WELCOME TO FOOD MATTERS

Food Matters is a documentary film informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your family's health. Helping you save time, money and effort.

In this day and age with so many companies interested in profiting from your misfortune and ill health this film will help keep your money in your pocket and your health in your hands.

We all know someone with Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Obesity, Mental Illness, Depression, Asthma, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Chronic Fatigue, Allergies and on and on...

Knowing what to do and where to turn has become unbelievably complex.

We invite you to join the World's Leading Authorities on Nutrition and Natural Healing as they uncover the true cause of disease. Find out what really works, what doesn’t and what’s killing you.

Becoming informed about the choices you have for your health and wellbeing can save your life.

How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood

An eye-opening look at aquaculture that does for seafood what Fast Food Nation did for beef. Dividing his sensibilities between Epicureanism and ethics, Taras Grescoe set out on a nine-month, worldwide search for a delicious—and humane—plate of seafood. What he discovered shocked him. From North American Red Lobsters to fish farms and research centers in China, Bottomfeeder takes readers on an illuminating tour through the $55-billion-dollar-a-year seafood industry. Grescoe examines how out-of-control pollution, unregulated fishing practices, and climate change affect what ends up on our plate. More than a screed against a multibillion-dollar industry, however, this is also a balanced and practical guide to eating, as Grescoe explains to readers which fish are best for our environment, our seas, and our bodies. At once entertaining and illuminating, Bottomfeeder is a thoroughly enjoyable look at the world’s cuisines and an examination of the fishing and farming practices we too easily take for granted.

Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
To get started, look over several weeks worth of grocery receipts and see where you spend the most money. Changes here will likely offer the most savings. Meat is often one of the largest grocery expenses. Save money by adding a couple of bean-based, meatless meals each week. It’s easy: Simply substitute kidney, pinto or other beans for the meat or poultry you would normally add to a favorite casserole or stew. For more ideas, check recipes at health-focused Web sites like the American Institute for Cancer Research.

When you do buy meat or poultry, check the “reduced” section at the store; these areas frequently feature choices whose sell-by date is near. These foods are safe to cook and eat (or freeze) up to two days after the sell-by date. And keep in mind that the latest cancer prevention guidelines call for limiting red meat (beef, pork and lamb) to less than 18 ounces a week. So focus on poultry bargains and beans as your prime selections to save money and boost nutrition.

Soft drinks can also pinch your wallet – and without adding any nutritional value. Current research suggests that the concentrated calories in regular soft drinks make weight control more difficult. A simple zero-calorie option is to drink more water. To control costs, consider using filtered tap water rather than purchasing bottled water. Other low-cost drink options include mixing up a pitcher of unsweetened ice tea or drinking water flavored with a splash of juice.

In addition, don’t let the high cost of 100 percent juice push you into buying less costly “fruit drinks” that have little or no real juice. But do compare prices, since frozen concentrate juice is often less expensive than refrigerated juice. Better to drink smaller portions of real fruit juice than to get unneeded calories and few nutrients with larger portions of “juice drinks.”

Pricey convenience foods – which may be easier to prepare, but are typically much less nutritious – are other high-ticket items that can be cut. Seasoned rice and pasta mixes, costing three to four times more per serving, tend to be high in sodium. In addition, most use refined grains rather than more nutritious whole grains. Instead, choose quick-cooking brown rice or whole grain pasta and take 30 seconds to add your own flavorful herbs.

While oatmeal also costs much less than many cold cereals, you pay a premium for individual packets of instant oatmeal. Get a tub of quick-cooking (one-minute) oatmeal, pre-portion it yourself and cut the cost in half.

Although people often use cost as an argument for not eating vegetables and fruits, there are cost-saving suggestions. Select whatever’s in season, compare whether fresh, frozen or canned is the best buy, and shop at farmer’s markets when possible.

Beware of coupons and two-for-one pricing that encourage you to buy unhealthy snacks and processed foods. Use coupons only for foods you would otherwise purchase.

Lastly, a surefire way to cut grocery bills: Buy less. If you buy and prepare smaller portions, studies suggest you may be surprised by how well your appetite is satisfied with less. Repurposing leftovers can also help stretch your food budget.

Going vegetarian

Avoiding meat? Time for a nutritious and new menu







Pump up the iron
Vegetarians are at risk of fatigue because they may be short on dietary iron, a mineral necessary for healthy red blood cells, which provide oxygen to muscles and the brain. While meat is a rich source of iron, the mineral is also found in dried peas and beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens. But there's a catch. Meat supplies heme iron, a form more easily absorbed than the nonheme iron that comes from plant sources. Adding a vitamin-C-rich food at each meal helps the body absorb nonheme iron, so pair a whole-grain cereal with some berries or a bowl of lentil soup with a tomato salad.

For meeting zinc requirements, a mineral necessary for healthy immune system functioning, go for whole grains and legumes. Dairy products, for lacto-vegetarians, are also a super source.

Meet your calcium quota
With women's concerns about osteoporosis, vegetarianism used to be risky because the practice made it hard to meet calcium quotas. But the range of fortified soy and rice beverages now available provides calcium and some vitamin D, another important nutrient found in milk. When purchasing tofu, look for brands made with calcium. Add dark leafy greens and nuts such as almonds to your shopping cart, since they also provide calcium, although in much lesser amounts.




Dark leafy greens, along with walnuts and flaxseeds, also supply omega-3 fats, the same family of fats that give cold-water fish such as salmon a heart-healthy reputation. Consuming the plant sources on a daily basis is a smart strategy. For egg eaters, go for those labelled as omega-3 eggs.

Vitamin B12 intake is also critical. It's key for healthy red blood cells and nervous system functioning and is found naturally in animal products. Vegans should seek out foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as fortified soy milk, or take a daily B12 supplement.

Becoming a full-fledged vegetarian means learning a few new menu tricks, but it's also a chance to experiment with new flavours in the kitchen.


Here are a few tips for going meatless:
•Use canned legumes for a protein, iron and zinc boost. Drain and rinse them well and then add them to pasta sauces, soups and salads.

•For those who miss the taste and texture of meat, try one of the many meat substitutes made from soy, such as burgers and ground meat. Some vegetarian patties consist only of vegetables but contain no meat alternatives at all, making them a less-than-ideal meat substitute. But for those who dislike anything meatlike, look for meat substitutes containing legumes or soy that specifically don't mimic meat's taste and texture.

•If you regularly eat out, look for restaurants where vegetarian options extend beyond a plate of vegetables or pasta with a cream sauce. Otherwise, you'll be short-changed on both nutrition and satisfaction.


Veggie vocabulary
As vegetarianism becomes more and more popular, so does the number of terms used to describe the practice. Although many people don't consider fish and poultry eaters to be vegetarians, we have assembled this guide to help you keep all of the terminology straight.
Vegan: eats only foods of plant origin
Lacto-vegetarian: enjoys dairy products in addition to plant foods
Ovo-vegetarian: consumes eggs plus plant foods
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: menu includes dairy products and eggs as well as plant foods
Pesco-vegetarian: eats a variety of fish in addition to plant foods
Pollo-vegetarian: adds poultry to her plant food diet

Sardines Nutrition Facts

Sardines are an important superfood…

King of Omega-3’s
Your body needs but does not manufacture essential Omega-3 fatty acids—you must get them from the foods you eat. And odds are, your diet is deficient. Nordic brisling are a top source, offering over 5 grams of Omega-3’s per 3.5-ounce serving.

High-Quality Protein
A single 3.5-ounce serving of brisling sardines will supply you with some 13 grams of protein, without a lot of saturated fats, and just a mere 100 or so calories. This ratio is ideal for turbo-charging your weight-loss formula.

Calcium, Vitamin D, and Phosphorous
You know you need calcium for strong bones. But did you know that research has linked higher-calcium diets with decreased fat storing and increased fat burning? A serving of sardines offers you almost three times the calcium in a cup of milk, plus the vitamin D and phosphorous required for calcium absorption.

Safety and Purity
Experts agree that we need more fish in our diet. Nordic brisling sardines might be the safest choice. Low on the food chain and netted in clean waters, these fish have the least chance of methyl mercury and other contaminants.

Organic or Not?

Is organic produce healthier than conventional? Here are three facts to consider:

1.Eating organic berries instead of conventional ones can reduce your exposure to pesticides, and recent research suggests
that it also may give you a nutrient boost. Last year, a study out of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom reported that
organic produce boasted up to 40 percent higher levels of some nutrients (including vitamin C, zinc and iron) than its
conventional counterparts.

2.Additionally, a 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown berries and corn
contained 58 percent more polyphenols—antioxidants that help prevent cardiovascular disease—and up to 52 percent higher
levels of vitamin C than those conventionally grown.

3.Recent research by that study’s lead author, Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D., an associate professor of food science and technology at
University of California, Davis, pinpoints the mechanism by which organic techniques may sometimes yield superior produce.
It’s a difference in soil fertility, says Mitchell: “With organic methods, the plants glean the nitrogen from composted soil and
grow slowly, with their nutrients in balance. Vegetables fertilized with conventional liquid fertilizers grow like crazy and use
less energy to develop antioxidants.”

Buying conventional produce from local farmers also has benefits. Nutrient values in produce peak at prime ripeness, just after harvest. As a general rule, the less produce has to travel, the fresher and more nutrient-rich it remains.

Bottom line: “Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables in general [not necessarily organic ones] is the point,” says Mitchell. If buying all organic isn’t a priority—or a financial reality for you—you might opt for organic specifically when you’re selecting foods that are most heavily contaminated with pesticide and insecticide residues. According to the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org), those include peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes and pears.

Fresh Summer Drink

Here's a great refreshing drink for the nice upcoming weather, hot summer BBQ'S.

Kiwi-Mint Julep, Kiwis add a tropical note to the Southern favorite.

Makes 2 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups ice
3 kiwis, peeled
2 tablespoons frozen limeade
2 tablespoons. chopped mint
3 ounces bourbon (optional)

1. Dissolve sugar in hot water in a 1-cup measure; let cool slightly.
2. Combine ice, kiwis, limeade, mint, the sugar mixture and bourbon, if using, in a blender; blend until smooth.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 190 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 4 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 390 mg potassium.

What you get: Vitamin C, folate, potassium, fiber.

3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 fruit