My brother and his family are having a huge bonfire in a couple weeks. They are supplying soda, chips, hot dog, and hamburgers along with a few other Foods. No one is obligated to bring foods but everybody does. I just don’t know what to bring. My Husband is getting alcohol, but I would also like to bring food too. (I am not a chef but I am a very good cook, and baker.)
okay enough s’mores suggestions and why put something not even remotely helpful?

a meat/vegetable cassorole (stew) with your home made bread. its the perfect to warm people up on them cold nights! you could quite easily warm it up in the microwave at your brothers?

Reading Pet Food Labels
or
What to run away from at the pet store

With all the pet food recalls and more and more ingredients coming out of China that are contaminated, we need to learn to read the ingredients on our pet foods just like we read the labels on our own food.

You should read the label every time you purchase pet food.  Manufacturers will change ingredients on a whim if they can make the product cheaper and reap a bigger profit.  Very few companies are as concerned about the health of your dog as much as they are about their bottom line.

Pet food is not highly regulated.  Dead, diseased, dying and drugged animals are allowed in pet food.  Many pet food ingredients are leftovers from meat processing for the human food supply and consist of ingredients not fit for human consumption.  Here’s what you should be looking for on each label.

Look for the Ingredient Statement on the label.  Read the first five ingredients as these first five ingredients make up 90% or more of the total quantity of what’s in the dog food.

1. Does the food contain a quality protein?  Look for an identifiable animal source such as chicken meal or beef meal.  This is a concentrated protein source wherein the water has been removed from the meat.  “Chicken meal” is better to find on the label than simply “chicken” as the latter can contain a large quantity of water.  It may be the first ingredient on the list, but doesn’t necessarily make up the larger portion of the food due to the water content.  Wheat gluten or corn gluten are protein sources, but they are not meat.  Dogs and cats must have meat to live a healthy life.  If your dog were on the loose in the wild, would you find him eating an ear of corn?  

2. Look at the packaging.  Does it contain a picture of a healthy dog or cat and then say things like “natural” or “wholesome grains” or “vegetables?”  The term natural is meaningless as it is not regulated.  There can be some natural ingredients in the food, but there can also be chemical preservatives that can cause cancer such as BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquine.  There are some pet treats on the market that are labeled natural, but contain propylene glycol, a form of antifreeze!

3. Wholesome grains are not whole grains.  The term wholesome grains can simply mean the addition of wheat gluten which was the source of the largest pet food recall in history.  Whole grains are excellent sources of protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, and other essential minerals.  They also provide carbohydrates that a dog (not a cat) needs to provide energy.  Look for ingredients like ground brown rice or oats in a dog food.   Soy, corn, corn gluten, wheat, wheat gluten and rice gluten are cheap sources of protein.  These grains are also prone to molds which can be toxic.

4. Look for the term “by products.”  If it says by products, don’t buy the products!   These are inferior protein sources and can be difficult for your dog to digest.  These can be all the parts of an animal unfit for human consumption such as hooves, feathers, intestines, etc.  By products contain ingredients you would never knowingly give to your dog. 

5. What are the sources of fat?  The fats in dog food should be animal based.  This is what your dog evolved to eat.  Your dog cannot be a vegetarian or vegan and maintain health.  Fats should also be identifiable such as “chicken fat” or “beef fat.”  If the ingredients state “animal fat,” it should not be fed.  It could (and probably does) contain road kill, spoiled grocery store meats, euthanized Pets, or zoo animals.

6. Check for vitamins and minerals.  A list of added vitamins and minerals should be on the label, but avoid the ingredients menadione and sodium selenite.  These are cheap and non-bioavailable sources of vitamin K and selenium respectively. 

7. Your dog food should contain fruits and vegetables, but not as the primary source of nutrition.  The first ingredient should be meat and everything else should follow.
While this short article does not cover every single detail of purchasing pet food and reading labels, it provides the consumer with some guidelines for a happier and healthier dog.  Go beyond the fancy packages and read the ingredients.  Your dog deserves you and he certainly deserves a good diet. 
Just remember that what you find on a dog food packaging isn’t necessarily what you’ll find on the ingredient label.  Packaging is advertising and is meant to entire you into buying that particular product.  The packaging is irrelevant-read the ingredients.  You’ll soon find that even so called premium dog foods contain junk that you would never feed your dog.
Randy Walden
http://www.castlehillsoaps.com
Full reprint rights are given for this article as long as it is reprinted in its entirety.  Author credit must be given and the URL must remain on the article.  This article cannot be sold or altered without the author’s permission.  The author may be contacted via the URL at the end of this article. 

Randy Walden
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/reading-pet-food-labels-738493.html

Explain how reducing food waste supports the attempts to be more sustainable.
How does reducing food waste help the environment now and in the future?

Explain how reducing food waste is a responsibility.
Reflect upon whether or not it is our right to waste food in the UK.

The less food wasted, the less Food needs to be produced; thus saving the environment which can be left in its pristine state.
Less food production also saves on labour, processing, cartage, storage etc. All of these activities impinge on the environment

In spite of many thoughtful and forward-thinking updates in schools, school design, and classroom curriculum, grade school cafeterias haven’t changed significantly in the past 50 years. School kids are still either buying their lunch, which they receive on a tray (“hot lunch”); or they bring lunch from home (“cold lunch”). School lunches often include a self-serve salad bar with a nice variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain rolls; a healthy improvement over years past. However, an enormous amount of good food goes to waste: whole sandwiches, uneaten fruit, unopened cups of yogurt and applesauce, and untouched bags of chips have all been found in waste audits performed at local schools.

Unfortunately, these schools were not unique.  A comprehensive study from Great Britain recently revealed that one third of all food purchased is thrown away, of which 61% could have been eaten. Other studies have found that in the U.S., an estimated 40% to 50% of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten. The average family of four throws away nearly $600 a year in edible meats, vegetables, fruit, and grain products.

Returning to the grade school waste audit, it was revealed that 17% of the trash generated at the school was food waste and 24% was food-packaging waste.  Other schools have found that up to one third of their trash stream is comprised of food waste. Considering that the schools have to pay both for the wasted food AND the waste management, addressing how food comes to the schools and what happens to it is worth a closer look.

So what can be done to stem the tide of good food gone landfill?

Start at the beginning: reduce what is provided for lunch. While free-choice salad bar offerings are an excellent idea, kids often take more than they can eat in one sitting. Signs and classroom guidance can help everyone remember to “take what you want, but eat what you take.” Cold lunch diners can also usually bring less food and still be satisfied – read on for more details.

Pass it on: have a “no thanks” table. Anything brought from home that is unopened, such as yogurt cups, bags of chips, granola bars, applesauce cups and the like can be dropped off at a “no thanks” table where other kids can find something they like. Although there are some issues such as allergy concerns and the stigma associated with “the used food table”, they are not insurmountable. Food left over at the end of each day would be welcomed at a shelter or food bank.

Tackle the tabletop culture: use reusable containers. It has been observed that when a sack lunch is packed in baggies and disposables, any leftover food – like a whole sandwich – is seen as disposable, just like the containers it came in. The same holds true for prepackaged foods, like chips, crackers or cookies in single-serve bags. However, when lunch is packed in reusable containers, uneaten food is returned to the container and put back in the lunch box. This has several immediate and valuable benefits: first, based on the quantities that come home after school, portions can be adjusted accordingly. Second, if there is any leftover food, it usually becomes a ready-made after-school snack (assuming the lunch box has an ice pack to keep everything fresh till mid-afternoon).

It was recently revealed that milk cartons, contrary to common wisdom and due in part to the current economic downturn, usually do not get recycled when they are pulled out of the waste stream but are instead thrown out with the rest of the trash. Furthermore, kids rarely drink the full eight ounces of milk they provide, resulting in additional waste. Schools should consider investing in washable cups and a milk dispenser, both to eliminate the single-use cartons and to reduce the wasted milk. This also has its own issues, one of which is the time necessary to wash the cups after use. Again, this isn’t insurmountable, but may only be a shift in behavior away from stocking the refrigerated milk case to handling the wash. Students themselves can fill the dishwasher trays as well.

Address the school culture: have recess before lunch. Many schools report that cafeteria time is frequently cut short because kids are in a rush to go to recess. The result is that many kids never eat at all, and spend the afternoon hungry and unable to concentrate. Several school districts throughout the U.S. have implemented a reverse strategy: kids go directly to recess for their mid-day break, after which they return to the cafeteria for lunch, where they stay until it’s time to return to the classroom. Reports from Montana schools indicate that “recess before lunch” programs improved student behavior on the playground, in the cafeteria, and in the classroom and resulted in less wasted food. One middle school reported a 50% drop in “plate waste” (food thrown away), and a decrease of 60% in disciplinary actions related to the lunchroom over a three year period. The teachers also reported better concentration and more effective time management with the recess before lunch program.

Finish at the end: offer composting. Some food waste is just that – inedible parts, like banana peels, eggshells and coffee grounds. Many schools have introduced compost bins to help manage these leftover bits, often in association with school garden projects.

As with any change, the usual guidance applies: find advocates among the school staff and parents; research where similar strategies have been attempted and consider whether the results would apply at your own school; consider how every step in a new program might impact classroom time, staff time, and staff resources; and communicate, communicate, communicate to students, parents, teachers, and staff.

Schools are embracing, and teaching, a refreshing environmental message, but they could drive that message home if they applied it to the simplest of everyday activities such as eating lunch. By reducing food and food packaging waste, families and schools alike save money both by reducing the loss of good food to landfills and by avoiding having to pay for its disposal. In today’s budget-conscious Home and school economic conditions, that’s no small potatoes.

Nancy Myers
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/no-small-potatoes-how-to-reduce-food-packaging-waste-from-school-lunches-736569.html

Most food is polluted and the organic food is too expensive to us . Can we continue to buy the vegetables etc from the market and consume them as we have no alternative it seems?

Hmm, you either pay for the food now or you pay later with Health problems and far more expensive medical expenses. Considering that most people in the USA spend far more on gadgets and services they do not need to exists like cable TV, Video games, expensive cars, make up, designer clothing etc., etc., than they do on food perhaps Organic food is not all that expensive. it really comes down to priorities. if you value health and good eating above other things than the food is not expensive. if you must have the other luxuries in life than food becomes unimportant, a mere fuel source that can come from anywhere.

Grow a garden, buy in season in bulk direct from the farmers, can/freeze/dry the bounty in season to be eaten out of season. hard work? yes, Secure clean Food? yes. Cheap? Yes!

Hi,

I have three 4-year-old cats. We have always fed them good quality food with no by-products, corn, or wheat ingredients. Even on this high quality food, they still throw up. It’s not just hairballs they are throwing up it is actual chunks of partially digested food. We recently tried giving them food with no chicken in it whatsoever. They stopped throwing up with this new Food, but they are not eating enough; they don’t seem to like it at all. What would you suggest I do? Has anyone had this problem?

It would be very odd, but they all may be allergic to the foods they are being fed, or they may all have blockages – both of wouldn’t make much sense.

I would get them all checked for Hyperthyroid on top of a regular CBC.

The treatment for Hyperthyroid is the Methimazole which can be inserted into a "Greenies ‘Pill Pocket’" (My cat with Hyperthyroid prefers the chicken flavored and not the salmon). You can even split the Pill Pocket (like I do with my girl), put the pill inside, surround it with the pill pocket and they will think it’s a treat!

If not, if they do not like it, you will need to pill them the old fashioned way, like I do with my Seizure girl.

Please feel free to write me once you have a diagnosis! )

Throwing up often causes severe dehydration – do the pinch test, gently pick up the skin on the BACK (not neck) of each of your cats, then drop – if it takes more than 1.5 seconds to drop back down, your cats are dehydrated and need supplemental Sub-Q (subcutaneous "under-the-skin") fluids. If the skins just stands up, they need to go to emergency now.

I’m just throwing all this out there to give different avenues . . . bu the Vet is a definite, getting the bloodwork and, my gut tells me by my own hyperthyroid cat, that there may be some hyperthyroid going on. (Cheapest place to get it is at Costco, ask your Vet for a ’script if this happens to be the diagnosis).

p.s. Purina one, when I was at my poorest, I mixed in with the higher brand, Innova to make it last longer – 1/2 of my cats threw up and I added the Purina One very slowly, over the period of a month. That was it, I’m keeping them on the high quality food with no grain at all. They’ve now been switched to "Taste of the Wild" which has not one grain and is made with purified water and a lot of meat as the first ingredients.

They all love it! No throw-up issues at all!

When it comes to feeding your Pond fish, there is a vast array of commercially available foods. With many different companies now producing a plethora of food choices, it is important to educate yourself on the nutritional requirements of your fish. In addition to nutrition, the ability to efficiently disperse the food to your Koi or pond fish is an important function that is often overlooked. There are several commonly available pelleted formulas, including; sinking, slowly sinking, floating, and crumbles, not to mention flake food.

The most common variety of Pond Fish food is the floating pelleted formula. Floating pellets provide a unique advantage over most other varieties in that they entice fish to the upper levels of the pond, creating a remarkable viewing opportunity. By consistently providing your Koi or Pond Fish with floating foods, they will associate the surface, and often one location in particular with feeding. They will become more bold, and increasingly personable, and will often learn to accept food directly from the pond-owner’s hand. The major drawback to floating food is noticeable mainly in ornamental varieties of goldfish. By gulping at the surface, the goldfish will often engulf atmospheric air, sometimes leading to infections of the swim bladder. It is also important to be aware of fast moving areas of the pond, as floating foods are often swiftly moved into overflows, or down flowing streams.

The best choice of fish foods is often the sinking or slowly sinking variety. By sinking from the surface areas, the food is safe from flowing out of reach from the fish. It also ensures that no atmospheric air is engulfed by your Pond Fish, preventing possible infections. The sinking action of the food will also create movement, which is a major appetite stimulant in fish. It may be beneficial to begin new acquisitions on a sinking diet. The disadvantages of sinking are mainly aesthetic. The fish will not become as personable without a floating food addition, although they will still associate the location with food. It is also possible that the food sinks too quickly, possibly becoming entrapped in the substrate.

Crumbles and flake food are generally reserved for smaller pond fish and juvenile Koi. They should be fed as a first food before the fish are weaned onto a larger sized maintenance diet. When provided to larger fish, flakes and crumbles are often ignored, creating a wasteful environment.

Once nutrition is provided for, each type of <A HREF=”http://www.naturalenviro.com/sections.php?section=FishFood”>pond fish food</A> has its place in pond fish culture. It is important to consider the size of the fish, as well as the environment in which they will be fed. Larger ponds with areas of slow moving water can be comfortably fed with floating pelleted food. This will create the surface activity that is often desired. Sinking pellets are wonderful for acclimating new arrivals, or when used in fast moving streams. They will also prevent infection of the swim bladder. Lastly, crumbles and flake food should generally only be given to smaller or juvenile specimens. If chosen properly, the food selection will go a long way towards long-term health.

Casey Coke
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/types-of-fish-food-717425.html

People are struggling with maintaining healthy food choices. It is not surprising because they are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about what’s healthy and what’s not and they are also given numerous choices when it comes to food products. With all these choices and information, it is not inevitable that people will end up confused. You probably share the same confusion. Who can blame you?

If you would visit a local grocery store, you would find numerous aisles of different foods. If you would go to a restaurant, you would find pages after pages of menus. With so man food choices, you probably are finding it hard to stick to your “healthy foods only” diet. To make sure that you would go home with a bag full of healthy food choices, here are some tips that you should definitely take note of.

Shop Only When You’re Not Hungry

Go to the grocery store only when your stomach is full. This does not need much explanation. Doing your grocery when your stomach is empty would definitely tempt you to buy anything that catches your fancy. You’d be practically throwing your “healthy food choices” list out of the window. It is best to do your grocery shopping after you have eaten your breakfast in the morning or your dinner in the evening.

Choose Canned or Bottled Products Carefully

First of all, if you are going to buy meat, vegetables and fruits, do not buy those that are packed with oil. If you need to buy these food products, make sure that you buy those that are packed in water. Chances are the water will likely reduce the calories in meat products. Do not buy products that are labeled “hydrogenated”. These products practically scream, “Fats!” You need to have a discerning and careful eye when it comes to sneaky wordings in packages. This is one way to make sure that you only end up with healthy food choices.

You should also avoid products with high fructose or glucose content. Many products like juices and soft drinks are loaded with high fructose content. When you see these words “high fructose” in a grocery product, you should definitely stay away from it. These words basically mean that you would be drinking something with 100% pure sugar in it.

Many manufacturers add high fructose to their products in order to save money. Unfortunately, this causes obesity and diabetes. Examples of this are pancake corn syrups. This is why it is very important that you first check product labels before you buy anything. To be able to make healthy food choices, you need to make sure that you are making informed choices.

Buy Organic Meat and Poultry

When purchasing meat products like beef, pork and poultry, you should definitely consider opting for organic products. These are free from growth hormones, steroids and other chemicals. When buying poultry, you should look for free range chickens because they often tastes delicious than caged chickens. You should also get skinless chicken because bad cholesterols and calories in chickens are concentrated on their skin.

When buying organic foods, it is better to buy them locally. Not only will you help your community’s economy, you will also save energy. This is the additional bonus you get from making healthy food choices.

Make Wise Grocery Product Choices

First of all, you should make sure that you opt for low sodium prepackaged foods. If you are too busy and you have to resort to buying frozen dinners and canned foods, make sure that you get packages with the lowest sodium count. Making these simple healthy food choices will ensure that you will avoid various illnesses like hypertension or cardiac problems.

If you are one of those people who would like to avoid dairy products, you can opt for food alternatives like broccoli. This vegetable is packed with calcium, so you would still be getting the nutrient despite the absence of milk or cheese in your diet.

When buying breads and cereals, you should opt for whole grain foods. Also, make sure that you always read the labels and get products that are low in fat or zero in fat. You can still give in to your sweet cravings without necessarily placing yourself at risk of developing diabetes.

Eating healthy involves making healthy Food choices. You need to make sure that every food that gets into your grocery basket is healthy for you and your family.

ProChef360Blog
http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-to-make-healthy-food-choices-716118.html

If you find that you are allergic to certain kinds of beverages and foods, then you will have to exercise selective eating. Sometimes our body has a negative immunologic reaction in the presence of certain food proteins.

Today, several reading material is available on the topic of food allergy that can help you understand everything you need to know about food allergies. ” Five Years without Food” is one such book that helps you survive food allergies. This book will give you an overview on allergic foods as well as alternatives to foods that you cannot and can eat. In addition to all this, the book also suggests the necessary treatment for food allergy. Furthermore, the author makes a personal testimonial in the book making it credible.

Apart from all the information available in this book, there are some facts that you should keep in mind regarding food allergy.

Usually, adults develop allergies to food items such as tree nuts, eggs, shellfish, fish and peanuts. Kids, usually get allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts. If you suspect that you have food allergy, the first thing you need to do is gain as much knowledge regarding the allergy as possible. In doing this, you will be equipping yourself to recover and overcome such allergies.

At this point, we shall discuss some important food allergies, their symptoms, and the alternative foods corresponding to them.

Egg Allergy

Usually people suffering from this kind of allergies are hypersensitive to all foods that contain components of eggs- the yolk or the white.

Usually, for a definite period of time, you will have to restrict the consumption of food items that contain eggs. Nowadays, there are many egg substitutes available in the market such as potato starch and tapioca. Another alternative is apple sauce.

Nut Allergy

Some people experience allergic attacks due to over sensitivity to tree nuts. Peanut allergy and nut allergy should not be confused for each other. They are different as tree nuts are actually dry fruits.

If you need to restrict tree nuts in your diet, you can try consuming food items made from soy nuts as an alternative. Soy nuts are not actually nuts; they are just soaked and baked soybean that is crisp.

Milk Allergy

Many people develop allergies when they ingest cow milk protein. This means that the individual is allergic to milk.

In order to make the best of your milk allergy treatment, milk allergens must be avoided entirely. The alternative foods that can give you the nutrition from milk include rice milk or soy milk.

Seafood Allergy

If your body reacts negatively to foods like flaky fishes or shellfish, then you suffer from seafood allergy.

The best way to prevent the attack of allergies is by restraining your consumption of shellfish and other fishes that you might be allergic to. Also exercise caution while purchasing pre packaged food items for many such products do not specify if its ingredients include sea food particles like fish.

You should rigorously exercise selective eating if you suffer from food allergies. Selective eating effectively eliminates any allergic reaction taking place in your system. In this way you will recover from and survive food allergies. This will also cease food allergies to a certain extent. However, selective eating varies. There are some food allergies that can be treated for a short period of time, while others have no treatment whatsoever.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/Health-articles/a-guide-to-food-allergies-surviving-the-reactions-708843.html

When you avoid the food that causes the allergy it naturally helps you from getting any unwanted allergy. Once a person recognizes the allergen, he/she is advised to avoid it from their diet. This is got by revolutionizing the prepared food and carefully going through the food products or labels. When one eats outside, one must be specific in ordering so that allergies can be avoided.

A small amount of allergen could cause major symptoms to people who are highly allergic, and so they are cautioned beforehand. To add to this there are few common food allergens that are present in preparation of food which few individuals will not generally link together.

To avoid exposure to the foods which you are allergic to, self – awareness is necessary. You must know the culprits which cause these not so comfortable reactions. A perfect knowledge could help your physician and you in carrying out a proper management plan for the allergy. You must also practice making it a habit to scrutinize labels (food) when checking for food allergens that are included in ingredients. Never hesitate to inquire about the ingredients of the food you are going to order for during eat outs.

One more precautionary measure, specifically for people who manifest severe allergic symptoms while exposing to a food allergen, is wearing bracelets or necklaces that are provided by any medical institution to give a caution to other people on your allergy incase of an accident like when you’re in an unconscious state.

Many patients are advised to carry with them an epinephrine self injectibles that are prescribed by the doctors. The physicians would instruct them on how to self administer medication during any allergic reaction.

Incase symptoms begin to get intense; emergency medics must be called upon to help admit the patient to the hospital nearby. Anaphylactic reactions are otherwise called sudden and severe allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis might be fatal incase it is not treated properly and quickly.

Apart from epinephrine injections, there are several other medications which could be prescribed by the doctor to deal with reactions caused by allergy to food. The medication includes antihistamines, bronchodilators, adrenergic agonists and corticosteroids.

Bronchodilators help in relieving symptoms which are connected with breathing difficulty. It basically dilates passage ways of bronchial air in the respiratory tract which has become inflamed because of allergic reaction that eventually aids patients breathe easily. Highly allergy sensitive people must carry fast acting bronchodilators with them.

Antihistamine alleviates various symptoms such as runny nose, rashes, hives gastrointestinal discomforts and sneezing. Corticosteroids reduce the severity of irritations caused by skin and inflammation caused by allergic reactions. Antihistamines could be available in chewable tablet or syrup for quick access incase allergic reaction occurs suddenly.

Adrenergic agonist yields highly effective and immediate results. Adrenergic agonists alleviate major symptoms of cardiovascular collapse, hives, bronchospasm, and angiodema.
There are treatments which are causing havoc in today’s medical world even though there are not many studies that have been conducted to justify that the treatments are effective.

One of these revolutionary treatments includes desensitization of the individual by administering injections of tiny amounts of allergen on a regular basis. One more is the introduction of diluted substance which contains the allergen under the 30 minutes prior to the actual intake of food. This treatment works effectively in such a manner that it could reduce the symptomatic manifestations of the food allergen consumed.

Finally, keep in mind that there are no proper and full cures to allergies caused by food. The above mentioned are only to help reduce the symptoms.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/Health-articles/tackling-food-allergy-eliminating-allergic-reactions-708840.html