Give Beans, Peas, And Lentils A Spot At Your Family's Table

By Susanne Myers

Trends and fads aren't usually important to me, but this study got my attention. In 2008, WIC took a survey among their staff, a "Food Shopping and Consumption Habits" study and found that 79% of their staff ate dry beans and peas as a part of their regular diet. The folks at WIC know a thing or two about nutrition and value, so I trust their judgement. I haven't cooked with dry beans and peas that often and began to wonder why not. Is it time to get on-board with the folks at WIC?

Why, you ask? Well, other than joining the trend, how about because legumes are an excellent source of protein, iron, and zinc. Because dry beans and peas are similar in nutrition to meats, poultry, and fish, many people consider dry beans and peas an alternative for meat. They are also an excellent source of dietary fiber and nutrients such as folate, nutrients sadly lacking in the American diet.

Even if you eat meat, poultry, and fish regularly, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that you also consume several cups a week of dry beans and peas simply because of their high nutrient content. Dry beans and peas are a part of the Food Guide (Food Pyramid) "meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group", but are also a part of the vegetable group. So, whether you're a vegetarian, substituting dry beans and peas for meat, or you consume dry beans or peas as a vegetable, you are providing your family with the properly balanced nutrition needed for good overall health.

We also have a list of dry beans and peas, courtesy of the USDA, which makes it a little easier when you step into the grocery store. To clear up any confusion, this is the list: black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas aka garbanzo beans, falafel, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans (mature), navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu (bean curd made from soy beans), and white beans. Jot down your list and let's go shopping.

Now that you're in the grocery store, just wander down the aisle that has the rice. You should spot the bags of dry beans and peas somewhere close by. If you haven't bought bags of dry beans or peas before, don't worry. Pick out a bag of beans that are on the USDA list. Once you see the price you should be smiling. Now, turn the bag over and breathe a sigh of relief. There are the preparation directions printed right there for you. Things should be a little more relaxed now.

There is no end to the myriad of recipes you'll find for cooking with dry beans and peas. Start by looking at the back of the bag. There typically are recipes printed right there. Search the internet and cookbooks and you won't run out of ideas. You may recognize some old favorites like Split Pea Soup. Who hasn't made that? Did you know you were following a trend? There are a lot more recipes where that came from, so keep looking.

Now, you're wondering if there is a difference between dry beans and peas and their canned counterparts. Yes and no. For instance, just about any recipe you find for Black Bean Soup can be made with dry beans or canned. The difference boils down to (pardon the pun) boiling the beans. Yes, using dry beans and peas takes time, but the benefits of the dry may outweigh the convenience of the can. If you are watching your pennies (and who isn't), you will appreciate the price difference immediately. Roughly speaking, you'll get about 6 cups of cooked beans out of a 1 pound bag of dry beans, so do the math before you buy, and always shop around and watch the sales. It certainly doesn't hurt to keep some of each, dry and canned, on hand so you are ready for quick meals as well as planned.

It seems like light-years ago that you made your first Simple Split Pea Soup. It's hard to believe that you were so frightened of those little bags of dry beans and peas, isn't it? You've embraced the challenge of making your own Chickpea Hummus and Falafel. Your family loves your Lentil & Vegetable Soup, especially with the Dumplings swimming around on top. Of course, not to forget your Congressional Bean Soup, Lentil Chili, or that great Hot Kidney Bean Salad that your friends rave about. Now that you've crossed over to the dry bean and pea aisle, share the word, and your recipes, with others and see if you can't keep the momentum going. Great job! - 17269

About the Author:

Cooking with beans and peas is a great way to feed your family nutrient rich meals and save money at the same time. Start with some basic recipes like a Simple Split Pea Soup and your very own Homemade Black Bean Soup and you won't go wrong.

It's A Vegetable, It's A Protein, It's Super Bean!

By Susanne Myers

Trends and fads aren't usually important to me, but this study got my attention. In 2008, WIC took a survey among their staff, a "Food Shopping and Consumption Habits" study and found that 79% of their staff ate dry beans and peas as a part of their regular diet. The folks at WIC know a thing or two about nutrition and value, so I trust their judgement. I haven't cooked with dry beans and peas that often and began to wonder why not. Is it time to get on-board with the folks at WIC?

Why, you ask? Well, other than joining the trend, how about because legumes are an excellent source of protein, iron, and zinc. Because dry beans and peas are similar in nutrition to meats, poultry, and fish, many people consider dry beans and peas an alternative for meat. They are also an excellent source of dietary fiber and nutrients such as folate, nutrients sadly lacking in the American diet.

If your diet includes meat, poultry, and fish, the USDA (Dept. of Agriculture) still recommends that you eat several cups of dry beans and peas every week. The reason for this recommendation is because legumes have a very high nutrient content. Dry beans and peas also round out the Food Pyramid (Food Guide) on several levels. The "meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group", or the protein group, includes dry beans and peas, and the "vegetable" group also includes dry beans and peas. If you feed your family dry beans and peas, you are satisfying two nutritional needs with one nutrient-packed food. Whether you serve dry beans and peas as a substitute for meat, or you serve them as a vegetable, you are ensuring that your family maintains a properly balanced diet.

We also have a list of dry beans and peas, courtesy of the USDA, which makes it a little easier when you step into the grocery store. To clear up any confusion, this is the list: black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas aka garbanzo beans, falafel, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans (mature), navy beans, pinto beans, soy beans, split peas, tofu (bean curd made from soy beans), and white beans. Jot down your list and let's go shopping.

When you get to the grocery store, head for the rice aisle. Somewhere nearby there should be bags of dry beans and peas stacked up. Grab one that you remember from the list and check out the price. Usually that's a good time to relax and smile. Now, turn the bag over and you'll notice the instructions for preparing your beans for cooking. It all seems a little easier now, doesn't it.

You'll find not only cooking directions on the bag, but usually a recipe or two. There is no shortage of recipes to be found for cooking with lentils. Just start searching the internet and cookbooks and you'll see what I mean. Some recipes may seem quite familiar. Haven't you made Split Pea Soup? There you go! You've already cooked with dry peas and probably never even thought about it. This isn't going to be so hard to figure out after all.

Now, you're wondering if there is a difference between dry beans and peas and their canned counterparts. Yes and no. For instance, just about any recipe you find for Black Bean Soup can be made with dry beans or canned. The difference boils down to (pardon the pun) boiling the beans. Yes, using dry beans and peas takes time, but the benefits of the dry may outweigh the convenience of the can. If you are watching your pennies (and who isn't), you will appreciate the price difference immediately. Roughly speaking, you'll get about 6 cups of cooked beans out of a 1 pound bag of dry beans, so do the math before you buy, and always shop around and watch the sales. It certainly doesn't hurt to keep some of each, dry and canned, on hand so you are ready for quick meals as well as planned.

It seems like light-years ago that you made your first Simple Split Pea Soup. It's hard to believe that you were so frightened of those little bags of dry beans and peas, isn't it? You've embraced the challenge of making your own Chickpea Hummus and Falafel. Your family loves your Lentil & Vegetable Soup, especially with the Dumplings swimming around on top. Of course, not to forget your Congressional Bean Soup, Lentil Chili, or that great Hot Kidney Bean Salad that your friends rave about. Now that you've crossed over to the dry bean and pea aisle, share the word, and your recipes, with others and see if you can't keep the momentum going. Great job! - 17269

About the Author:

Spending a whole day in the kitchen cooking beans may not be on your schedule these days. You can still cook with beans on a tight schedule if you speed up the process by using canned beans. Try this hearty Sausage Bean Skillet or this Tortilla and Chip Pie for quick and easy meals on a busy night.

Should You Have Your Diet Food Delivered to your Door?

By Rachael Evans

For anyone who has ever tried going on a diet, it can be more than challenging and if there is anything that can make it a bit easier, it is having diet food delivered right to your door. It is not easy, although it is not impossible to create portioned controlled and healthy meals every day but for many of us who work all day it seems far easier to order a pizza than worry about the calories we intake at dinner every night. With this in mind there are corporations being created all over the world to take away the stress and work of dieting and conduct these services for you.

Pure Package is becoming one of the most popular diet food delivery programs available today and for good reason. It is an easy to use program and one that many people have found to be incredibly effective. After you have registered with this company you are able to then take advantage of what is known by them as the perfect diet. This is a diet plan which has been devised from years of statistics and analyses to prove which diet methods work and which ones do not. With a program like this you will literally have no shopping or meal planning to do whatsoever and for many dieters this is a huge relief.

The Pure Package will deliver the diet meals at around 6 o'clock in the morning, so they are ready and waiting for you when you get up in the morning. You will find a temperature controlled bag sitting on your door step containing all diet food for the day. You don't have to have the meals delivered to your house if it is not convenient, you could have the diet meals delivered to your gym or the office. This will take all the pressure out of dieting and allow you to concentrate on other parts of your life without having to worry about losing weight.

The benefits of having your diet meals delivered far out weigh the disadvantages. First of all you won't have to spend time shopping for the right foods or count calories, or worry about what meals to prepare that help you diet on a daily basis. Secondly, you will discover different food combinations that are beneficial for your well being. With this type of diet service you will learn to break old eating habits and enjoy a new healthy way of eating your food. This is the fundamental benefit to a diet delivery service, you will learn to love this new way of eating and want to continue using the service long after your program is over because you will finally discover how successful weight loss is achieved.

Consider a diet delivery program and what it can do for you and your weight loss goals. Having healthy meal combinations delivered straight to your door is a great method for losing weight. If you think you could benefit from diet meals delivered to your door, then maybe The Pure Package is just what you need. - 17269

About the Author:

If Your Serious About Losing Weight... You Need A Diet Food Delivery Service!

Choosing a Weight Loss Supplement

By Adrian Rose

If youre planning to lose excess body weight and you have organized an exercise schedule with a healthy and balanced diet plan, you can complement this new lifestyle change by looking for a weight loss supplement that can help to meet your goal weight. Unfortunately, looking for the best weight loss supplement is not an easy task. Since there are hundreds of supplements for weight loss in the market, you can become overwhelmed by the choices you will face. In order to locate the best weight loss supplement for your condition, you need to distinguish your choices and understand how each affects your body. There are several kinds of supplements for weight loss, such as thermogenic or stimulant-free fat burners, carb or fat blockers, thyroid hormone increasers, appetite suppressants and cortisol products. By understanding how each kind of supplement works, you can find the best weight loss supplement based from your individual needs.

Understanding your Choices

If youre looking for the best weight loss supplement, you should never be contented with your friend or familys recommendations. This is because there is no single supplement that could work for all types of people. For an effective weight loss, you need to consider your health condition in buying supplements. One of the most popular weight loss supplements is thermogenic fat burners. These kinds of supplements have no ephedra, which can make a person jumpy or hyperactive. Ephedra-free weight loss supplements are best for people with heart problems or other medical conditions. Thermogenic fat burners work by increasing metabolism and burning fat.

However, if you want to avoid stimulants and caffeine, you should go for stimulant-free fat burners. Although results may vary, people who consume these supplements lose an average of 5 to 10 pounds. On your journey of looking for the best weight loss supplement, you will likely be faced with carb or fat blockers. Carb blockers are usually used alongside a balanced diet, exercise and other fat-burning products. On the other hand, fat blockers work similarly to carb blockers " binding fats in the digestive system, trapping unwanted fats to avoid fat build-ups.

Thyroid hormone increasers are the best weight loss supplement for people who are overweight due to thyroid problems. They work by regulating the thyroid to increase its performance and replace thyroid that your body normally produces. People who are usually stressed with work, academics or other factors can benefit from cortisol products that prevent bad eating patterns when you experience stress.

The best weight loss supplement will largely depend on your personal needs, lifestyle, age and sex, health condition and other factors. However, without regular exercise and a healthy diet, these supplements will not work effectively. - 17269

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Read more on the topic on All Fruits and Protein Supplements

Lose Weight Naturally With These 4 Steps

By Frances Lightmer

Aren't you sick and tired of these fad diets and the ridiculous promises and claims that these magic pill companies put out there?

These companies are taking advantage of your problem by offering you a quick, yet very unhealthy alternative to the natural way that our bodies function.

Let me tell you what you need to do to turn your life around. Follow these four steps and stick to them and you will lose weight, have higher self esteem, and increase your energy!

1. First things first. You must change your state of mind. This is, I think, the number one factor in achieving your goals. Whether it's for losing weight or changing your financial status. I want you to just visualize how your life will be changed once you've realized your goals.

What I want you to do is this. Everyday, for somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes, I want you to totally concentrate or focus on this one mental picture. If your in a bad mood, I can tell you now that this will never work. So, before you do this, get into a positive frame of mind.

2. Now you need to get rid of those awful eating habits. It's time to find a mentor or coach to help guide you along the way. Trust me when I tell you that it's much easier this way. Find an author or a health coach on the internet that is into eating naturally is the way to go. They have been where you are and they can relate.

The all natural approach to eating does take a little getting used to, but I assure you, once you've adjusted to this lifestyle, you're going to wonder why you didn't start sooner.

3. You will now add some exercising to the mix. As with any new activity, you should inform your doctor. Let them know of your goals and how you've already starting eating natural foods. They will give a list of what exercises are best to start with.

Being new to exercising, if that's the case, you need to start out low impact and build up with time. My advice is to start with low impact aerobic activity. You're local gym or health offer some great classes and trainers. As you get used to your routine and it's not very hard for you anymore, add more time or add in a different routine. Start lifting weights. After a while you'll want to perform the aerobic and the weight training.

4. Last, but certainly not least, is rest. There's really not a whole lot to say about this one. You need to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I know some can get 6 hours and feel like a million bucks, but for most of us 8 hours is a good, round number.

Though I'm sure you'll welcome this with all the exercising and energy you've expended all day.

Follow these 4 steps like I have laid out for you and your life will change for the better. There is no way that it can't. Just take that first step in your life toward a better you. You can do it! - 17269

About the Author:

Frances Lightmer has composed many articles on the subject of healthy eating. If this article helped you, I invite you to check out the Lose Weight The Natural Way webpage.

Carrying Extra Weight Can Shorten Life Expectancy

By Jimmy Warren

Studies involving 900,000 people have concluded that weighing too much can reduce your life span by a decade.

For adults who are over weight by 40 pounds or more the unhealthy weight may cut down three year of their life span.

The study also confirms that anyone who is 100 or more pounds over weight can reduce their life by more than a decade. Richard Peto, one of the leading researchers and a professor of medical statistics at Oxford University in England, also said that being extremely obsessed is similar to lifelong smoking.

As per the inputs by Gary Whitlock, study co-author and an epidemiologist at Oxford, Obesity increase blood pressure and blood cholesterol and also triggers diabetes causing heart disease and stroke.

Most of the people lived in the USA and Western Europe. Also, 70,000 deaths were analyzed by the scientists.

There were 57 studies that included 900,000 adults, who were observed for 10-15 years by a team of the researchers and their colleagues. Most of them lived in the USA or Western Europe. Scientists also checked 70,000 deaths related the obesity.

The risk of early death increases by 30% by every 5-point increase in BMI, above a healthy weight.

The death risk increase by 30% by every 5 point increase in the BMI as compared to the healthy weight.

A years life span may be affected for the people who are overweight but not obese.

As said by Michael Thun, This is a valuable study that provides a much clearer picture of the risk associated with various levels of being overweight or obese," who is emeritus vice president of epidemiological research at the American Cancer Society.

To worsen the situation of one third of the adult population being obsessed, few of them are still not stopping to gain weight, says Michael Thun. It is easy to gain more weight then to lose once you are obsessed. To stop gaining weight should be our motto.

Thun also added saying, There is a mock fight that is taking place between obesity & smoking. Obesity & smoking both damage your body. Continuous smoking reduces 10 years of life which is as good as being obsessed. - 17269

About the Author:

Now if you desire to drop some weight quickly eating only the food you love, but cant seem to come to grips with dieting, the skinny switch secret might be just what you want. Check it out now at http://tvskinnyswitchsecret.com

Child's Weight Loss Management Program

By Adrian Rose

Obesity is becoming a major issue among both adults and children. Although adults can easily lose the weight through daily stressful tasks, losing weight for children can become a problem that they will suffer until they grow up. Be aware that excessive weight can endanger the health of your child and serious treatment should be undertaken. Child weight loss management is important because it can prevent possible health problems. Planning your childs weight loss plan involves different aspects to succeed. The first thing you should do is set the goals for your children. However, make sure that the goals you set for you child are attainable. When setting goals, a five to ten-pound weight loss is enough for your child to achieve. Be aware that when you set large goals, your child may become discouraged once he or she did not reach this monthly goal.

Child weight loss management involves both physical and psychological support from the parents. As a parent, you need to help your child limit the amount of fatty or high-calorie foods that he or she eats in the house.

Child Weight Loss Management Aids

Once you explained to your child about his or her monthly weight loss goals, you need to help your child go through the whole process. A helpful aid for your childs weight loss is a food diary. The function of a food diary is to determine all the foods eaten by your child and information about where and when it was eaten. Although this diary can help you determine calorie intake, it can also spot your childs eating patterns, which can help in eliminating problem foods in your diet.

If you child is overweight or obese, it is best to consult with a dietician and ask for a diet program for your childs weight loss management. A balanced diet should contain essential vitamins and minerals, but with fewer fattening calories. For a balanced weight loss program for your child, you have to encourage him or her in performing regular physical activities, such as sports. Exercise is an important aspect needed for an effective and long-term weight loss. You can also support your child with exercising (or playing table tennis, jogging, swimming, etc) with him or her daily.

Aside from physical changes, you also need to incorporate psychological aspects of your childs weight loss program. Make sure you teach your child on how to modify behaviors that may be the reason for his or her weight problem. Through every step of the child weight loss management, you need to be supportive of your childs development no matter how many pounds he or she lost each month. With a proper diet, regular exercise, behavior modifications and complete parental support, your child can be free from possible health problems cause by excessive body fats. - 17269

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We recommend a good Strawberry Pizza Recipe or Raspberry Tea for your child weight loss management program

Natural Health Supplementations

By Andy Rogers

Numerous people consider supplements for multiple functions. Supplementations have many benefits on the wellness as they heighten the operation of the brain and torso, protect you from diseases and build your body hard against the attacks of illnesses. That leaves you more energized and helps you to look quick and sound while using these supplementations. If you desire to buy some type of supplement, you can sustain online recap of these supplementations in some sites. These websites like miraclesformen provide you comprehensive particulars about several case of supplementations with several research. It is easy to compare the nutrition welfares of these supplements from home.

Your search and supplementations choice may serve you to improve your wellness and loss your weight. Most of these supplementations assist you to overcome many problems like obesity, soft pain, deficiency of rest, and Some other familiar problems. You should search for other resolutions and also recap your option of supplements while purchasing these supplements. Numerous internet sites like miraclesformen supply you all cases of information about the categories of supplements expending for several aim. It will help you to see what supplements can do for your body and wellness. Initially you require to recognize various kinds of supplements.

The phytonutrient Quercetin too assists to protect against prostate gland cancer. It carries anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes to hinder male hormones that boost malignant neoplastic disease cell ontogeny. The otherwise noted and active prostatic nutrients that must|should be in your men's vitamin supplementation are: Beta Sitosterol, Corn Silk Extracts, Lycopene, Saw Palmetto, Resveratrol etc.When dealing other essential elements of men's vitamins, vitamins and minerals are of course principal, but in insufficient doses, and only to supplement nutrient demands missing in your daily diet. If a huge proportion of your supplementation is made up of huge doses of vitamins and minerals then may be you're not sustaining good rate for the money. Both vitamins and minerals are the among the cheapest components of supplements!

If you are interested in rising your whole health, you can take vitamins and minerals possessed supplementation. It also serves you to sense well when you have improve sleep, reduce, more vitality and many more. Resistant support- supplements relieve you from modest health trouble like headache or a pains in other parts of body. These supplementations fill your insufficiency of sustenance when you experience sick and require more vitality.

In add-on to the adult males vitamins and supplements, it is also significant for men to have multivitamins to insure good wellness. Many of us do not get the proper foods our body takes each day due to poor diets. Mens vitamins come in some several sorts and are used for numerous various functions. The most important of the mens vitamins, nevertheless, are the multivitamins that fill again products we lack in our every day dieting. - 17269

About the Author:

The webmaster is a independent author specializing in men health and wellness issues and writes about best pills for enhancement of manhood and extenze compare enzyte. He is also a physiological trainer and into some picture taking in his spare time.

Why Use Kettlebells in Your Training?

By Steve Perch

There are big advantages to using kettlebells no matter what your size and above and beyond the use of free weights.

The first thing you need to do is to realize that, unlike the typical free weights that you are used to, you are no longing working out but rather you are practicing. Which is why kettlebells are so wonderful.

As the saying goes, dumbbells make you dumb. They do create a sense of zoning out when you use them. Kettlebells, in contrast, require your full attention.

This does not give the person the full benefits that he or she should be receiving and is why kettlebells are so different. This type of mindless exercise is never going to give all of the benefits that could be received from using kettlebells.

Kettlebells are the best tool around for improving both your strength and endurance. Beyond what you would achieve with free weights or gym machines.

When using kettlebells, a person's centre of gravity may be some distance from where the bell is actually being held. Requiring some concentration to maintain balance.

Another reason why kettlebells are such a better choice is because they are small and very portable. Unlike the big machinery that people tend to think is best for getting in shape; the kettlebells do not require their own rooms in the house, which means these tools, are true space savers.

Since they are so easy to transport you can take them with you to the office to practice with on your breaks. You can even take them when you travel which is great because there is no reason to miss out on such exercise for a week or two.

There are a great many kettlebell training instruction DVDs out there that will get you off on the right track.

The more you use kettlebells, the more you'll come to understand their advantages and what they'll do for you. You'll quickly find yourself wanting to spread news about the technique yourself.

The more people involved the more fun it will be so make sure that you walk your friends and family through all of the reasons why kettlebells are a great way to go. - 17269

About the Author:

To find out additional information on Kettlebells for sale and find a 1.5 Pood Kettlebell to word out with, visit Steve Perch's website about Kettlebell Conditioning.

How to Stay in Top Shape with the Best Cardio Exercises?

By Thong M. Dao

Have you ever wondered which cardio exercise is the best? Is it low or high intensity exercise routine? In fact, both programs help us burn off body fat. Now let's find out which one is better for fat loss?

Under a high intensity cardio exercise, glycogen will be burned. Glycogen is a sort of carbohydrates stored in the liver and muscle. The body uses carbohydrates for energy. On the other hand, low intensity exercise burns a lot of fat. This is scientific theory.

If you're wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese folks still around, even though they are working out with low intensity routines. It still makes you wonder how it can be.

The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity cardio training like walking or swimming. But during a high intensity exercise such as running, the body will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are still many fat calories burned as well.

But that's not the end of it. When you run out of glycogen, the body will use carbohydrates from food to recharge the battery, rather than turn them into fat. That means exercises which burn glycogen will help prevent you from storing fat.

High impact cardio exercise increases your metabolism. Even after you're done with your training session, your metabolism will continue to stay active. And you'll still burn fat for many hours later.

On the other hand, low impact cardio exercises do not offer that metabolism benefit. So overall, high intensity workout probably burns more fat than low.

In order to utilize both low and high impact cardio exercises, we need to put them together in a routine. For example, walk for about 5 minutes, then power walk (almost jog) for the same amount of time.

Continue to rotate afterward until you're finished. For the best cardio exercises, I recommend you do a continuous routine of 15 minutes or more. If you do not like walking, you can use a cardio exercise machine.

And cardio workout not only burns body fat. More importantly, you'll experience high energy levels all the time.

For all newbies, be persistent and pace yourself, one step at a time. Be careful or you'll get burned out! It is also important to track your progress to see how well you have been doing. - 17269

About the Author:

A typical cardio workout is walking for weight loss. But remember to do warm up exercises before training. You can find free fat loss tips at fat-free-fast.com

How To Find The Best Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

By Gordon Granby

Making your own chocolate covered strawberries can be as simple or as involved as you want it. After several separate times making them with a number of chocolate types, I was looking for a bit more. After consulting with some of my chef friends and reviewing some recipe books in the bookstore and checking out online, I was pleasantly surprised to find some really creative ideas out there.

To get the health benefits from the real chocolate, it needs to be of good quality. Some companies add a number of preservatives, additives, and bad fats to make their ingredient price cheaper and profit higher. So be sure to review the ingredient list from a company or store that you are checking out. Don't be hesitant to ask them if they use a lot of fillers besides the chocolate. You or someone you know is going to be eating it, so take the responsibility and ask.

I don't know what your level of enjoyment is with different brands of chocolate, but let me share something that's probably not a big surprise. The better the ingredients, the better the final product. It just is that simple. The culinary knowledge and execution has to be there too. But it's like the old adage about dressing up a pig...you've got to look beneath the surface and check the ingredients.

Some companies dip the strawberries about halfway up with chocolate. Others take the chocolate more near the top and cover everything but the stem. That means more chocolate for you to eat. Some companies may skimp on the chocolate to save some money. Thousands of berries with a half-inch less coating makes a big difference to the bottom line. But you as the consumer get less chocolate berry.

If you're shipping the chocolate strawberries when it's hot outside, or if it's going to someone in a humid and hot place, shipping details are very important. How many ice packs will be used to make sure the package stays chilled? Will insulated containers be adequate? Will dry ice also be used if requested? Does the company offer money-back policies if the package is not in satisfactory condition (i.e. melted and inedible) when received?

Take a look how satisfied other buyers are. Did they review the store or company favorably? See if anyone in your area has can recommend based on their experiences. After trying one or two stores first hand, you'll know if you can go with that company for many times to come. Experience is the best teacher. Price is important, yes, but it has to be enjoyed too. Perhaps after purchasing a couple times, you'll even decide to go it on your own and send some hand dipped chocolate strawberries yourself! - 17269

About the Author:

Gordon Granby has fun eating food and sharing times with friends and writing about hand dipped strawberries. He always savors getting time to eat chocolate covered strawberries.

Artificial Hips Part of Widespread Hip Recall

By Maxwell Schmickman

Are you one of the many American's who has needed a hip replacement? This procedure, which has been performed for almost forty years, has become increasingly common. When performed correctly, it is a great way to give otherwise healthy patients a new lease on life, and the ability to stay healthy as they enjoy their favorite activities, just as they always have.

These are operations that have been performed for almost forty years, and while invasive, have great results. With a standard replacement however, it will need to be replaced, usually within ten years. The Zimmer hip implant promised to change that, making hip replacement a viable option for younger seniors. However, their claims have not held up. This has led to a massive hip recall.

If you're an older American, it's likely that you or someone you know has had a hip replacement with a device similar to the one involved in the hip recall. As we get older, our bodies begin to break down from age and overuse. Joints are especially prone to becoming damaged, making mobility extremely difficult or painful. Why have hip replacements become more common place over the last thirty years? Because over that time the American population is aging as never before. Not only are there more seniors, but they are living much longer than previously, meaning that their joints are being used for longer, and more, than ever before.

This particular hip recall is being caused by a device that was manufactured by the Zimmer Durom company. It was sold under the promise that it would be the perfect device for a younger person needing a hip replacement. A normal hip replacement device will need to be replaced once every ten years on average. This means that for someone who has the replacement done at a young age, they will be faced with the prospect of several follow up surgeries. The replacement being recalled was supposed to change that, by lasting for the rest of a patients life without the need for replacement.

Unfortunately, the claims of longevity for the hip replacement proved to be false for many patients, leading to called for a hip recall. At one clinic where the devices were frequently used, twelve percent of patients needed to have the devices replaced surgically in less than two years. This is an extremely high rate. The Zimmer Durom company disputed this claim, saying that it must be caused by surgical error. However, in their own internal studies, the failure rate before two years was seven percent, which is still much higher than promised, and much worse than a traditional hip replacement. Because of these concerns, the product was pulled from the market in July 2008.

If you or a loved one received a hip replacement at any point before July 2008, contact your doctor immediately to see if it is part of the hip recall. If it is, even if you do not need an immediate surgical replacement, you may be qualified to join a class action suit against the Zimmer Durom company. - 17269

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