Welcome to my little corner of culinary delights.

Healthy eating should be the way of life in order to live happier and longer.  However, in our modern civilization, that is not easily done.  

Children are raised on junk foods high in carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol to say nothing of the calories.  I did not become conscientious of these matters until after I had culinary training to become a chef.  

A chef is to be trained in all matters of cooking as well as types of foods and their affects.  We must learn about food allergies and also diseases affected by certain foods and the kinds of foods that can bring about diseases.  

High blood pressure is greatly affected by being over weight.  Sugars and carbohydrates can greatly harm diabetics.  Certain foods raise bad cholesterol in the blood which produces restricted blood flow and even strokes.  And the list goes on.

As a chef, we must know which foods are most common for causing an allergic reaction.  A chef also needs to know which ingredients react badly with certain ailments or diseases.  

You have two types of allergies, infections and consumed.  The consumed would be food allergies and poisons.  Infections would be such things as hay-fever and skin contact as with poison ivy.  The food allergies would be such things as flour, eggs, peanuts, soy, milk, etc.  

You have two levels of food allergies; allergic reaction and food intolerance.  The former creates unpleasant reactions such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and/or swelling and rash.  Some of these foods to which the person is allergic can consume small amounts.  Food intolerance simply means severe circumstances even in small amounts.  It can even cause death.

We are also taught which foods and herbs are healthy for and helpful to the body.  There are many books produced that claim they can teach you not only healthy cooking but also which foods are best for certain ailment.  I cannot judge on such books since I lack the time to read them.  For the most part, I believe they are good and worth reading by the naivest.  Chefs have their own books that cover such needs.  I will share some of this with you.

Some may feel I was redundant by saying “healthy for and helpful to the body”.  Healthy foods are those foods that provide nourishing building blocks for a healthy body.  You have heard it said that fish is brain food.  Foods that are helpful to the body are foods that counter act the harm other foods are doing to your body.  

Although cinnamon adds flavor to foods, it also reacts with sugar in the bloodstream reducing the harmful effects.  That is why I try to add plenty of cinnamon to such things as rice pudding, bread pudding, and pastries to name a few.  Rolled oats, although nourishing, serve to help reduce cholesterol before it gets into the bloodstream.

Until next time, peace to all.