Category: General Food Recipes

Calcium Deficiency – Are Your Bones Ready for It?

Calcium is the kind of mineral that is most likely to be a deficient in an average human diet. Currently, calcium deficiency is a common condition to every individual. According to the official statistics gathered by the Federal government, only 21 percent of the total population in the United States is getting the required amount of calcium.

Importantly, having calcium deficiency may result to a long term thinning of the bones, osteoporosis or the softening of the bony tissue and commonly called as osteomalacia. Also, the defective metabolism of the calcium in the body during childhood may result to the condition called rickets A recent study showed that lack of the required calcium level may cause hypertension or high blood pressure and colon cancer.

Perhaps youve heard it many times that calcium deficiency may result to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, is often diagnosed when its too late just to reverse the conditions development. In United States, close to about 10 million individuals have osteoporosis that is caused by calcium deficiency. Close to another 34 million people is experiencing low bone mass, placing them to the risk of having the disease.

Having insufficient calcium intake to the body may result to the drawing of the reserves of calcium levels in your teeth and bones. With calcium deficiency, your bones will become lighter, hollow, and be porous. In weak bones, possible fractures in spine and weakened hips can take place easily and may end to permanent disability, cruel pain, hospitalization, and even death.

Moreover, there are other calcium deficiency symptoms that can be observed by anyone. Since calcium is also present in nails and teeth, having calcium deficiency may bring brittle nails and tooth decay. In view of the fact that your body requires a small level of calcium to move through soft tissues and bodily fluids every time, inadequate calcium intake can bring these additional symptoms and these are:

Experiencing muscle cramps
Having muscle spasms in arms and legs
Leg and back cramps
Tingling and numbness, and
Joint pain

Fortunately, to prevent having calcium deficiency, you must take enough amount of calcium whether its in dietary form or in calcium supplements. On the other hand, one of the popular ways to prevent calcium deficiency is to take the calcium supplement commonly called coral calcium. However, you must consult first a health care provider for you to have the right amount of calcium.

Calcium Carbonate Not Just for your Health

CaCO3 or calcium carbonate in chemistry. Does it make sense to you?

Although you hear about this chemical compound before and see it as one of the ingredients in calcium supplements, there are still things that you need to know beyond the finished product. Read on and the rest of this article and learn more about this chemical compound.

Calcium carbonate, as mentioned earlier, is commonly used as a supplement. But there are also other uses of this chemical compound, which will be discussed in the later part of this article.

Aside from the aforementioned applications, calcium carbonate is also a natural ingredient of various elements. It is one of the active ingredients in agricultural lime, as well as a natural substance that can be found on rocks all over the world. Furthermore, it is also one of the major components of sea shells and the shells of the snails. Even the shells of the chickens egg contain an estimated 95 percent of calcium carbonate.

Calcium carbonate that is used in the industry is sourced out from minerals or rocks such as calcite, limestone, chalk, and marble by means of quarrying or mining. Pure calcium carbonate which is used in processing foods or pharmaceutical applications is generated from a pure source, normally from marbles, and prepared by adding another chemical compound which is the carbon dioxide into the calcium hydroxide solution where the calcium carbonate precipitates out of the chemical reaction.

As mentioned earlier, calcium carbonate is used on various applications. These are as follows:

It is mainly used in the construction application, whether as a building material (marble for instance) or limestone aggregate for road building purposes. It is also an active ingredient of the builders lime together with the cementor.

It also used as an extender in commercial paints, particularly in emulsion paints where thirty percent of the paints net weight is either marble or chalk.

It is also used as a filler in plastics.

Calcium carbonate that is in the form of fine ground is important ingredients in the microporous film used in baby nappies.

It is also used on adhesive applications, particularly in ceramic tile adhesives where it contains seventy to eighty percent limestone.

It is mainly employed as whiting elements in ceramics application.

It is the main component of the blackboard chalk.

It is now used as an alternative to kaolin with regards to glossy paper production.

It is not just for your healthit also serves other purposes as well. So do not be surprised if the chalk that you are using in your classroom has the same main content as of the supplement that you are taking everyday.

Calcium Carbide The Illuminating Chemical Compound

Just like with other calcium compounds that contains the suffix ide in their names, calcium carbide is not also associated in the production of calcium-based supplements. It is commonly used on modern industrial applications as well. Read on the preceding contents of this article and learn more about calcium carbide.

Chemical Compound Reaction

Bearing the chemical formula CaC2, calcium carbide is produced through the process of electrostatic discharge by means of mixing carbon and lime at high temperature. When reacted with water, it produces acetylene. Such reaction is the principle behind the production of dissolved acetylene which is the only modern industrial use of calcium carbide.

Application

The most common application of calcium carbide is on so-called carbide lamps (also known as acetylene lamps) wherein it uses acetylene gas which is produced by means of combining the chemical compound and water. Such lamps were formerly used in mines.

Calcium carbide in this application takes the form of small pellets or chunks that is placed on the lower chamber of the lamp. Its upper chamber is filled with another reactant, which is water. There is a screw valve or similar mechanism which controls the drip rate of water to the lower chamber where the calcium carbide is stored. Such water drip rate control results to the production of acetylene gas. It results in control of the size of the flame as well as the quantity of light that it produces.

The reaction of water with calcium carbide generates enough quantity of heat apart from the flame. In cold cave conditions, the heat can be used to save someone from hypothermia.

After the entire quantity of calcium carbide is reacted with water, the lower chamber contains now a wet paste of calcium hydroxide or caustic lime which is emptied in order to be refilled for the next usage. The caustic lime is toxic on humans and animals and must be deposited on a place wherein no one will be affected.

The next application of calcium carbide is the flare which is a type of pyrotechnic that emits a brilliant light as well as intense heat without the occurrence of an explosion. It is commonly used as a signal and illumination (especially on small fishing boats) as well as defensive counter measures in military and civilian applications.

Calcium carbide is only handled within industrial production. Individuals who work with this chemical compound always take some precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident that may happen due to mishandling of calcium carbide.

What You Need To Know About Potato Salads

Potato salad is a dish, usually an appetizer, made, obviously, from potatoes. However so, it still varies throughout different countries and regions of the world. Potato salads are more classified as side dishes than salads for they generally just precede or the follow the main course.

Many would claim on having made the best potato salad and would offer the truest and most authentic way of making it. But no matter what is said by many, the best potato salad, or any kind of salad at that matter, is purely of personal preference. Some like their potato salads mingled and just oozing with its dressing, some would prefer theirs to be really soft and tender, and others would want their potato salad to be crispy.

Potato salads are oftenly served along with hot dogs, barbecue, hamburgers, roasts and cold sandwiches. This kind of salad is categorized more as a casual fare and more oftenly served during outdoor barbecues, picnics, and other sorts of casual events or meals. But this fact is not stated to underestimate their savory goodness.

Potato salads are definitely a popular menu choice of various chefs and cooks for preparing food for a large crowd, and since they can be made in large quantities with utter ease, they can also be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator until it is their time to be served.

You must never worry about emptying your wallet when going to the grocery store to buy whatever ingredients you need for you potato salad. The ingredients needed for potato salads are inexpensive and very much affordable. Thus, you do not have to worry about making one yourself because it is, in fact, quite easy.

You would need two pounds, or approximately six large potatoes which are peeled and quartered; two stalks of chopped celery; one finely chopped onion, of which you could cook using a microwave on high level for just one minute to be able to reduce that hotness, if you want, that is; four green onions that you have sliced for just of an inch thick; one large carrot, shredded; cup of a sweet pickle relish; cup of chopped red onion; one teaspoon of dry parsley; a half teaspoon of mustard seeds; you would also need pepper or salt for the taste, along with balsamic or wine vinegar, and also with yogurt or a nonfat mayonnaise.

Of course you have to cook the potatoes in boiling water for approximately fifteen minutes, or when the potatoes are already barely tender. You have to check every minute or so after the first ten minutes have gone by. Once you have confirmed of the cooked status of your potatoes, cut them into smaller pieces. After that, just leave them be so that they will cool down. Then, you should mix the other ingredients you have also prepared in a large bowl. Once you are confident that you mixed them finely, add your already cooled potatoes, and then mix them, altogether, well.

When all these are done, chill your self-made potato salad, but just do not forget to stir it a couple of times during the chilling time you have alotted for it.

Toss Salad for A Quick and Easy Fix

The thing about Toss salads is that bulk of the effort would come from making the dressing. The salad is mainly made up of greens such as lettuce, cabbage and romaines. The reason why these are called tossed salad is because preparation for this is just tossing together all the ingredients.

Meaning, all the greens and other twist which one may opt to add in it. Some of the add-ons may include sausages, fruits, chips and basically anything else that might come up in one’s imagination. With a prepared dressing, it only takes one as little as five minutes to prepare this recipe. Below are some recipes which one can try out at home.

Parmesan Vegetable Toss

2 C. mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 C. fresh broccoli
4 C. fresh cauliflower
1 red onion, sliced
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 head iceberg lettuce, torn
1 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, sugar, basil and salt.

Add broccoli, cauliflower, onion and water chestnuts.

Toss.

Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Just before serving, place lettuce in a salad bowl and top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with bacon.

Top with croutons if desired.

CLASSIC TOSSED SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce
1 head red leaf lettuce
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 (4 ounce) package blanched slivered almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, sliced
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing

Directions:

Chop, wash and dry the romaine and red leaf lettuces. In a large salad bowl, combine lettuces with feta cheese, olives, almonds, sesame seeds, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms and Romano cheese. When ready to serve, add the Italian dressing and toss thoroughly.

CONFETTI TOSSED SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

15 ounces Italian Blend or Spring Mix salad greens
16 ounces sausages, lightly rinsed, well drained
2 cans (11 oz. size) mandarin oranges, drained
1 1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 medium apple, cored and diced
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam, softened in microwave
1/2 cup frozen (whole) raspberries, thawed, with juice
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Salad: In large salad bowl, toss greens and Sauerkraut together. Top with oranges, cranberries, apple, fresh raspberries, pecans, and cheese.

Dressing: In a small bowl, blend together olive oil, vinegar, jam, thawed raspberries, and pepper.

Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the salad for moistness and color; serve remainder on the side.