Cooking & Baking Tips: Healthy Fats, Grain Prep & Substitutes

Mastering the kitchen involves understanding healthy fat profiles, variety-specific grain preparation, and safe food handling techniques.

Pot of honey and wooden stick.

Bad Reactions to Honey

Though sweet, honey can cause two types of bad reactions. Some individuals might be allergic to the pollen, bee venom or proteins in honey. For baby's under the age of 1, honey can cause a reaction from the bacteria.

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spices

Health Benefits in Turmeric & Cayenne Pepper

Many spices common in cooking have also been used medicinally by various cultures throughout history. Turmeric and cayenne pepper are included in recipes in many types of ethnic cuisine and are purported to have healing effects for more than just minor ailments.

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Close-up of a dish of rice and curry garnished with coriander and banana slices

How Fattening is Curry?

Curry is a staple part of the cuisine throughout East Asia, and its popularity has also stretched into Western countries. Although there’s no standard definition for what makes up a “curry,” dish, it generally includes meat or vegetables and has a spiced sauce that may feature turmeric, cumin or coriander powder.

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honey with acacia blossoms

How Effective Is Manuka Honey at Treating All Forms of Staph Infections?

Staphylococcus species, or staph, are round bacteria commonly found on the skin, genital tract, nose and mouth as part of the normal flora. Staph family includes around 30 different bacterial species that can cause a wide range of infections such as folliculitis, cellulitis and toxic shock syndrome.

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Buckwheat seeds on wooden spoon in closeup

Raw Buckwheat Groats Nutritional Information

Buckwheat groats, also known as kasha or just simply groats, are a cereal grain with origins in central Asia. They have a nutty flavor and soft texture, and cook in less than 15 minutes. If you're looking for a healthy side dish to accompany meals, consider buckwheat groats.

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Traditional spices market

What Can Be Substituted for Sweet Paprika?

Despite its misleading name, sweet paprika, of which Hungarian paprika is one variety, isn't sugary or sweet at all. Instead, it's called sweet paprika to distinguish it from other types of paprika that are spicy. The end zing, or lack thereof, depends on what type of peppers were used to make the spice.

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Cinnamon and star anise

Can You Take Cinnamon With a Blood Thinner?

Revered for its medicinal properties by the ancient Egyptians, cinnamon is a savory spice found in the bark of Cinnamomum trees. Although it is a widely used spice, you may need to moderate your consumption if you are taking a blood thinner. The coumarin in the spice could increase your risk of bleeding.

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Is Oatmeal a Whole Grain?

Low in fat and abundant in vitamins and minerals, grains are an essential part of a healthy diet. The most beneficial grains are the whole grains, which should make up at least half of the grains you eat, recommends the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

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fresh parsley on the cutting board

How to Neutralize Sugar

Whether too much sugar was added because of an incorrect measure, faulty sugar container or a recipe that just isn’t to your liking, food with too much sweetness can be hard to eat. However, there are some things that can be done based on the type of food being cooked to salvage a dish.

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Cinnamon Stick

Which Spice Can You Substitute If You're Allergic to Cinnamon?

Ingesting cinnamon rarely causes an allergic reaction, although it is possible, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. If you do have an allergy to ingesting cinnamon, which an allergy specialist can confirm, you can still enjoy the foods you love without cinnamon.

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Raw Rice Vs. Cooked Rice

Rice has been cultivated for centuries and comes in a wide range of colors like black, red, brown and even purple in its unmilled form. It is grown throughout the world and is a major component of the common diet in Asia and elsewhere.

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Sugar & Constipation

Four million Americans suffer from frequent constipation, and this digestive disorder accounts for 2.5 million doctor visits a year, according to the National Institutes of Health.

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Close-up of a bowl of rice

Bread & Rice for Diarrhea

The B.R.A.T. diet – bananas, rice, apples, toast – has been used for decades to treat diarrhea in children. While it is no longer recommended by pediatricians, it can be useful for adults with a mild case of gastroenteritis.

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Beef steaks with grilled vegetables

How to Make T-Bone Steaks Tender

A T-bone steak is actually two steaks -- a tenderloin steak and a top loin or strip steak -- separated by the large bone that gives the cut its name. Best suited to grilling, sauteing and broiling, T-bone steaks are typically more tender than sirloin, rib-eye or round steak.

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Christmas gingerbread spices

Ginger & Cinnamon for Gastritis

Gastritis develops when the stomach lining becomes inflamed. Doctors often prescribe antacids and histamine blockers to reduce acid production or antibiotics, if gastritis is due to an infection. Scientific research shows that ginger may be effective in killing bacteria that frequently cause gastritis.

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Ginger root

Does Ginger Treat Bloating?

Bloating results from a buildup of gas in your gastrointestinal tract. Likely culprits of bloating include poor eating habits -- such as eating with your mouth open -- a fatty diet, sudden increase in fiber intake, stress or smoking.

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Dark chocolate cake

Do Sweets Make Your Heart Race?

Simple sugars, such as those found in cookies, candies, cakes and soft drinks, have been implicated in the growing incidence of obesity and diabetes in the United States.

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Bees in a beehive on honeycomb

Manuka Honey & Cancer

Manuka honey is hailed for its antibacterial and healing properties. It also may have anti-cancer properties and be useful for cancer patients who suffer issues with radiation therapy. This honey has the potential, however, to interfere with some cancer treatments.

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