How to Juice Pineapple SkinPhoto Credit Michelle Black/Demand Media
Trapped inside the thick and spiny flesh of a pineapple is a fruit filled with a delicious tropical flavor, vitamin C and bromelain. While the flesh of the fruit makes a delicious snack or dessert, a wonderful addition in salads and a flavorful garnish on ham, the spiny skin can provide a delicious beverage. Instead of tossing the skin into the garbage or composting pile, give it a boil and and reap its benefits.
Step 1
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Rinse the pineapple under cool water to remove any dirt or debris on the skin. With the pineapple on a cutting board, use a serrated knife to remove the crown from the top of the pineapple. Then, starting from the top, follow the natural curve of the pineapple and cut away the skin. Set the skin aside and cut or save the pineapple flesh as desired.
Step 2
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Cut the slices of skin into smaller chunks and place them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover all skins. Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and allow the skins to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3
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Place a colander in a large bowl and pour in the contents of the pot to strain the liquid. Transfer the liquid into a large pitcher and let it cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover the pitcher and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Warnings
Allow the pineapple skin juice to cool completely before straining. Hot liquid can splash during the straining process, causing serious burns.
Tips
For a sweeter juice, add sugar when serving if desired.
What Are the Healthiest Potato Chips?Photo Credit Kristine Ratanaphruks/Demand Media
While crispy, crunchy potato chips are often thought of as a tasty side for sandwiches, chips are rarely considered a health food. However, manufacturers are reducing added sodium and cooking oils in chips, turning chips from a high-fat food to a low-fat option. Remember, however, that all foods should be enjoyed in moderation. Overeating even the healthiest potato chip can damage your diet and contribute to your waistline.
Healthier Oils
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Making healthier potato chips depends upon the oil type when cooking the chips. Chips were previously cooked with oils like cottonseed oil that are high in saturated fat, which can clog the arteries. Look for chips cooked with healthier oil options, such as sunflower oil, which has half the saturated fat of cottonseed oil. Sunflower oil instead contains unsaturated fat, a type of fat that's good for your heart. Chips cooked in soy oil are another option that do not contain saturated fats. If you find fats that contain trans fats, also called hydrogenated fats, avoid them like the plague -- these are the most unhealthy type of fat, and contribute to cardiovascular disease.
Low-Sodium/Fat
Photo Credit Kristine Ratanaphruks/Demand Media
A high-sodium, high-fat diet increases blood pressure, and potato chips are chief offenders. Healthier chips are those labeled as “low-sodium,” and those that are baked instead of fried. Baking the chips lowers the overall fat content, making for a healthier option. As a comparison, a fried chip contains 150 calories and 9 g of fat with 2.5 g of saturated fat, whereas baked chips average from110 to 140 calories with 2.5 to 6 g of fat. Salted chips contain a moderate amount of sodium -- each ounce contains 128 milligrams, or 9 percent of your daily recommended intake -- while unsalted chips contain negligible amounts of sodium.
Natural/Organic Chips
Photo Credit Kristine Ratanaphruks/Demand Media
Natural chips have emerged as a healthier option for chips because they do not contain artificial ingredients and are not overly processed. Natural chips are not the same as organic chips, however. Chips labeled as organic are those that are produced withour pesticides or fertilizers using typically renewable resources including the utilization of soil and water conservation methods. In addition to being chemical-free and environmentally friendly, these healthy chip options contain no preservatives or artificial coloring. While popular with consumers, Ed Levine of "Serious Eats" questions the necessity of an organic chip, citing processed foods as unnatural in and of themselves and something to be avoided by the truly organic consumer, and alludes to a certain oxymoronic irony of an organic potato chip.
Recommended Chips
Photo Credit Kristine Ratanaphruks/Demand Media
“Health” magazine evaluated chips for healthiness and taste, selecting Corazonas Heart Healthy Potato Chips in Mediterranean Garlic & Herb as the best chip. These chips are lower in fat and calories then traditional chips, and have plant sterols added to them which are heart-healthy. An additional choice for healthiest chip included Kettle Brand Bakes Lightly Salted Potato Chips, which are thin chips that are available in a variety of flavors, including Hickory Honey BBQ. Pop Chips All Natural Original Potato Chips also made the list. These chips are made from potato flour, not potato slices, and are low in calories and fat.
Preportion your chips to avoid overeating.Photo Credit Ildiko Papp/iStock/Getty Images
Potato chips were famously created in 1853, when George Crum became offended when a restaurant patron sent back his fried potatoes for being too thick. To spite the patron, Crum sliced potatoes paper thin, fried them in oil, added salt and became the unwitting creator of the modern potato chip. Today, chips are still fried in oil and salted, making them high in refined carbohydrates, sodium and fat. While eating chips in moderation is fine, giving into your chip cravings doesn't bode well for a healthy diet. Stop your cravings with healthier alternatives or indulging infrequently instead.
Step 1
Identify what situations trigger your cravings.Photo Credit Laboko/iStock/Getty Images
Identify the situations and moods that tend to trigger your potato chip cravings. Since eating unhealthful foods can cause the release of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that make you feel happy, potato chip cravings can often occur when you feel sad, stressed or tired. By understanding your triggers, you can be ready when the craving hits and recognize it as the result of another emotion which you can then treat separately.
Step 2
Swap potato chips for a healthier option.Photo Credit indigolotos/iStock/Getty Images
Swap potato chips for a food that helps to fulfill some of your cravings. For instance, if it's the salt you crave, reach for nuts which are full of healthful oils and fats. Or, if you prefer a crunch, air-popped popcorn can be a fulfilling snack. If it's the carbs you love, choose a baked sweet potato, which is high in vitamin A and fiber.
Step 3
Eat healthy snacks to keep your blood sugar stable.Photo Credit Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Getty Images
Snack often to keep your blood sugar stable. Allowing hours to lapse between meals can create a dip in your blood sugar levels, which explains a craving for carbohydrates in general. By keeping snacks on hand for between meals, you can avoid the craving. Fruits and vegetables, whole wheat crackers and cheese or hummus can help stop cravings before they start.
Step 4
Drink a glass of water or chew some gum to distract your mouth.Photo Credit Stockphoto4u/iStock/Getty Images
Drink a glass of water or chew a piece of gum to distract your mouth from your potato chip craving. A mint or gum is especially helpful, because they keep your mouth busy and add a flavor that is incompatible with salty potato chips -- so you're less likely to indulge.
Step 5
Portion potato chips into snack bags.Photo Credit b-d-s/iStock/Getty Images
Portion potato chips into snack bags for moderate snacking. If you simply cannot shake a potato chip craving, you can then use a preportioned bag to stop you from overeating too many chips. Once the snack bag is empty, you stop eating, rather than digging into a large foil bag for even more chips.
Pineapple is a tropical fruit widely available in most grocery stores and produce markets. It is rich in manganese and contains plenty of copper, fiber and vitamins B-1, B-6 and C. While these nutrients are important to health, it is the bromelain present in pineapple juice that gives the fruit its anti-inflammatory properties. Glass of pineapple juicePhoto Credit HandmadePictures/iStock/Getty Images
Function
Pineapple's high bromelain content is believed to be responsible for the fruit's numerous health benefits. Bromelain is an extract of the fruit and stem of pineapple. Cysteine proteinases, enzymes that digest proteins, may provide most of bromelain's anti-inflammatory benefits. These anti-inflammatory effects stem partly from bromelain's ability to reduce levels of thromboxane A2 and prostaglandin E2, hormone-like substances associated with blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the modulation of inflammation. Bromelain may also decrease secretion of cytokine and chemokine, two immunoregulatory proteins secreted by immune system cells, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Pineapple juice may reduce inflammation associated with arthritis and other joint disorders, and reduce the swelling of soft-tissue injuries. The bromelain in pineapple juice may also ease inflammation in digestive disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, according to a study published in the 2008 issue of "Clinical Immunology." Moreover, Germany's Commission E has approved bromelain as a treatment for sinusitis when used in conjunction with other therapies.
Bromelain Dosing
Drugs.com notes that the usual daily dose of bromelain is three or four doses of 40 milligrams, or about two standard-size slices of pineapple. Commercial preparations of bromelain are available in tablet, capsule and liquid form, but because these products contain mostly stem bromelain, the dosing is different. Most manufacturers of bromelain supplements recommend taking 500 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams per day.
Considerations
Never begin treatment with bromelain or any other supplement without first consulting your doctor. Bromelain may increase heart rate, cause vomiting or diarrhea, or trigger allergic reactions in some people. Additionally, the American Cancer Society warns that some women taking bromelain may experience increased menstrual bleeding and that anyone with kidney disease, liver disease, high blood pressure or a bleeding disorder should use bromelain cautiously and under a doctor's supervision.
Tacos date back to the ancient Aztecs and are now an international symbol of Mexican cuisine. A typical taco order, from an American restaurant, consists of meat in a fried corn tortilla shell or wrapped in flour tortillas and topped with a variety of vegetables. Authentic street tacos, however, are very basic. Besides the extremely flavorful meat, a street taco only consists of a fresh corn tortilla, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. The choices of meat on a street taco are endless, but boneless chicken breasts and skirt steak are the simplest to prepare. On the streets of Mexico you will also find goat, fish, tripe and other more exotic meats.
A delicious looking taco.Photo Credit rez-art/iStock/Getty Images
Meat Preparation
Step 1
Mix together a marinade of lime juice, cilantro, cumin and jalapenos or chili powder. The marinade is made to your personal taste. Create enough marinade so you can completely immerse your meat in it.
Step 2
Put your choice of meat in a resealable plastic bag or large bowl with a lid. Pour the marinade over the meat to completely cover it, then seal.
Step 3
Refrigerate the meat overnight in the marinade. The lime juice will tenderize the meat over time.
Cooking Meat
Step 1
Start your grill and raise the heat to approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Charcoal grills provide the best flavor for street tacos, but you can use a gas grill.
Step 2
Place the meat directly on the grill surface. Flip the meat over with a pair of tongs after the bottom of the meat has browned.
Step 3
Cook the meat until it reaches a temperature safe for consumption as determined by a meat thermometer. Beef must reach 145 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, pork must reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit and chicken must reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4
Remove the meat from the grill and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Taco Assembly
Step 1
Place a cast iron skillet or griddle on the grill and place corn tortillas in it. Flip the tortilla over with tongs, allowing both sides to warm.
Step 2
Put the warm tortilla on a plate and top with meat. Do not overfill the taco.
Step 3
Top the meat with chopped, fresh cilantro and serve with a slice of lime. Squeeze the lime over the taco before eating.
The Formica rufa groupis a sub-generic group within the genusFormica, first proposed byWilliam Morton Wheeler. This group contains the mound-building species ofFormicacommonly termed "wood ants" or "thatch-mound ants", which build prominent nests consisting of a mound of grass, litter or conifer needles. The speciesFormica rufa or the red wood ant is thetype species of this sub group.
This particular breed of ant can inhabit open wood with both hard and soft woods, dense pine forests, and even moor land. Workers are polymorphic, the largest reaching about 10 millimetres long. They can produce formic acid in their abdomens and eject it 12 centimetres in the air when threatened. The only function of males is to mate in flight with queens. Species previously attributed to the Microgyna group were transferred to the Rufa group by the Wheelers in 1986.
Formica rufa worker
Colonies
The genetic relations in F. rufa group colonies can be complex. Colonies can be polygynous (having multiple queens) and these are often polydomous (having multiple nests per colony). Queens may be singly or multiply mated, and in polygynous colonies may or may not be related. Colonies are rarely, if ever, independently formed. They either bud off from existing colonies, or are formed by temporary social parasitism of F. fusca colonies; a rufa queen ousts the existing queen, lays eggs, and the fusca workers raise her offspring until the nest is taken over. Some species in the F. rufa group sometimes form enormous "supercolonies" consisting of hundreds or thousands of nests. The largest documented example is an F. yessensis colony in Japan covering 2.7 km2 containing an estimated 306 million workers and 1 million queens.
Typical Formica thatch mound made of forest litter on rotten stump, covered by worker ants going out to forage.
Members of Species
European species include:
Formica aquilonia Yarrow (1955)
Formica lugubris Zetterstedt (1838)
Formica paralugubris Seifert (1996)
Formica polyctena Förster (1850)
Formica pratensis Retzius (1783)
Formica rufa Linnaeus (1761)
North American species include:
Formica ciliataMayr (1886)
Formica coloradensis Creighton (1940)
Formica comata Wheeler (1909)
Formica criniventris Wheeler (1912)
Formica dakotensis Emery (1893)
Formica fossaceps Buren (1942)
Formica integra Nylander (1856)
Formica integroides Emery (1913)
Formica laeviceps Creighton (1940)
Formica microgyna Wheeler (1903)
Formica mucescens Wheeler (1913)
Formica obscuripes Forel (1886)
Formica obscuriventris Mayr (1970)
Formica oreas Wheeler (1903)
Formica planipilis Creighton (1940)
Formica propinqua Creighton (1940)
Formica ravida Creighton (1940)
Formica reflexa Buren (1942)
Formica subnitens Creighton (1940)
References
Gösswald, Karl (1989). Die Waldameise 1. Wiesbaden: Wiesbaden : Aula-Verlag. ISBN, 3-89104-475-5.
^ abDr Timothy Batchelor Msu.edu - Southern red wood ant Formica rufa.
^ abcdeBourke, Andrew F. G.; Nigel Rigby Franks (1995). Social Evolution in Ants. Princeton University Press. p. 353. ISBN 0691044260.
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