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Having a food intolerance is not the same as having a food allergy. If you have a food allergy, your body identifies problem food as a “toxic invader” and goes into anaphylactic shock when it is ingested.

Food intolerance is also linked to your body’s sensitivity to certain foods however it is not immune mediated. Food intolerance is sometimes caused by intestinal lining damage. In a perfectly healthy person, the intestinal lining which contains small holes, acts as a filter by preventing undigested particles of food and toxins from entering the bloodstream and allowing nutrients through.

However, if these small holes become enlarged then the intestinal lining’s ability to act as an effective filter is reduced. This is called “Leaky Gut” and it can cause a number of food intolerances. Recent research has shown that Leaky Gut can cause eczema and asthma.

However, there are plenty of other food intolerances that are not caused by Leaky Gut and are instead just to do with the fact that your body finds it difficult to cope with certain types of food.

Food Intolerance Testing

If you find that you suffer regularly from migraines, bloating and abdominal pains or any other on going physical complaint, then you might have a food intolerance.

The only way to identify this is through food intolerance testing. There are a number of ways to conduct food intolerance testing. We recommend the food intolerance indicator test as a first step. This is a simple blood test that identifies whether or not you actually have a food intolerance.
If the result comes back positive, then you can arrange to have further in-depth food intolerance testing to find out exactly which foods are causing you problems. Since the second test is more expensive than the first, it is better to start off with the food intolerance indicator test. That way, if you don’t have a food intolerance you won’t have wasted money on the second test.

Food intolerance testing is a simple, quick and affordable way to getting on the path to good health and a sense of well being.

By: Elizabeth Harfleet

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Have you ever wondered if the food you were preparing at home was safe? Have you ever wished you had a friend, a mom, a grandma to call and ask a food question? Have you ever resorted to calling your county’s Extension Agent to ask a question about safe food handling? Have you ever thrown something away, boiled it extra long, or turned meat into a hockey puck because you just weren’t sure?

One of the most important rules to serving safe food is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. The temperature range in which bacteria multiplies rapidly and can cause disease is known as the Temperature Danger Zone. This range is from 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not advisable to leave any potentially hazardous foods in this temperature zone for more than four hours total. Because the foods we eat and prepare are usually not in our possession from the time it was a plant or an animal to the time it is on our plate (this time-line is known as “farm to fork” in the restaurant world), it is recommended that we reduce the time food is spent in the temperature danger zone as much as possible.

A meat item may have been left out at the butcher for 30 minutes before it reached your house. This means that the total time left for this meat item to be in the temperature danger zone is now 3 hours and 30 minutes. It might also have been left out at the grocery store for another half hour. This means it only has three hours left to be safe. Because we, as consumers, cannot be sure how much time is left for our food in the temperature danger zone, it is best to keep hot food hotter than 140 at all times, and cold food colder than 40 at all times.

It is important that we consumers have full awareness at all times of whether our food is in the temperature danger zone. We can achieve this by purchasing a metal stem thermometer from a retailer such as Wal Mart or K Mart. These types of thermometers are acceptable pieces of equipment by every Environmental Health Department in America, and usually cost less than five dollars.

It is important to check the calibration of the metal stem thermometer. This is easy to do. Fill a glass to the top with ice, and then put water to the brim. Leave for five minutes. After five minutes, place the metal stem thermometer in the ice water. The thermometer should read 32 degrees, give or take 2 degrees. If it doesn’t, there is a bolt right underneath the dial-face of the thermometer that can be turned with a pair of plyers until the thermometer reads 32 degrees. Now, the thermometer is calibrated and the temperature readings you get can be trusted. It is important to repeat this calibration test periodically on your metal stem thermometer to ensure you are getting proper temperature readings.

Test the food in your refrigerator with the metal stem thermometer. It is advisable to wash it, then sanitize it before and after testing with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth or a paper towel. Put the thermometer into the middle of soft food, such as yogurt or cheese, or you can put it into milk or juice. Make sure your food is not above 40 degrees in the refrigerator. If it is near 40, you may want to turn your temperature down in the refrigerator. It has been proven that food stays fresher longer with a “deep chill” of 33-37 degrees. In any case, if the food in your refrigerator is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you are correctly holding cold food to ensure safety.

You can use the metal stem thermometer to test hot foods as well. Just stick it into the thickest part of a cut of meat, or place it into the middle of a hot dish to make sure the food is at least 140 degrees.

Maintaining proper holding temperatures is the number one way to keep yourself or someone you love from getting sick from a food source.

By: Angela Edwards

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The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as “jerk” cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you’ll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty”, but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered “strange fruit” overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it’s no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

By: Linda Thompkins

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There are few things more important in everyday food preparation then proper hygiene. Without the seemingly simple washing of hands and tools disease would spread rampantly throughout society. This was not always known though and in some places is still not taken as seriously as it should be. For this reason the government has made mandatory health codes and random health checks the norm.

To be a professional food handler you must know,understand, and implement proper food hygiene techniques. Knowing them alone is not enough though, for many areas you will need to take classes and be properly certified in order to prepare food professionally. This may mean that each employee needs to be certified or it may mean that the restaurant needs proper certification, it really depends on the given area.

To make sure that you have all of the proper courses and certifications you will most likely need to call your local health board. Do not be afraid to “wake a sleeping giant” of sorts, they get these calls every day and will not be influenced into inspecting your establishment because of it. More likely, they will be on much better terms with you over the long run,knowing that you are trying to do the correct thing.

To get your food hygiene certification,one must take a series of classes or at the least a course. This can usually be done at a local college,night school,or online. When choosing these classes, be sure that the proper topics will be covered and that they will meet all of your needs. The rules can vary from county to county in some cases and everyone should understand what needs to be taught.

By: Dave Hungary

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Only 7% of Americans are prepared.



This American Red Cross estimate only refers to those who have emergency kits with a 72 hour food supply. If there was an epidemic or event causing a temporary food shortage of 6 weeks to 6 months, then almost no one is prepared.

If your first thought is “bulk food” or big box store then think again. If you buy bulk grain or flour then you better also have a plan on how to cook and eat it. You will need to store a lot of water, cooking oil, and a lot of other items for the grain to be a useful food supply.

Oh and be used to eating what you cook with the grain and flour, as your new full time diet. It is very stressful to dramatically change diet especially in a crisis. Severe diet changes can make people ill. The end result is adding complication to an already stressful situation.

There is a easier, cheaper, safer way to be prepared;

Bulk Freeze dried food

No cooking required. No preparation other than adding water required. You can eat food you normally eat without the canned food taste. It can last up to 30 years so if you don’t need it this year or next year, you don’t have to throw it away.

Freeze dried food can be ordered bulk. Packages for a family supply of food for a month to a year or more are available and can be shipped to your door in a few weeks.

If you are concerned about preparedness, food rationing or shortages then you can get insurance against this risk. It is bulk freeze dried food.

By: Kevin Taylor

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With the release of the new food group pyramid, there are officially five food groups. Oils and butters are now included as a food group; but for the purpose of this paper, we are still going to consider ourselves to have only four. The four food groups are grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. Let’s take a look at each food group and discuss a few of the more important points from each group.

Grains cover a broad range of food: breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. That’s quite an array of food. Breads come in so many varieties; pita, rye, white, and wheat are the more popular varieties. Cereals are so numerous there’s not enough room on fifty pages to discuss the varieties offered. Rice and pasta are a little more limited in their offerings, but are still quite varied. Almost every choice we make in this group will have vitamins and minerals added for our nutritional supplementation. That’s a good thing, since most of us won’t consume our recommended dietary allowance, or even get close without the fortification of our milk and grain food group.

The next food group to be discussed is the vegetable group. Okay, here is the opportunity to score real nutritional “brownie” points, since it’s almost impossible to make a bad choice, or even overeat. The only members of this food group that we must be careful to not overdo are the starchy vegetables. These vegetables have a tendency to turn into sugar once consumed, and we usually don’t need an excess of sugar.

Fruits are a healthful category, so long as we remember to watch our consumption of fruits that provide too much sugar. Most fruits contain naturally occurring sugars; although these occur naturally in the food, it doesn’t mean we need to consume uncontrolled quantities. A healthy daily allowance of fruit includes about 4 servings.

The meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and eggs food group contains the protein your body needs in order to develop properly. Without protein, your brain and many other body organs do not properly develop. If not properly developed, they will not work properly. Protein is one of the most important pieces of our growth and development needs. The down side in this food group, would be the fact that animal meats have naturally occurring cholesterol, and although some cholesterol is good for us, too much is unhealthy.

The last food group we’re going to discuss is the dairy food. Milk, yogurt, and cheese belong to this food group. Again, one of the most important vitamins we need can be found in this food group. Calcium is essential to the optimal functioning our cell processes, and the growth of our bones. Calcium has a tremendous effect on the health of our heart and other vital organs. Inadequate consumption of calcium can lead to long-term life altering consequences. Osteoporosis is the leader among crippling of post menopausal women, and it is simply due to a lack of needed calcium during the earlier years.

It is absolutely necessary for everyone, children and adults to understand the importance each of these four food groups plays in our healthy development, from childhood to old age.

By: Michael Bens

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