Depression Linked to Excessive Work

Depression Linked to Excessive Work

Depression Linked to Excessive Work

A new British study has established that those working more than 11 hours a day face a 2-fold increase in the likelihood of a major depressive episode as compared to those working 7-8 hours a day.
The study is published in the January 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2000 middle aged British civil servants and found a robust association between overtime work and depression. This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasize that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardized.
Depression Linked to Excessive Work
"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression", says Dr Virtanen.

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Homemade Recipes For Beauty That Save You Money

With uncertain times in the financial world but the need to look great and feel strong as always, it's no wonder so many people are trying to find homemade recipes for beauty. Why not invest in something that will pay strong dividends and make you feel great? Invest in yourself, of course, and in your self-confidence with these homemade recipes for beauty.

The first recipe is a toner made from cucumber and honey. It's very simple, all you need is 2 teaspoons of honey and a medium cucumber.

Simply peel your cucumber and cut it up into pieces, then blend it in a blender. Once it's blended, filter it through a cheese cloth to let the juices separate from the puree. Then add the cucumber juice into a bottle with the honey and shake it. This will produce a lovely lotion that you can apply on your skin with a soft cloth. You can store this for about a week in the fridge and use it daily. The honey will cleanse your skin.

This next recipe is a little bit more complex, but definitely works. It's a fantastic ginger skin cream. The ginger will invigorate your skin while the oil will sooth it. This feels exactly like an expensive cream you would buy from a spa, but you can make it yourself, isn't that special? You will need a two-inch piece of ginger, 2 teaspoons each of sesame oil, apricot kernel oil, vitamin E oil along with 1/2 cup of cocoa butter.

Pre-heat your oven to its lowest setting. Meanwhile, grate the ginger and squeeze it over a bowl to remove the juice from it until you have about 1/8 teaspoon of ginger juice. Now, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and heat that bowl in the oven until the cocoa butter starts to melt. Once it has, remove the bowl from the oven and apply it to your body. You will be amazed at how fresh and aromatic it smells. When you do this yourself, you can afford to use these products every single day and really treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated - like a goddess!

Using these simple recipes, you can save yourself a lot of money, especially if you normally spend a lot of money on beauty and beauty products. Chances are, people will be paying you a lot of complements once they see how great it's working for you. Will you direct them to these recipes or will it be our little secret? Have fun with these new recipes, and make some of your own.   

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Natural Beauty Recipes For Sensitive Skin

There are several benefits of mixing up natural beauty recipes to use in the comfort of your own home. One of the best benefits is that you completely control the ingredients used in your skin care products. You know the ingredients in each product are healthy and safe for your sensitive skin.

Homemade beauty recipes won't break the bank and many ingredients can be found in your kitchen, so making a cleanser, mask, or exfoliating scrub is simple.

Be sure to do a skin test first on the inside of your elbow or behind your ear, as even natural ingredients can cause skin inflammation for some people with sensitive skin.

Easy Beauty Recipes for Sensitive Skin - Natural Exfoliating

Recipe #1 - Mix together two teaspoons of baking soda, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup cornmeal, one Tablespoon pure olive oil, and four to five drops of tea-tree oil. The tea tree oil is optional, and provides natural cleansing but may be too strong for some sensitive skin. Once the ingredients are well blended, gently apply and then rinse with warm water. You can find tea-tree oil at the health food store.

Recipe #2 - Another effective recipe for exfoliating the skin safely is made from oatmeal and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. Juice an entire grapefruit. Strain the seeds and pulp. Mix the juice together with 3 or 4 Tablespoons of oatmeal. The consistency should be thick, like a mask or paste. Spread the mixture evenly over the face. Allow it to work for about 15 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Recipe #3 - Mix together 1 Tablespoon honey and 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal. Spread over facial and neck areas. After 10 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Natural Beauty Recipes for Cleansing

The jojoba oil in the first recipe is a bit more expensive initially, but because you don't need to use much each time, the cost per use is really very inexpensive.

Recipe #1 - Mix together 1-teaspoon jojoba oil, 1-teaspoon fine oatmeal, 1-2 teaspoons of rosewater, and 1-teaspoon milk powder until it becomes a nicely blended paste. Gently spread the mixture over your face using your fingertips. Massage into the skin. Allow it to work for about 10 minutes. Rinse completely with warm water.

Recipe #2 - Mashed fresh fruit is an effective way to cleanse sensitive skin. Use fresh papaya now and then to cleanse your skin. Simply mash it up, spread over your skin, and massage into the skin with your fingertips. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Facial Mask Recipe

Honey is the only ingredient in this natural recipe for toning and tightening skin a few times a week. A double boiler works well for warming up the honey. Use just enough to cover your skin, but in a solid even layer. Spread the warmed honey over your face and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Rinse completely from the skin using warm water first followed by a cool rinse.

Honey is the ideal natural food ingredient for all skin types. Top-quality honey does tend to be a bit more expensive than other natural beauty recipes ingredients, but using it only a few times a week won't break your skin care budget!

Facial Toning Recipe

Green tea is great for your skin as well as your body! Steep 3 Tablespoons of green tea leaves in 1 cup of distilled water for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the tea to cool and strain. Use the liquid as a skin toner.

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The Best Natural Beauty Recipes

If you are at all concerned about the constituents of the creams that you put on your body, you will be glad to know that there is a sure-fire way of making certain that you only use, natural, organic, pure beauty products. That way is to make your own natural beauty preparations. There are in fact three advantages of using your own natural beauty recipes:

1] it is better for the environment, because you will not be disposing of chemical-laden cotton wool swabs;

2] it is less expensive, because you can use household products;

3] home-made natural beauty recipes are often healthier and more effectual than store bought.

Here are a few instances of natural beauty recipes. The Internet is a source of many more:

Papaya Face Mask:- mash half a papaya with one whipped egg white, a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of natural - not pasturized - plain yoghurt.

Mix into a smooth blend, remove your makeup and wash your face Rub the mixture onto your face and leave for five to ten minutes so that the papaya enzymes can go to work on your skin. Rinse off with luke warm water and then again with cool water. Finally, pat your skin dry with a soft towel.

Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinse:- this natural beauty recipe will rectify the pH balance of your hair. First wash and rinse your hair as usual, then rinse with an infusion, which you have made beforehand as follows.

Soak two sprigs of rosemary and two sprigs of lavender in a jar of warm water. Leave it in the sun or a warm place for a few hours in order to allow the sprigs' essential oils to come out. Remove the sprigs and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. Wash your hair thoroughly with this mixture.

Herbal Bath Salts:- are very simple to make. First buy a sack of sea salt. Then whenever you want to use bath salts obtain whichever herb you think will do you good or smell nice and pound up a handful of it until it becomes a fine powder. Put in a screw top jar half-filled with sea salt. Put the lid on and shake. Leave stand for as long as you like. Add to a hot bath as necessary

Foot Spa:- soak tired feet in a small bowl of warm water to which has been added a handful of sea salt, some slices of orange or lemon and some flowers' petals. It is astonishingly refreshing.

Strawberry Manicure:- puree a few ripe strawberries with some brown sugar and a little olive oil until you get a manageable constituency. Rub it onto your hands in a circular motion. It will exfoliate and nourish your skin far better than any shop bought exfoliants.

Water Melon Pedicure:- this is fantastic for your feet, but it fills your house with a superb fragrance too. Mix half a cup of water melon that has been forced through a sieve with a teaspoon of finely chopped and crushed almonds. Add a quarter of a cup of plain, non-pasturized yoghurt. Rub into your feet. Leave for a while and then wash off with cool water and pat dry.

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Beauty in Your Kitchen

Why spend a whole lot of money in beauty salons when you have your very own beauty recipes up on your kitchen shelf?

Turmeric

For ages now, turmeric has been considered as one of the best natural beauty recipes. It can be used as a wonderful base for face scrubs or masks and brings about a natural glow to your skin. If you are looking for a cure for pigmentation, turmeric can be your best solution. By mixing turmeric with cucumber or lemon you have a ready cure for pigmentation.

Cucumber

The freshness of cucumber is something that only few of us can resist. Cucumber is particularly good for your skin during the hot and dry season. Besides the many health benefits of this wonderful fruit, it can also be used for home beauty treatments. Cucumber can also be used to relieve the eyes from exhaustion. When your eyes look tired and puffy, place a slice of cucumber in each of the eyes and rest for 10-15 minutes. Your eyes will feel refreshed and your face will glow. Face masks and scrubs made out of cucumber also help in making your skin smooth and supple.

Papaya

For healthy, youthful looking skin, there are few fruits that can work more magically than papaya. This miracle fruit cleanses your body internally and the result is smooth glowing skin. Always make it a habit to include papaya in your everyday diet for good health and flawless skin. Papaya pulp and peel can be gently rubbed over your skin to remove dead skin, lighten the complexion and freckles. Papaya also works as an excellent sunscreen that protects your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt can be used both internally and externally to rejuvenate your skin and free it from blemishes, sunburn, and other skin ailments. Yoghurt is also great on your teeth and gums, which means a beautiful, glowing smile on your lips. More and more women around the world are realizing the enormous potential of yoghurt as a natural beauty booster. The enzymes and lactic acid present in yoghurt help your skin to obtain a smooth and glowing texture. Whether you apply yoghurt directly on your skin or consume it internally, you benefit from its cleansing properties. When combines with honey and lemon juice, yoghurt makes an excellent mask for moisturizing the skin.

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Homemade Honey Beauty Recipes

Honey is a natural "humectant" which means it attracts and retains moisture. Honey has the natural ability to attract and retain moisture Honey can be a great beauty product, especially when used for a facial mask. Stir 1 teaspoon honey into 4 cups (1 quart) warm water. Blondes may wish to add a squeeze of lemon. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair. Facial Toner-In blender, puree 1 Tablespoon honey with a peeled, cored apple. Smooth over face; leave on 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. Moisture Mask -Mix 2 Tablespoons honey with 2 teaspoons milk. Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Smoothing Skin Lotion-Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub into hands, elbows, heels and anywhere that feels dry. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with water.

Honey's natural antioxidant properties help to protect the skin from the damage of the sun's rays and also help support the skin's ability to rejuvenate should damage occur. Honey Cleansing Scrub-Mix 1 Tablespoon of honey with 2 Tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water. Firming Face Mask-Whisk together 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores) and enough flour to form a paste (approximately 1/4 cup). Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Hair Conditioner-Mix 1/2 cup honey and 1/4 cup olive oil. (Use 2 Tablespoons oil for normal hair.) Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal. Milk and Honey Cleanser to refresh depleted skin and leave it feeling silky smooth.

Types of Homemade Honey Beauty Recipes

1. Honey Cleansing Scrub-Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water.

2. Firming Face Mask-Whisk together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon glycerin and enough flour to form a paste (approximately 1/4 cup).

3. Hair Conditioner-Mix 1/2 cup honey and 1/4 cup olive oil. (Use 2 tablespoons oil for normal hair.) Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. Remove shower cap and use shampoo.

4. Facial Tonerp-In blender, puree 1 tablespoon honey with a peeled, cored apple. Smooth over face; leave on 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

5. Moisture Mask-Mix 2 tablespoons honey with 2 teaspoons milk. Smooth over face and throat. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

6. Smoothing Skin Lotion-Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub into hands, elbows, heels and anywhere that feels dry. Leave on 10 minutes. Rinse off with water.

7. Skin Softening Bath-Add 1/4 cup honey to bath water for a fragrant, silky bath.

8. Hair Shine-Stir 1 teaspoon honey into 4 cups (1 quart) warm water. Blondes may wish to add a squeeze of lemon. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair.

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Natural Beauty Recipes - Pamper Yourself From Head to Toe Naturally

The best natural beauty recipes are those that contain only the very best natural ingredients which deliver the most benefits to your skin. The only way to guarantee your beauty products contain 100% natural ingredients is to make them yourself and there are many natural beauty recipes you can make at home.

You do not have to pay inflated commercial prices to nourish and pamper your skin. In fact, quite often natural solutions are a lot healthier and far more effective than the chemical-laden beauty products you find on sale in the high street.

Try these simple homemade natural beauty recipes for your face, hair, body, hands and feet:

Natural Beauty Recipes 1 - Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask (Exfoliate and Nourish Your Face)

This papaya enzyme facial mask is one of the more popular natural beauty recipes.

You will need the following ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed papaya, 1 whipped egg white, and 1 teaspoon of honey. For additional cooling or if you have sensitive skin, add a tablespoon of plain yogurt to your mixture.

Method:

Mix all of your ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure you wash your face before applying the facial mask mixture. Leave the mask on your face for approximately five to eight minutes; this will give the papaya enzymes time to exfoliate your skin.

Rinse off with warm water first, then with cooler water, patting dry when done.

Natural Beauty Recipes 2 - Herbal Vinegar Rinse For Your Hair (For Gorgeous Hair)

This herbal vinegar rinse will restore your hair's natural pH balance, clean off built up dirt and hair products, and reduce oil in oily hair.

You will need the following ingredients:

2 sprigs of rosemary, 2 sprigs of lavender, and 2 cups of water. One or two tablespoons of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

Method:

Place the 2 sprigs of rosemary and the 2 sprigs of lavender in 2 cups of water in a clear glass jar. Let the jar sit out in the sun to steep for between two and four hours, then remove the herbs. Add one or two tablespoons of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to your water solution, then use the same way you would use shampoo.

Natural Beauty Recipes 3 - Herbal Bath Salts (Invigorate and Pamper Your Body)

Herbal bath salts are another of the top natural beauty recipes you can make yourself at home. All you need is a cup of sea salt and a handful of whatever herbs you have on hand, such as lavender, rosemary, spearmint, or peppermint.

Method:

Grind the herbs with a coffee grinder until they become a fine powder. Mix with the sea salt and add to your next bath for a relaxing change of pace.

Natural Beauty Recipes 4 - Refreshing Flower-Based Foot Soak (Refresh Your Feet)

You can make various natural beauty recipes similar to this refreshing flower-based foot soak.

For this one, you again need sea salt, along with some fresh sliced citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, oranges, etc.) and a handful of flower petals picked fresh from your garden.

Method:

Fill a small basin with lukewarm water and add the salt, flower petals, and fruit slices. Soak your feet in the mixture for ten minutes, then rinse and pat dry with a soft towel.

Natural Beauty Recipes 5 - Strawberry Manicure Mask (For Soft Smooth Hands)

This strawberry manicure mask is a great way to pamper your hands naturally.

Ingredients:

3-5 ripe strawberries, one tablespoon of sugar and light oil of your choice.

Method:

Mash 3-5 ripe strawberries, drain off the juice, and combine with one tablespoon of sugar and a little bit of the light oil of your choice. Apply the resulting mixture to your hands by using a circular motion.

This will condition and exfoliate the skin, leaving it soft and smooth.

Natural Beauty Recipes 6 - Watermelon Pedicure Polish (For Beautiful Feet)

During watermelon season, this pedicure polish is good for your feet and gives your home a nice aroma of summer.

Combine 1/2 cup of mashed and strained watermelon with one tablespoon finely crushed almonds and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt.

Method:

Apply the mixture by working it in with your hands in a circular motion. Use a tissue to remove, then rinse and pat dry to enjoy the effects.

Do not make larger quantities than you can use. If you do make more than you need, store the excess in a refrigerator and use within 48 hours, because there are no preservatives in these homemade natural beauty recipes

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Home Beauty Recipes - Pampering Yourself Made Easy

Being beautiful is one of the most coveted traits of women. There is nothing wrong with being beautiful as beauty is one of the assets of women. They spend so much time and money to be physically beautiful or to maintain their beauty. Admittedly, to maintain our beauty or to look beautiful, we need help from beauty products and treatments. But not all can afford such treatments. There are other ways however to maintain your beauty without undergoing such expensive treatments. You can even do it at home and at your own time using inexpensive ingredients. So here are some beauty recipes you can do at home:

Hair Beauty Products

1. For a homemade hair conditioner, get one egg yolk and beat it, mix it with a cup of plain yogurt. Before washing your hair, rub this mixture and leave on for 30-45 minutes. Rinse it well and wash your hair. And yes, this conditioner is applied first before washing the hair.

2. For a homemade hairspray, get a lemon and slice it into quarters. Pour 2 cups of water in a pot and drop the sliced lemon. Bring it to boil and keep it in boiling point until the amount of water is half than the original amount. Once cooled, strain it and keep it in a spray bottle. Refrigerate this mixture to keep for a long time and if this mixture becomes too sticky, just add a little water.

3. To give brown hair more glow, use coffee. After brewing a cup of coffee, let cool and strain it. Rub it in your hair and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse well after.

Facial Masks

1. This facial mask is good for all skin types. For a citrus face mask, mix 2 tablespoons of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of honey. Combine them with ½ teaspoon of sage and 1 tablespoon of apple puree. Mix well and heat in the microwave for a minute or 2 or just enough to warm the mixture. Apply on your face and leave on for 20 minutes. Use a warm washcloth to clean your face.

2. For oily skin, prepare this cucumber facial mask. Blend 1 egg white, ½ cucumber, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of apple mint. Refrigerate the mixture for about 10 minutes and apply it to a clean face. Leave it on for 20-25 minutes and rinse it with a warm washcloth then followed by a splash of cold water to close the pores.

Teeth Whitening Products

1. Lemon juice and salt mixture work well in removing yellowish tint on the teeth. Just make a paste using 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt and rub it on the teeth.

2. The inner white part of the orange skin will give your teeth a great white shine when rubbed with it.

Being beautiful is not hard. You just have to be more resourceful and you will be surprised that most kitchen ingredients are used to beautify one's self.   

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How to Read the Nutrition Facts Label

Part of maintaining a healthy diet is to really understand what you are eating. To do that, you need to understand how to read and comprehend the nutrition facts on all of the cans, boxes, wraps, and other packaging your food comes in. As a college student, this most likely comprises 95% of the food you buy. The following information is to be used to make informed decisions and healthy choices when choosing the food to buy/eat.

We will start from the top and make our way down. The first bit of information we see is the number of servings in the package and the number of servings per container. For a box of mac and cheese, the serving size is 1 cup and the servings per container are 2. This means that for each nutrient value below it, it is referring to the one cup serving size. If we wanted to know how much of something was in the whole package we would have to multiply it by two because there are 2 servings in the entire package. Be sure to keep this in mind as you read the rest of the nutrition facts and apply them to how much you plan on actually eating.

This can be tricky sometimes, especially with junk food like potato chips or cookies. The nutrition facts will give you a certain number of calories which might not seem too bad but when you look at the serving size, it could be close to four chips or a couple cookies. This means you'd have to multiply the calories by the number of servings you've eaten which can add up quickly because people rarely open a bag of chips just to eat four.

The calories listed determine the amount of energy you will get from eating one serving of that particular food. Be conscious of the statistic next to it: "calories from fat." This will tell you how many of the total calories in each serving come from fat alone. It is ideal to keep this number low; as seen in the example, almost half of all the calories per serving are from fat.

The nutrients in beige are the values you want to limit in your diet. These are the nutrients that college kids generally eat too much of. They can lead to sickness and other diseases such as heart disease or high blood pressure later in life. When buying foods that are processed or have long shelf lives such as macaroni and cheese, be aware of the levels of sodium in the package. Eating this whole package would constitute almost half of your recommended amount of sodium intake for the day. High sodium levels will become much more of a concern when you are older but better to practice good habits at a younger age.

The nutrients in blue are the nutrients that you want to be sure you get enough of. These are often the nutrients that college kids lack in their diet. These nutrients such as vitamin A and C, calcium, and iron are vital to improving ones health and reducing the risk of the diseases mentioned above. Calcium for example helps with bone strength which is often a concern as you grow older. The calcium content in this box of mac and cheese constitutes almost half of the daily recommended value, likely due to the level of cheesiness.

The percent daily value (%DV) is often the part of the nutrition facts that people find most difficult to comprehend. The %DV is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, a standard set by the FDA. Whether that is an accurate figure as to how many calories you actually consume a day, the %DV can still be a reliable reference as to the daily value of a certain nutrient. It is calculated based on the number of grams of each nutrient present in the package. For the nutrients in beige, it is acceptable to fall below 100%DV in a day. For those nutrients in blue, it is ideal to average 100%DV each day. Be mindful that this too is affected by the number of servings in a package. The %DV doubles if you were to eat this whole box of mac and cheese.

As a general rule of thumb, 5%DV is considered very low and 20%DV is considered very high for any nutrient. As you can see with the %DV of total fat in the package, 18%DV falls just below the 20% limit. If you ate the whole box, however, that %DV jumps to 36%. That's a high percentage of your total daily fat intake, leaving you only 64% left for the rest of the food or drink you ingest for the rest of the day.

You will notice that neither sugars nor protein have a %DV. No recommendations have been made for ideal levels of sugar. The amount listed includes many of the naturally occurring sugars on food but can get tricky when discussing the level of sugar added to certain foods. Consult the ingredients list to know for sure. Protein currently has no scientific evidence that it poses concern for public health. The only time a %DV is listed for protein is when the producer of the food makes a claim to be "high in protein" or the food is meant for children under the age of 4. Otherwise, none is needed.

Finally, the white box (or footnote) at the bottom of the nutrition facts label is not specific to the product. The statement after the (*) is required to be present on all food labels. The information underneath that may not always appear due to available space on a package. These are daily values relevant to all Americans and simply state recommended amounts of each nutrients based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet.           

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What's So Great About Feta Cheese?

Cheese.  Just a mere mention of the word and one would think of sumptuous appetizers or meals served with them.  Cheese, when served with wine, depicts impeccable taste and class.  Here is but one of the many varieties of cheeses: Meet the Feta Cheese.

Feta (from the Italian word 'fetta' meaning 'slice') is actually cheese curd in brine solution.  It takes at least three months to make feta.  When it is removed from the solution, this type of cheese dries up immediately.  Milk from goats, sheep or cow can be used to make this.

The color of Feta cheese is white.   It is usually formed into four-sided cakes that can either be soft or semi-hard. Its salty flavor can be adjusted to suit the taste of the maker.

Traditionally, in Greece, feta cheese is made with just goat's milk or a combination of goat's and sheep's milk. They are first salted as a slab, then sliced, then salted once more before it is subjected to maturation process.

Other countries that make feta cheese include: Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, Iran, Australia, Denmark, Germany and many other countries.  Although feta is called differently in each country, the process of manufacturing it is the same.

The first historic record of feta cheese was during the Byzantine time.  One Italian who visited Candia (in 1494) made a vivid description of the brine solution used in making feta cheese.  Additional records are those of Balkan peasants who made it either with sheep's or goat's milk.

Nowadays, cow's milk can be used to make feta cheese.  The processes involved are: curdling of the milk with rennet, separation and draining of the curd, putting salt on the blocks of curd, slicing the slabs which are then salted once more.

Feta is usually used in making salads and is much tastier when combined with tomatoes, olives and green vegetables.  One can store feta cheese indefinitely because of the salt solution.  A wise tip: if you want to reduce the saltiness of the cheese, soak feta first in milk or water (just for a few minutes) before eating.

Now here is some important nutritional information:  it contains 30-60% fat of which 45% is fat from milk. The caloric content is 100 calories per small slice.  Whether that's good or bad for you is a question you need to ask your nutritionist.

There were actually some studies that were done to lower the salinity of feta cheese and how this has significantly improved its nutritional value.  The conclusion was, it has good and bad points.  The good: it is a superior source of riboflavin, protein, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B12.  The bad: it has a high cholesterol and sodium content.  It comes with high saturated fat.

Another downside to eating feta cheese: pregnancy would not allow feta cheese consumption.  Since feta is made from unpasteurized milk and comes in soft, it may contain a type of bacteria called Listeria.  Although Listeria registers symptoms like that of the common flu and can be tolerated by adults, it is highly fatal to fetuses.

Could you take another bad news?  It is very difficult to get the real thing in the country.  Since it is highly consumable in Greece and because of the restriction on importing products made with unpasteurized milk, Americans can have a taste of feta through commercial counterparts.  Although the commercial feta cheeses are inferior in most aspects, at least they are the closest we could get to feta taste.  If you are looking for the 'original' cheese, then be prepared to pay exorbitant fees!

Enough with the bad.  There are more good to this type of cheese than the occasional bad.  Feta cheese is used in a lot of sumptuous recipes which stimulate the taste buds and it is highly-incorporated in most Greek meals.  Here are a few recipes that you could research online:

1.  Chunky guacamole (or Guacamole Picado)

2.  Goat Cheese Patties

3.  Feta and Ricotta Cheese Fondue

4.  Greek Scramble

5.  Lamb and Olive Balls

6.  Lemony Artichokes with Feta and Oregano

7.  Lobster bundles

8.  Mediterranean Feta Cheese Dip

9.  Leg of Lamb Stuffed with Roasted Garlic, Feta and Basil Leaves

10.  Spinach Triangles (Spanakopita)

Aren't the recipes enough to convince you that there is more good to feta cheese than bad?  If you're not convinced and would want to decline a nice meal with feta in it, then believe me, you're definitely missing one half of your life!   

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Are Hard Cheeses Better for You Than Soft Cheeses?

When it comes to cheese, there are generally two different classifications. There are hard cheeses and there are soft cheeses. If these cheeses are better for you really depends on the nutritional value of the cheese. But, is it possible that one classification is better than the other? Let's take a look at some of the hard cheeses and compare them to some of the soft cheeses and see which one comes out on top.

Kinds of Hard and Soft Cheeses

To understand if one is better for you than the other, you first have to know what the different types are. Hard cheeses are generally known as your grating cheeses, when it comes to the hard variety, they are ones like parmesan, Romano, Pecorino, and some of the aged Goudas. For soft cheeses, you are looking at types like cheddar, mozzarella, blue cheese, provolone, and Swiss, which are generally cut by a knife instead of having to be grated up to use.

Nutritional Value of Hard Cheeses

When it comes to hard cheese, we also need to know what is in them. The hard cheeses like parmesan and pecorino they are generally very high in saturated fats and very high in sodium. They also tend to be higher in total fat than most of the softer variety. With the hard cheeses, because they have to be cooked more and more, they use whole milk and are more dense, which means that there is more in a little bit of that type than there is in a large block of the softer cheeses. Think about a cheesecake and how dense it is, and remember the nutritional information of it.

Nutritional Information for Soft Cheese

Sure, soft cheeses aren't the best for us either, but when it comes to eating them, they have a little less of the bad stuff. While they are still fairly high in sodium, they aren't quite as high in fat. This is for a few reasons, the density as discussed before and the fact that some of these cheeses like mozzarella can be made with skim milk and don't always have to use whole milk.

In conclusion, the soft cheeses nutritionally are the better ones for you, they are going to have a smaller amount of saturated fat and they are going to have a smaller amount of total fat in them. While everything should be eaten in moderation, they are the better decision.

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What Are Some Nutritional Facts on Cheddar Cheese?

Have you ever wondered what exactly cheddar cheese does to your body? Well, if you turn the package over, you can check it out in that little black and white block labeled "Nutritional Facts".

Calories

Let's check out what exactly is in cheddar. For the sake of consistency, we will use 1 cup or about 132 grams as the constant amount. In one cup of cheddar, there are 532 calories. If you look farther, you will see that 385 of these calories are calories from fat. That is well over half of the calories, and they are from fat.

Fat

For every 8 ounces of cheddar cheese, there are about 44 grams of fat. That is over 1.5 ounces of fat. Out of these 44 grams of fat, 28 grams are saturated fat. That is an ounce of saturated fat per cup of cheddar cheese.

Cholesterol

Since America has a very high rate of obesity and heart disease compared to other countries, many have started watching their health. One of the main concerns is cholesterol since too much of it is never good for you. There are 139 milligrams of cholesterol in 8 ounces of cheddar, which is about 46% of your recommended daily value of cholesterol.

Sodium

Another recent concern among Americans is sodium. Everyone should watch their sodium intake, since too much of it can lead to high blood pressure. When you look at a cup of cheddar cheese, you will find about 820 milligrams of sodium. 820 milligrams is about 34% of your daily recommended value of sodium.

Carbohydrates

The average cup of cheddar also has around 2 grams of carbohydrates, one gram of sugar, and absolutely no dietary fiber. There are however 33 grams of protein in a cup of cheddar. We need protein to keep us going and get us through the day. We would not be able to survive without it.

Vitamins and Minerals

Now, let's explore vitamins and minerals. A cup of cheddar cheese has 26% of your recommended daily value of Vitamin A and 5% of your recommended daily value of Iron. It doesn't have any Vitamin C. But, on the bright side, 8 ounces of cheddar gives you 95% of your daily recommended value of Calcium. We could all use some more calcium. It helps us keep our bones and teeth stronger as we age. We need calcium to survive. So, don't skimp on the cheddar

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Nutrition Facts About Chicken Breast

Losing weight, or even just trying to eat healthier, is a very challenging thing to do, but it can be easier if you understand what is in the foods you eat every day, so that you can make good choices in your diet. One thing that many people do not think about, is adding extra protein to your diet. Not only will protein help build muscles, it also helps you to feel fuller longer. Chicken breast can be a great source of protein and a wonderful addition to many diets.

Chicken breast is very easy to adapt and use in many different recipes, so you will not easily tire of eating it like you would some foods. Compared to many other meats, like steak or pork, chicken breast is much lower in fat and calories. The best way to insure that you are enjoying chicken and not hurting your diet is by preparing it with the skin removed. Removing the skin will drastically reduce the fat content and somewhat lower the calorie content. The flavor is not harmed by removing the skin, as long as the chicken is carefully prepared. Serving it grilled, baked or roasted will also make it much healthier than serving it fried or seared.

A skinless, grilled chicken breast has around 225 calories per eight ounce serving. This serving size can be cut down if you were serving it on a salad or in a dish, making it even more diet-friendly. The fat content in this size serving is around 5 grams, but this is mostly unsaturated fat which is the healthiest type of fat. Chicken is low in sodium, but you must be careful when preparing it not to overload it with salty sauces or spices. In addition to being a good source of protein, chicken breast is also a great source of niacin, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin b 6.

As you can see, chicken breast can be an important food for those who are dieting or simply trying to eat healthier. Simply, take care when choosing how it is prepared and it will help you to reach your nutritional goals.           

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