Blog List

Saturday 3 September 2016

What Salads Are Safe to Eat When Pregnant?

by   
What Salads Are Safe to Eat When Pregnant?
Salad, prepared safely, is a healthy food for pregnant women. Photo Credit michaeljung/iStock/Getty Images

Overview

Salads are an excellent way to take in the nutrition both a mom-to-be and her unborn child need during pregnancy. Creating dishes using fresh vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fish or lean poultry allows them to access vitamins, minerals, protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids but because of the fetus' susceptibility to food-born infections a bit of extra care is necessary during salad preparation. Common foodborne infections that can come from contaminated fruits, vegetables or cheeses include cyclosporiasis, E. coli, hepatitis, listeriosis, novoviruses or gastroenteritis, salmonellosis and bacterial dysentery, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Safe Lettuce Salads


What Salads Are Safe to Eat When Pregnant?
Be sure to wash your greens before using them in a salad. Photo Credit KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock/Getty Images

Salads often start with dark, green leafy vegetables and all lettuces are safe after washing but not all are equally beneficial. To gain maximum nutritional value, salad greens such as arugula, kale, spinach, romaine, red lettuce and radicchio should be selected over bib and iceberg varieties.

To make lettuce greens safe, it's necessary to clean the greens and to use them with in a few days of being purchased. Start by washing hands and all surfaces used to prepare the salad in warm, soapy water, Then wash the greens, leaf by leaf, under running water and pat them dry with clean paper towels or spin them in a machine made for this purpose. After cleaning, store the greens, covered in a refrigerator set at less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. These recommendations, made by the National Institutes of Health are designed to prevent exposure to foodborne infections that can cause serious complications in pregnancy.


YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE


Multi-Vegetable Salads


What Salads Are Safe to Eat When Pregnant?
There are plenty of toppings that are safe to add to your salad. Photo Credit Nikolay Trubnikov/iStock/Getty Images

Many other vegetables can be added to a salad as well and according to the Organization for Teratology expectant moms need not feel obligated to buy more expensive organic produce. These scientists state that commercial-grade pesticides used in farming hold no threat of harm to an unborn child, especially after the vegetables are washed.

Tomatoes, include the grape and cherry varieties, that can be added whole after washing in running water and drying and the larger forms are equally tasty sliced or cut into small pieces.

Carrots and the Mexican vegetable, jicama simply need to be washed and peeled before being added to the salad but broccoli, cauliflower and celery should chopped into bite size pieces, so that dirt can't hide in their crevices during washing. After this additional preparation, they add fiber and crunch to any salad.

Winter vegetables like parsnips, turnips and beets extend access to fresh, locally grown produce year-round. These should be washed and peeled before being cooked then they can be added warm or cold to the salad.

Salads with Meat, Fish or Eggs


What Salads Are Safe to Eat When Pregnant?
Add some protein to your salad. Photo Credit nitrub/iStock/Getty Images

Protein is important for healthy fetal growth and adding fish or nuts to a salad also increases the amount of omega-3 fatty acids which promote the development of s healthy and body even before birth but for safety eggs, fish and any meats added to salads must be cooked completely. The National Institutes of Health recommends cooking raw eggs for 10 minutes and ensuring red meat and poultry reaches a temperature of 165 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

Since raw eggs must be avoided during pregnancy salad dressings should be prepared with out them and at restaurants women should ask to be certain they are not in any salad sauce.

There is concern among scientists about the levels of methyl-mercury contamination in the world's water supply and its ability to damage the unborn child. Because swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish are often found to have unacceptable levels of this dangerous chemical pregnant women are advised by the US Food and Drug Administration to avoid them entirely and to limit tuna to 6 ounces a week.

Finally, to prevent Listeria infection only cheese made from pasteurized milk should be added to salads or eaten in any manner during pregnancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the risk of getting listeria is 10 times greater for pregnant women than for the general population.
www.livestrong.com

Can Eating Tuna Every Day Be Harmful?

by  
Can Eating Tuna Every Day Be Harmful?
Eating tuna every day may increase mercury levels in your body. Photo Credit fotomania_17/iStock/Getty Images
The American Heart Association recommends eating omega-3-rich fish, such as tuna, twice a week for good health. It's wise, however, to vary what you choose. Because tuna is a source of mercury, you should avoid eating it daily, especially higher-mercury varieties like albacore tuna. If tuna makes a regular appearance in your diet and you're concerned about how it may affect your health, consult your doctor.

Tuna Nutrition Basics

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans reports that most Americans don't eat enough seafood. For those trying to increase the seafood content of their diets, tuna makes a convenient choice because it's readily available and fairly inexpensive. Plus, it's low in calories and a good source of protein. A 3-ounce portion of canned light tuna packed in water has 73 calories, 17 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. The same serving of canned white (albacore) tuna packed in water has 109 calories, 20 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat. Although a little pricier, fresh yellowfin tuna also makes a healthy choice with 111 calories, 25 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat per 3-ounce cooked portion.

Tuna is, however, a source of mercury. A 3-ounce portion of light chunk tuna has 10 micrograms of mercury, and the same-sized serving of canned white or yellowfin tuna has 30 to 35 micrograms.

Dangers of Too Much Mercury from Tuna

Mercury is a poisonous metal that can have serious health consequences, such as injury to the brain, heart, kidneys and lungs. It's especially harmful to children and pregnant women because it can affect development of the child and growing fetus. Adults can safely consume 21 micrograms of mercury a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Children should be fed even less. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, air pollution from coal-burning factories is the major cause of mercury in the environment. Rainfall transfers the mercury pollutant to the water where it is absorbed by the fish. Larger fish like tuna tend to have higher concentrations of mercury because they get it not only from the water, but from the fish they eat.

How Much Tuna is Safe?

You don't have to avoid tuna altogether, but you shouldn't eat it every day. The type of tuna you choose also determines the amount that's safe to eat. Children under 6 years of age should be fed not more than 3 ounces of white or fresh tuna a month and children ages 6 to 12 not more than two 4.5-ounce portions a month. Women, pregnant or not, can have up to 18 ounces of white or fresh tuna a month, and men up to 24 ounces.

Because it has less mercury, you can eat more canned light tuna. Children 6 and younger can have up to 9 ounces of canned light tuna a month. Older children and adults can have up to 24 ounces -- or one 3-ounce serving per week -- of canned light tuna.

Serving Healthy Tuna and Lower-Mercury Fish

If you're buying canned tuna, select tuna packed in water to cut calories. If you're making a tuna salad, use small amounts of mayonnaise and add plenty of veggies such as diced celery, peppers and carrots. Also, consider replacing mayonnaise with nonfat yogurt. Toss any remaining tuna salad or open can of tuna after 24 hours.

For fresh tuna, select fish that has no discoloration or strong odor and cook within a day of purchase. Pat your fresh tuna dry before cooking, then grill, pan fry or broil until done to your liking, usually about 2 minutes per side.

Also, to get your weekly seafood needs for good health, mix it up. Include different types of fish in your diet that have less mercury but are good sources of omega-3s, such as salmon, anchovies and sardines. Also include other types of seafood or fish, such as shrimp, scallops, tilapia and haddock.
www.livestrong.com

A review on nanocellulosic fibres as new material for sustainable packaging: Process and applications

Published Date
October 2016, Vol.64:823836doi:10.1016/j.rser.2016.06.072

Title 

A review on nanocellulosic fibres as new material for sustainable packaging: Process and applications

  • Author 
  • H.P.S. Abdul Khalil a,b,,
  • Y. Davoudpour a
  • Chaturbhuj K. Saurabh a
  • Md. S. Hossain a
  • A. S Adnan c
  • R. Dungani d
  • M.T. Paridah b,e
  • Md. Z. Islam Sarker f
  • M.R Nurul Fazita a
  • M.I Syakir a
  • M.K.M. Haafiz a
  • aSchool of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • bInstitute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Product, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • cSchool of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • dSchool of Life Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Gedung Labtex XI, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, West Java, Indonesia
  • eDepartment of Forest Production, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • fDepartment of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan Campus, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia

Fig. 1.
 Table 1
Table 1.
Fig. 2.
 Table 2
Table 2.
 Table 3
Table 3.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
 Table 4
Table 4.
 Table 5
Table 5.
Fig. 5.
 Table 6
Table 6.
Fig. 6.
  • ⁎ 
    Corresponding author at: School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.


For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032116303045

Properties of epoxy polymer concrete matrix: Effect of resin-to-filler ratio and determination of optimal mix for composite railway sleepers

Published Date
15 October 2016, Vol.124:287300doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.111

Title 

Properties of epoxy polymer concrete matrix: Effect of resin-to-filler ratio and determination of optimal mix for composite railway sleepers

  • Author 
  • Wahid Ferdous a,
  • Allan Manalo a,,
  • Thiru Aravinthan a,
  • Gerard Van Erp b
  • aCentre for Future Materials (CFM), School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
  • bUniversity of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia
  • Study on the effect of resin-to-filler ratio on the properties of polymer matrix.
  • Thermal, physical, mechanical and durability properties of epoxy based matrix.
  • Mixes containing 30–50% filler are found suitable mix for coating sleepers.
  • Analytic Hierarchy Process is conducted to select the best mix in different cases.

Abstract

The lack of knowledge of the behaviour of an epoxy polymer matrix has become a challenging issue for the design of a serviceable, durable and economic matrix. This study investigated the effect of the resin-to-filler ratio on the thermal, physical, mechanical and durability properties of polymer matrices composed with epoxy resin and light weight filler materials. This ratio was considered the experimental variable on which the properties of a polymer matrix are primarily dependent. The control mix was composed of 100% resin to which an amount of filler material of up to 60% of its volume was added in increment of 10%. No mix with more than 60% filler (that is, one containing 40% resin) was considered because it would not be a workable mix when prepared. A matrix’s fundamental properties, including its generation of heat during mixing and glass transition temperature (thermal), density and porosity (physical), flexural and compressive behaviour (mechanical) and the effect of ultraviolet radiation (durability) were investigated. The results showed that, although adding a filler to the resin could improve the matrices thermal and durability properties as well as reduces its cost, there was a consequent decrease in its physical and mechanical properties. In maintaining a good balance among thermal, physical, mechanical and durability properties and cost, it was observed that mixes containing fillers from 30% to 50% could meet the requirements for coating of composite railway sleepers. Therefore, to select the most suitable one from the range of acceptable mixes an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied. The results from AHP showed that the 30% filler mix was the optimal one when priority was to obtain mechanical properties. However, if the cost of the matrix was considered the most important criterion for selecting the optimal mix, the mix containing 50% filler was the best choice. If durability was the priority, it was suggested that either a 30% or 50% filler mix be used depending on the relative importance of the mechanical properties and cost factors.

 Table 1
Table 1.
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
 Table 2
Table 2.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
Fig. 13.
 Table 3
Table 3.
 Table 4
Table 4.
 Table 5
Table 5.
 Table 6
Table 6.
 Table 7
Table 7.
Fig. 14.
 Table 8
Table 8.
 Table 9
Table 9.
  • ⁎ 
    Corresponding author.



For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061816312119

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fasting for Runners

Author BY   ANDREA CESPEDES  Food is fuel, especially for serious runners who need a lot of energy. It may seem counterintuiti...