Talk of La Arepa, is to talk about Venezuela ...

Talk of La Arepa, is to talk about Venezuela ...

The arepa is gastronomic expression of Venezuelan habits, generally present in our breakfasts, dinners and lunches to chaperone. As we described a food company arepa ... it is the bread of all Venezuelans.Traditionally the arepa is the result of a dough made of cooked and ground corn, however, we must be innovative and creative, so now you can make arepas with other foods, eg cassava, oats, sweet potatoes, zucchini. On this occasion I would like to share with you some recipes. These mixtures vary the caloric contribution of our traditional arepas, incorporating more fiber and reducing the glycemic index of the preparation. These masses can be used for preparation of appetizer and various snacks, balls, dumplings, buns and small arepitas.Batata (ideal for people who have insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia)the tuber is washed well, it gets to boil, when you can easily puncture it with a knife this list, proceed to crush with a fork or pass puree until smooth consistency, you can add a little water, salt and want to have more oatmeal consistency. It is very rich if stuffed with grated cheese by the combination of flavors that contrast with the sweetness of sweet potatoes.
  Yuca (also known as cassava or tapioca), excellent source of energy rich in fiber that gives satiety and therefore helps to reduce appetite. It is widely used by people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.The process consists of making cassava flour, for which we must peel cassava, eliminate internal thread, chop into small pieces and put into blender or food mill to pulverize. Others use the technique mentioned with sweet potato, ie, parboil, puree mixed with water, corn starch (potato starch) add salt, knead and ready to budare.Green bananaIn this case, peel and chop the banana, takes it to a boil for 5 minutes, then place in the oven at low temperature for 20 to 30 minutes (this with the intention of dehydrate), then processed in blender or assistant kitchen and banana flour is obtained, once obtained this powder can be stored or used immediately to amass traditional arepasOats, bran, flaxseed and seeds (sunflower, sesame, nuts such as walnuts or almonds)These foods are mixed to form a dough by adding water are an excellent source of omega-3 rich in fiber and ideal for lowering cholesterol and fight constipationZucchini, spinach or chardThis time we get a green arepas, this is a very good strategy to incorporate vegetables in the diet of children in the house, if zucchini is grated and in the case of spinach or chard, indeed the latter rich calcium, will bring to a boil, drain. Finally add the vegetables mixed with a little salt and can use oatmeal or cornmeal or banana or cassava flour to knead and have the consistency necessaryPumpkin or carrot (rich in vitamin A), it is also an opportunity to incorporate vegetables into the daily dietCooked in the oven or parboiled, then crushed and add cornstarch to thicken a touch of salt and some people to give more consistency add an egg (the latter is optional) and needs fleshing out the dough can incorporate oats.Beets (ideal in case of anemia and lower blood pressure and fight inflammation)Arepas get some nice purple to pink, it is suggested cooking although it can be grated raw, I suggest boil until al dente, then finely grate and mix with cornmeal, oatmeal, almond, coconut or rice.
With these recipes requires a little more time to prepare these versions of traditional arepas, but well worth rehearsing shame as we can to increase the nutritional value to our traditional arepas, is also an excellent idea to introduce as I said before the vegetables in the diet of the smallest of the house.

Discover how change can affect you hours

Discover how change can affect you hours       In nature there are cycles that govern different phenomena. Man, does not escape this influence and for years the action of three cycles biorrítmicos note: physical with 23 days 28 days emotional and intellectual to 33 days. Schedule changes just affect our biorhythms.When you sleep less than what the body needs or there are changes in time zone, predisposes us to have a series of drastic changes in our biorhythms do we have a series of adjustment that may affect our overall performance when running different daily actions. Therefore we do a review of all the effects this change may have.Sleeping less than 6 hours or so may reflect how more daylight hours, that delay our lifestyle, waking up earlier used more hours daily activities making the time going to bed also slow down. This involves what is sleep fewer hours, when the sun rises earlier, the body tends to wake up before too.The body is more active, have these extra hours of sunshine it does is that our bodies stay active longer, so that we have less desire to go to bed and also we delay the timing of meals, suffering a significant imbalance in customs . We fell behind dinner, a meal we should do at least two hours before going to bed. This will also influence the quality of sleep.For all this is that those who sleep poorly have their slower metabolism and tend to be overweight, they are also more irritable or even hormonal changes and mood.Have you ever wondered how we can do to avoid sleep badly with the hour, usually when we are traveling in a few days 3 or 4 we adapt meantime we feel exhausted, tired and even inflamed; therefore to avoid this we must take a series of measures to make the time change does not affect us greatly.First of all it is necessary to normalize life and adapt to the new schedule. But to rest much better faster we can have dinner at a good time to go to sleep with digestion made. In addition, it is advisable not to eat exciting drinks with caffeine or proteins that we can disrupt sleep and make sleep more we delay.Sport to better adapt to the time change, as always, the sport is a perfect ally to reconcile better sleep and better meet generally as we adjust to the new time. Yes, it is advisable not to practice sporting activity before bed, because although there are more daylight hours can not be running at 21:00 if we go to bed at 23:30, because we will be much more agitated, then we activate the metabolism, and we will be even more difficult to fall asleep. It sport at an earlier time will help us sleep better at night and rest better.The ideal is to find the tools to sleep and this is refreshing, try to avoid using cell one hour before bedtime, avoid watching the news at the end of the night, if you have pending activities have on hand in the nightstand a notebook with a pencil to write down all the things pending, so do not torment your brain before sleep.You can shop with hot water bath, a massage or apply aromatherapy to relax and traditionally a glass of warm milk has also given good results.

Alkaline Diet: A fad or a healthy lifestyle

Alkaline Diet: A fad or a healthy lifestyle
 

    We know that the health of our body depends on how we eat, this is confirmed by the phrase "we are what we eat". Therefore, a poor diet could be reflected in some kind of disease or illness, while a balanced and balanced diet will protect us from suffering diseases. And in this same premise alkaline diet is based since certain scientific studies confirm that cardiovascular disease, lung, kidney, brain and even cancer, are more likely to develop in a body with a high percentage of acidity in a body more alkaline type.
The pH of our body, is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. 0 to 7 an acidic body would be considered while 7 to 14 would be alkaline. The pH of our may vary depending on our diet since during the process of digestion enzymes and metabolic pathways that changes the pH of the blood are activated.
To find the balance, alkaline diet advocates a diet based on fruits and vegetables, reducing the consumption of red meat, pork, poultry and dairy; while fats, fast foods, industrial products, those with high sugar content and flour are excluded from this diet.
With this type of healthier eating, we will, first, detoxify our body. And we will do it through the urine. This will be more fluid and alkaline, which will favor the elimination of toxins while suffering protect us from any kidney infection. And secondly, since we have left out of our diet those greasy products, our weight decrease.
You can lose weight with the alkaline diet?
The alkaline diet pays special attention to the foods we eat. Not from the point of view of whether they make us fat or thin, but from the perspective of how they affect our health. This type of diet advocates the intake of alkaline foods (vegetables) versus acid (sugars and starches) type, since according to advocates of this eating method, consumption of alkaline foods and immediate effect on the pH of our body (acidity level thereof), protect us from certain diseases.
Of course if we avoid the chips, sweets, chocolate and ice cream we lose weight. If we change our habits and adopt a style of life more alkaline by increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are also low calorie intake, we will finally win the balance.
In short, if the pH of 0-7 means it has a high percentage of acidity. And those values ​​in our body is a magnet for diseases, we must avoid it, ideally find the balance between acidity and alkalinity.
If you wonder which are alkaline foods, we know that fruits and vegetables but then we show what alkaline foods are to create fantastic recipes: beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery or celery Spain, peas, red pepper, cucumber , eggplant, zucchini, garlic, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress, mushrooms, turnip, onion, pumpkin, radishes, tomatoes, sprouts soy, asparagus, cabbage, apples, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, mango, papaya, passion fruit, coconut , Grapes, Grapefruit, Melon, Watermelon, Lemon, Mandarin, Peach, Pineapple, Pear, Plum, Pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, etc.) and nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts, raisins, dates, walnuts ), spices (ginger, cinnamon, curry, parsley) and apple vinegarWith this list we can get an idea of ​​what foods that favor and make healthier life and maybe that is why they are fashionable detox smoothie or water with lemon fasting.

The Zika virus.

The Zika virus.
    Zika infection transmitted virus the mosquitoes of the genus Aedes' in tropical areas of Africa, Asia and America. Often it goes unnoticed and, when symptoms are mild and resolve without sequelae.
What is it and how the Zika virus spread?
The Zika virus, also known by the acronym ZIKV is a flavivirus family of Flaviviridae which is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. Since the 50 cases have been reported in tropical Africa, but since 2007 has been extended to the Pacific, Southeast Asia and, since 2015, to Brazil.To date not been reported any case in Europe, although it is possible that some traveler who has visited the affected areas have suffered from the infection without being diagnosed.Only 20-25% of those infected with the virus have symptoms that are mild (not very high fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, rash) and disappear on their own.It is with general measures similar to those used in the treatment of a common cold: rest, paracetamol, and many liquids. It has not been described to date no mortal by Zika virus case.It can prevent infection by Zika virus taking the usual precautions against mosquito bites when traveling to areas with presence described of transmission: mosquito repellent, mosquito nets and wear clothes with long sleeves and long pants.

How the infection is transmitted by the Zika virus?
The Zika virus was first found in 1947 in Africa, Zika forest in Uganda, in a population of macaques, and was first isolated in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania. Outbreaks have been reported Zika especially in tropical areas of Africa. In 2007 the first cases outside Africa in the Yap state of Micronesia.Later, there were more outbreaks between 2013 and 2014 in the Pacific Islands, and in May 2015 began to appear cases in tropical areas of Brazil, after which has spread to many countries of Latin America and Central. WHO forecast is spread throughout the Americas except Canada and Chile. In addition, there are cases in European countries travelers Zika virus infection.The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes genus, so also included within the Arbovirus, which generally includes all viruses transmitted by arthropods (insects, arachnids ... is an acronym for arthropod-borne viruses) .Guests include monkeys and humans. When the infected mosquito bites a person, the virus first infects cells (specifically, dendritic) near the site of inoculation; then it spreads to the lymph nodes and blood. The virus replicates in cells in the cytoplasm, but have also been found virus components within the nucleus of cells.Typically, the virus is maintained in a sylvan cycle affecting nonhuman primates and different types of Aedes mosquitoes, both forest areas and residential areas. In Asia the main transmission vector is Aedes aegypti. Other types of carriers Aedes mosquitoes and virus transmitters are Aedes albopictus hensilii or Aedes.In Europe there are populations of Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) and Aedes aegypti (although in very limited areas of the Black and Madeira Sea), so hypothetically could possibly have imported cases of infected Zika virus, which could be bitten by European local mosquitoes in summer period, and that they could transmit the disease. However, so far there have been no reported cases of Zika virus disease in Europe -except as we say, imported- cases.In addition to transmission through the bite of mosquitoes in tropical areas with the virus, transplacental or perinatal transmission during delivery could result if the mother is infected and the virus is present in the blood at that time.The transmission of infection through blood transfusions could be theoretically possible. In Zika outbreak that occurred in French Polynesia between November 2013 and February 2014 Zika virus was found in the blood of 3% of the donors tested, even when asymptomatic.Finally, in 2011 a possible case of sexual transmission of the virus Zika described. In another patient it came to isolate the virus in semen as two weeks after recovering from the symptoms of the infection. In the current outbreak in South America there are also some cases more than probable sexual transmission.The last three possible modes of transmission are very rare. Typically, the infection is acquired by the bite of an infected mosquito in some tropical areas of Africa, Asia, Pacific and Brazil.


These are the symptoms of Zika virus infection.
Only one out of four or five people infected with the virus Zika Zika develops the disease. That is, 75-80% of those infected do not become aware of infection to not develop symptoms.In cases where the disease develops, this appears after an incubation period of between 3 and 12 days. Symptoms are usually mild and short duration, between 2 and 7 days. Often you not get to know the etiologic diagnosis, or considered as dengue or chikungunya.The symptom of infection is most common Zika fever virus, which does not become very high, usually below 38.5 ° C, and can be accompanied by joint pain with mild inflammation of joints, especially of the hands and feet. You may see a maculopapular eruption, ie, red spots that may be slightly on high, and they do not bite. The rash usually begins on the face and then spread to the rest of the body.Another common symptom in patients affected is the red eye, or conjunctivitis in both eyes, but without the presence of pus. Some infected have vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Additionally, general symptoms as muscle pain, general fatigue and headache are described, sometimes behind the eyes.
These are the complications of Zika virus microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Zika outbreak in French Polynesia cases of autoimmune neurological symptoms were described after spending illness compatible with Zika virus.Specifically, several people from Guillain-Barre syndrome (a neurological autoimmune type of disorder in which muscle weakness that can last for many months but with proper treatment usually recover in almost every case appears) were diagnosed.In the current outbreak of Zika in Brazil have been described new cases of neurological and autoimmune complications, but the fact that most cases are asymptomatic difficult to perform a real estimate of the risk, which in any case appears to remain low . Most worrisome is that there is an alarming increase in cases of microcephaly in newborns in northeastern Brazil and some other American region, which has been linked to pregnant women who have passed the infection during pregnancy. In some countries of the American continent it is even recommending that women living in areas with circulation Zika not become pregnant yet. In addition, it should assess the risk of pregnant travelers to areas with Zika circulation.Despite what has been said, it is still rare for the disease by the Zika virus requiring hospitalization for their severity. Only following the last outbreak described a case of death possibly caused by Zika, especially in babies born with microcephaly. Anyway, being an evolving epidemic, their characteristics may be changing over time. Therefore, all national and supranational health organizations have extreme their epidemiological surveillance measures.


This is the diagnosis of infection Zika virus.
Most cases of Zika virus infection are asymptomatic, so not come to diagnose. In cases where symptoms occur, they are nonspecific and may be confused with dengue or chikungunya, diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes also in the same areas where the Zika virus is transmitted.Virus diagnosis can be performed by PCR detection of genetic material (RNA) virus during the viremic, ie, when the virus in blood. These occur in the first 3-5 days of symptomatic period of the disease. You can also test for the presence of genetic material of the virus in saliva or urine, where it can remain for more days, even after the resolution of symptoms.You can also detect antibodies to Zika virus in blood, from the 5th or 6th day of symptomatic disease. However, these antibodies may give a false positive people who have gone another flavivirus infection as dengue. On the other hand, there are to date commercial kits for routine diagnostic use Zika virus.In any case, the diagnosis of Zika virus has more epidemiological and description of its geographical distribution for the treatment of a particular patient, since in addition obtained results take 4-14 days interest. In addition, these tests are performed only in specialized reference.Treatment and prevention of infection Zika virus.
There is no specific treatment for Zika virus infection. Treatment is symptomatic. relative rest is recommended according to the general condition of the patient, and it is advisable to drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages to prevent dehydration from fever. You can take acetaminophen to relieve pain and fever. It would be desirable to avoid aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to have ruled out the possibility that the case of dengue, to avoid a possible risk of bleeding in that case.
Prevention of infection Zika virus.
There is no vaccine at present to prevent infection Zika virus. The most effective way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites. Because the virus is transmitted in areas with presence of other mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria or dengue, protective measures against mosquito bites possible to prevent many tropical diseases transmitted by this route.To avoid mosquito bites the following measures are recommended:Use mosquito repellents. Keep in mind that mosquitoes that transmit virus Zika bite during the day or evening, so you have to use repellent constantly.If sunscreen is used, apply first guard and then the repellent.There clothes already prepared with permethrin treatment, or can be treated clothes themselves. There are mosquitoes that bite through clothing, although with more difficulty than on bare skin, so it is advisable to wear long sleeves and legs to optimize protection against mosquitoes if time permits.the use of mosquito nets on doors and windows is recommended, and sleep in a bed that is also available mosquito net.It is convenient not to have fresh water in pots or similar on the inside to avoid attracting mosquitoes.If a person is infected by the virus Zika, it is advisable to protect against mosquito bites to prevent transmit it to others.It is convenient to use condoms for 28 days if it becomes zone Zika if they have not had symptoms, and up to 6 months if they have symptoms and confirmed infection in a laboratory test, and prevent transmission through saliva ( intimate) kissing.

Agreements and Disagreements Nutrition

      Agreements and Disagreements Nutrition

       

    It occurred to me to write this article because it almost daily my patients have my doubts or questions, yes I can eat this, if you do not know who told me that no, I read online that this or that. We know that the world of nutrition passionate about many, there are many people in the area and prepared other than by trial and error have been some changes and sometimes make it look like scholars in the area of ​​nutrition, this results in that there are different views on a topic. Examples of these differences are associated for example dairy consumption, egg consumption and cholesterol levels, among others; but there are also agreements and unification in relation to consumption of fruit, fiber, etc.
In this situation, my suggestion is documented. Within the scientific community there can be different criteria and interpretation of scientific findings, this occurs mainly along the line of research of each professional. We are the nutritionist, nutritionists and other specialists in the area of ​​health responsible for disseminating information, so it is important to keep updated and certified publications constantly reviewing and assessing the scientific evidence supporting these findings.
So to questions like if I eat fruit at night, how many eggs can eat whole week, or will be, if I eat yogurt because in the gym tell me not eat dairy. They always suggest each case individually before answering. If you need to customize the nutritional recommendations by the habits and preferences of the patient and nutritional goals and actions that must be considered to obtain the expected results.That's why we always invite you to consult with professionals who know the subject.

Obesity and malnutrition while in Venezuela

Obesity and malnutrition while in Venezuela

Did you know that in Venezuela is currently suffering the scourge of

Obesity and malnutrition while their citizens?

Today there is a large percentage of obese Venezuelans

malnourished, which is a dangerous combination that manifests more

mostly in the poorest social classes in our country.

Developing countries, like most in Latin America,

They immersed in a nutrition transition following factors

cultural, economic and behavioral. Following this

Indeed, Venezuela is occurring food overlap in

community, ie observed while overweight and underweight.

There has been an increase in the number of migrations

rural residents to urban in search of a better quality of life,

and the increase in family income. However, the population is expected to

You will encounter an "urban poverty", beginning to change the "diet

rural "by the" modern diet ", in which the processed foods prevail, rich

in saturated fats, sugars and animal protein. In that environment

deficiencies and poor diet, called "double nutritional burden" is presented.

Obesity and malnutrition occurs more often in class

poorer social, because they have a diet based on carbohydrates and

almost no fat and eat fruits and vegetables.

 Know that the more economically submerged is a family,

less balanced diet is leading. "The staple diet is poor. The

food they buy the poor are more calorically dense, cheaper,

They are regulated and are sold in public networks ".

In any social class that most food consumed by Venezuelans

It is the cornmeal, which becomes 10.5% of the total purchase. But

problem is that the most consumed foods that follow it are

rice, bread and pasta, also carbohydrates- and then fat.

The survey by Landaeta and Herrera in the first half of

2015, revealed that 80.1% of respondents say they do not have enough money

to buy food, a percentage that rises to 85.3% in families

lower income

Malnutrition in the country has the double burden of malnutrition and obesity

simultaneously, greatly affecting children and adolescents; besides the

pregnancy at early ages also "helps to increase the cycle

intergenerational malnutrition, "according to the specialists declared.

 Other data emerging from the survey is that 11.3% of the

Venezuelans eat only twice a day, a situation that also worsens in

lower income sectors where 39.1% of people do not get three

daily meals and rarely consume eggs, fruits and vegetables.

 As for exercise that make Venezuelans, 47% said no

even walking, a point also relates directly to the

economic capacity, and that by their study the researchers

They found that the more income a person's physical activity

makes. As for the middle class, 44.6% replied that they exercise

moderate and 10.4% doing so intensely; whereas in

51.5% higher sectors practiced moderately and 13.6% so

Poor eating habits, among which there are much consumption

soda and chips, make that many Venezuelans are overweight or malnourished

After years of social investment and increase the lowest incomes,

Venezuelan children do not die of hunger but are vulnerable to

eat poorly and diseases can hide behind good

appearance, major nutritional deficiencies.

This "double burden" was addressed by experts who participated in the

International Congress on Nutrition and Health recently held in Caracas and

He showed further that in the big cities of the country are more people watching

overweight and the most affected by malnutrition interior.

He stressed that there are obese people in the country with "hunger

hidden ", a classification that applies to those who do not look malnourished but

They have nutrient deficiencies.

Currently in poor communities in Caracas and Maracaibo prevails

overweight, malnutrition is also seen, but in poor communities

Apure have found up to 34% of malnutrition.