POP  IT !

If you are a movie fanatic or at least experienced to go to a movie house then maybe you know what a popcorn is. It is a famous snack inside the cinemas. Before it is just served plainly with salts but these days it comes on many varieties and flavors. Though sometimes it is considered as a junk food, do you know that popcorn has some good health benefits that you may want to consider.

Foods that are lower in calories can help you control your weight because they satisfy your hunger without putting you over your calorie limit. Yellow popcorn is relatively low in calories because after you pop the kernels, they are filled with air. This means they have a large volume but still only a few calories, especially compared to other snack foods. A single serving of popcorn has only 110 calories.

An important benefit of popcorn is its fiber content. Insoluble fiber helps make you feel full, reduces your appetite, enhances digestive health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Popcorn is high in insoluble fiber, with almost 4g, or 16 percent of the RDA, per ounce.

Popcorn contains essential minerals. Its iron content is of particular interest because iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the United States and world. As an added bonus, popcorn is low in sodium. A serving of popcorn has 5 percent of the RDA for iron, 10 percent each for magnesium and phosphorus, and only a trace amount of sodium.

 Popcorn is high in antioxidants, most notably, polyphenols – a group of natural plant chemicals that have a variety of health benefits. Polyphenols are the same group of compounds that give red wine, tea, olive oil, and chocolate their beneficial properties. Not only do they scavenge free radicals and protect against cell damage, they’re being investigated for their anti-cancer properties and heart protective properties.

I also want to share a recipe on how you can enjoy popcorn in a more delicious way.

Almond honey popcorn recipe

Recipe ingredients

§  Softened butter

§  1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

§  4 quart popped popcorn

§  1/2 cup butter

§  1 1/2 cups honey

§  1/2 teaspoon salt

§  1 teaspoon baking soda

§  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter a large bowl with softened butter.

In the bowl toss together the almonds and the popped popcorn.

In a saucepan with high sides, melt the butter.

Add honey and salt.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract.

Pour over popped popcorn and stir to coat.

Place on large cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, loosen from pan and cool.

The health benefits of popcorn will shine through when this tasty, whole grain snack is prepared properly. If you prefer to put salt on your popcorn, don’t put too much. Salty popcorn is not that healthy.

CARBONFOOTPRINT 

According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person." Carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas generated through the use of technology; other such gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, are also figured into the equation

Every person has its own carbon footprints but we can do a lot of ways to reduce our own carbon footprints and that’s what I’m going to share to you today.

RECYCLE – This way is very common to us. It plays a big role on human. It is the process of turning a used and non biodegradable material into something new that would be useful and that will reduce our wastes. Some of the common materials that can be recycle are, glass, plastics, papers or cardboards, textiles and electronics. Re using of reusable bags, bottles, cups, plates and other reusable things can also be part of recycling. Avoid using disposable materials. Use rechargeable batteries instead of the disposable one. It will also help you save some money.

Use CFL or compact fluorescent lamp because while giving the same amount of light, it consume less electric power than incandescent bulb plus it last longer so you will change less often. Using CFL will help reduce carbon dioxide pollution. Remember also to turn off lights and electric equipment and gadgets that are unnecessary and those are not in use.

Consider a smaller vehicle or a hybrid gas/electric car. When you can, use public transportation. Avoid airliners whenever possible. A train ride produces relatively little in the way global-warming gases. Walk or ride a bike for close-by trips. If you have, perform routine maintenance on your vehicle. A well-maintained vehicle uses less gas and produces fewer emissions that are harmful to the environment.

Plant a tree. Trees are very good on storing carbon dioxide that might go to the atmosphere. Plant a tree to help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees are natural air filters because they convert the carbon dioxide we produce into oxygen. Aside from providing some shades for us, it gives us fresh air.

When possible, buy organic or "fair trade." There's a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way, and if it's locally grown, it didn't have to travel that far. This also goes for those double lattes — coffee often has a large carbon footprint because of the distance those beans had to travel to get here, and how they were produced. Also, try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.

Be an environment-minded person. People who are conscious about their environment will likely produce less carbon footprints. Beside, you will be the one who will benefit on taking care in your environment in the long run or if not at least your own generation will. Remember that God entrusted the Earth to us so it’s our responsibility to preserve our mother planet.

IT’S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES (FOOD EDITION)

   

Whether you are a native citizen or a foreigner, here are some foods that will definitely add more fun as you travel around the Philippines.

EMPANADA

Let’s start at Northern Luzon. Have fun with the delicious taste of Empanadas in Ilocos Norte. Inside is a mixture of egg, shredded vegetables and longganiza inside deep fried thin pastry pockets. The best thing to complement an Ilocos Norte Empanada is to dip it in a little Sukang Iloco (Ilocos vinegar), the taste is amazing. The best places to get your Empanadas are at Dap-ayan in Laoag City and Glory’s Empanada in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

BANGUS

Bangus (Milkfish) is the national fish of the Philippines, it’s not an overpowering fishy taste and not too heavy. In Pangasinan they can fry up some bangus for you that is so delicious that it will be a meal you won’t soon forget. The crispy fish breaks apart and melt in your mouth and is a true delight in every bite. There are many good places to pick up some broiled Boneless Bangus in Pangasinan, but you can easily find it by the departure point to the Hundred Islands National Park at Lucap wharf.

BULALO

Next is the province of Batangas and here you can find the delicious Bulalo. This delicious beef, bone marrow and vegetable soup will satiate any hunger. You can find Bulalo in many different restaurants and malls across the Philippines but the best place is Leslie’s in Tagaytay, Batangas. There are other branches of Leslie’s where you can also pick up a huge serving of this dish for a good price.

BICOL EXPRESS

Heading over to Southeast Luzon you’ll come to the Bicol region. The number one must have meal to have here is Bicol Express. Rumoured to be named from the train journey between Manila and Bicol this dish is made from coconut milk, shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, garlic with a generous portion of spicy chillies and is slightly Malaysian in taste, but better.  You can try it at Mrs. Doyet Garcia’s Lutong Bahay, a small eatery on Mercedes Road in Daet, Camarines Norte

CHICKEN INASAL

This Visayan food is an Ilonggo dish, or more specifically a Bacolod dish. The chicken pieces, imbued with a reddish hue from achuete or annatto seeds, is nothing but appealing to your sight, but it’s the smell of inasal cooking that always brings about rumblings in the stomach, and you can’t wait to sink your teeth into it. You can find it at Manukan Country and Chicken Deli in Bacolod but if you’re just in Manila, try it at JT’s Manukan Grille at Quezon City.