cloves

• parsley (chopped)

• 3 bay leaves (crumbled)

Horseradish Mustard Sauce

• 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1+ teaspoon horseradish (for taste)

• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt

2. Corned Beef and Sauerkraut Sandwich

This is a delectable corned beef sandwich recipe with Swiss cheese.

Ingredients:

• Swiss cheese

• Rye bread

• Corned beef

• Mustard

• Sauerkraut

Preparation:

Arrange several layers of Swiss cheese in a dark rye bread. Top it with some slices of hot corned beef and drained sauerkraut. Spread mustard then top with another slice of rye bread.

3.Corned Beef Hash with Eggs

This is a tasty and favorable brunch (breakfast and lunch) dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup green bell pepper (chopped)

• 1/4 cup onions (minced)

• 2 tbsp butter

• 4 cups cooked potatoes (diced)

• 4 to 5 cups corned beef (cooked, chopped)

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• Pepper and salt (to taste)

• 12 eggs

Preparation:

Saute green pepper and onions in butter, until the mixture becomes tender. Add potatoes, corned beef and pepper. Mash together and mix well.

Flatten the mixture between 2 sheets of wax paper until 1-inch thickness is achieved. Cut into 12 large circles. Cook in a skillet until both sides turn brownish.

Add poached egg on both sides. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Refrigerate and cook before serving.

4.Corned Beef and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 turnips or 1 medium rutabaga (cut this into 2-inch chunks)

• 3 to 4 carrots (cut crosswise and halved lengthwise into 2 to 3 inch pieces

• corned beef brisket of 3-4lbs (cut if necessary)

• 1-1/2 cups water

• 3 medium onions (sliced in 4)

• pepper and salt (to taste)

• 1 small cabbage

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except cabbage and cook in low heat. Cover and cook for another 4 hours in low heat, or another 2 hours in high heat. Add cabbage. Sprinkle with pepper and salt.

Smoothies are no longer crunchy granola hippie food. They are in sidewalk cafes and are being sold at the grocery store in 6 packs. But smoothies are easy to make at home and can be even more nutritious when you make them yourself. One of the best reasons to start drinking smoothies is if you are prone to skipping breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet millions of people walk out the door with a thermos of coffee and a full to-do list. Your body needs fuel to work properly. Your brain needs energy to think properly. Smoothies are a great way to get super nutrition in a tasty treat. They are quick to make and easy to share. What more could you want form a great breakfast?

I keep a list of smoothie ingredients on hand so I can make the best tasting, most nutrient rich shake I can. I keep these ingredients on hand all the time so I can substitute different fruits or juices to change the flavor depending on my mood.

Here is my list: juice (I mix it up), plain whole yogurt, flax seeds, a super green powder, coconut milk powder, protein powder (vanilla), flax seed oil, and wheat germ.

You can start out with juice, yogurt, green food and the Coconut milk powder and work in the flax seeds, protein powder and other ingredients. I recommend a powdered super green mix because it mixes easily and digests very quickly. (In fact I often mix it with a cup of juice and take a green shot for a mid afternoon pick me up!) Plus it is less expensive than other vitamin regimes because you get all the nutrients you need in one shot. I particularly like adding vanilla protein powder and Coconut milk powder because they add more protein and omega 3 fatty acids, plus the coconut milk powder tastes really creamy and good! Ok, now that you have your basic ingredients lets get down to it!

Smoothies are good for you for many reasons, but two in particular. One: smoothies combine readily available nutrients in a liquid form. This means you get the nutrients you want in a highly digestible form, right away. Second: they are great healthy food on the go. Let’s face it, we need better food for a fast pace society. Before you go drop another 5 dollar bill on a starbucks -try creating your own smoothies and feel the super green food difference!

Smoothie recipes without using a blender

Creamy orange

1 cup orange juice (to taste)

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tb super green energy powder

1 tb coconut milk powder

2-3 cubes of ice (helps mix ingredients and keeps it cold)

Put ingredients into jar with tight lid and shake vigorously or whisk together

Grape dream

2 cups grape juice (to taste)

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 tsp super green energy powder

1 tsp coconut milk powder

2-3 cubes of ice (helps mix ingredients and keeps it cold)

Put ingredients into jar with tight lid and shake vigorously or whisk together

This one is sweet and creamy

Cranberry Lemon zest

1 cup cranberry juice (to taste)

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp super green energy powder

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 cubes of ice (helps mix ingredients and keeps it cold)

Put ingredients into jar with tight lid and shake vigorously or whisk together

This one is a real zinger and great when it’s hot!

Smoothie recipes using your blender

These are easy to make before work and you can

make plenty to share with your family too!

Apple banana fun

1 cup apple juice

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp super green energy powder

1 tsp wheat germ

1 large cored apple (with or without peel)

1 ripe banana

2-3 cubes of ice

Put ingredients into blender and serve cold

This one turns out very chunky and good! The wheat germ gives I a slight texture and wonderful nutty taste.

Coconut banana cream

1 half cup fresh filtered water

half cup coconut milk powder

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp super green energy powder

2 tsp flax seeds

1 ripe banana

half a cup of half and half (optional, but good)

2-3 cubes of ice

Put ingredients into blender and serve cold

Ok, are you ready for a yummy, creamy, coconutty and that’s really good for you? Try this recipe!

For this one I use fruit I keep the freezer, try it - its easy. Next time bananas, blueberries or strawberries (or any other fruit) starts to go bad, just peel chop and freeze it in a bag. I then use these chunks for smoothies all year long! It replaces the ice and gives your smoothies great flavor and texture.

Frozen Slushie delight

1 cup 2% milk

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp super green energy powder

2 tsp flax seeds

1 cup frozen fruits

1 ripe banana

2 tsp coconut milk powder

1 tsp flax seed oil

1 splash of vanilla extract

Put ingredients into blender and serve cold

Healthy bloody mary

2 cups tomato/ vegetable juice

1 tsp super green energy powder

1 quarter cup celery leaves

2 -3 fresh basil leaves

2-3 cubes of ice

Put ingredients into blender and serve cold, serve with fresh celery sticks

Now that you have all these delicious options for adding a super green drink to your morning - what are you waiting for?

Feeling under-the-weather? Too exhausted to cook something good? Still wanting tasty food? There’s a quick solution and its two feet away from a possible frying-related accident: the oven. Thanks to oven recipes, steaming, hot food is now often readily available, and can be reused for an amount of times.

Oven recipes have been around for as long as the oven itself. In 3200 B.C., settlers among the Indus Valley Civilization were already reported to have had ovens in their mud and brick houses. However, the Greeks initially utilized the oven for bread-making, so you could say that the first oven recipe was one for bread, As a result, over seventy different kinds of bread had been developed in Ancient Greece alone. After the Greeks progressed onto making various cakes and pastries, the oven became popular around the world. Nowadays, no kitchen is complete without a standard cardboard box-sized oven, and no food results from it without an oven recipe.

Oven recipes have no clear-cut definition, but naturally they require the usage of an oven. It is often assumed that oven recipes do not involve any other technology used for cooking, but most of the time, that is not the case. One may fry, grill, boil or use any other method of cooking for the ingredients, as long as using an oven is the last step before achieving the final, tasty product. Ovens are used for roasting and heating food; therefore, most oven recipes cover either pastries (most of which are baked) or meat products, such as casseroles.

The highlight of oven recipes is the wide range of food one can produce from just one kind of technology. A common misconception for oven recipes is that they are all difficult to make, as well as time-consuming. When thinking of them, people usually think of cakes, pies, roast beef, and casseroles. However, most do not realize that a lot of them are simple. In fact, some oven recipes include recipes for toast, brownies and even covers food made from leftovers, such as fish and chips. A roast beef may be expensive to cook, but simple toast for breakfast, thanks to the toaster oven, costs less than a dollar to make.

Another advantage to oven recipes is the reusability factor. As mentioned earlier, leftovers are common ingredients for the easiest recipes. Extra beef or pork can just be thrown into a casserole, while other foods can simply be reheated in a microwave oven. If a dish can’t be consumed entirely, leaving it in an un-operated oven will keep it safe from ants, and it won’t rot quickly. Oven recipes are easy ways to save money, especially when on a tight budget. One of the few disadvantages is that, with leftovers, the quality of food may not be as good as before. Also, ovens require a lot of grease, vegetable oil or butter to operate, and most results of oven recipes are quite oily. However, oven recipes cover their fair share of healthy food. You just have to find the right recipe!

Learn How to Keep a Spanish Omelette Round in this free cooking video from our breakfast expert and professional chef.