For my informative essay I think I want to write about the dangers of artificial sweeteners, such as Aspertame or Splenda. To me, this a very interesting topic. It's also one that people really need to know more about. I've read up on this topic a lot already, and am still amazed by all of the health problems linked to artificial sweeteners. The terms "sugar-free" and "zero-calorie" are everywhere and people think those terms make a food or drink healthy, but in reality it makes it very unhealthy. I think that if I write this paper well, it could help educate people. The problems with this topic are: 1. People might not want to believe what I have to say; and 2. It's something I feel very strongly about so I fear that I will unintentionally insert my own opinion.
For my essay I think I will start with what exactly an artifical sweetener is, and give some examples. I'll discuss the dangers of consuming these sweeteners, and also where they can be found (both in obvious places and also sneaky ones). I'd also like to discuss the companies that manufacture the sweeteners, and how everything is really kind of sketchy. For example, the makers of Aspertame fund a lot of medical associations, so they aren't allowed to say anything bad about the product, even though it could be making their patients sick.
I definitely need to do a lot of research to get some solid information on this topic, but in the end I think it will be easy for me to write about, and I'm excited to share the knowlege with people later.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Holy Guacamole! (Blog #4)
Your stomach is growling like a lion or a tiger. You know you need to eat, and soon. Unfortuately, it's too late for lunch, and too early for dinner. You need a snack! You could just head to the gas station and buy a candy bar or some other unhealthy prepackaged item, but where's the fun in that? If you're looking for something that is simultaneously healthy and delicious (plus quick and easy!), homemade guacamole is a good way to go.
The most important ingredient in guacamole is avacados. They mash up beautifully and are a lovely green color. You will need three of them that aren't too ripe, but not too hard either. But set these asside until the end. The other necessary ingredients are: half of any kind of onion, two Roma tomatoes, a teaspoon of minced garlic, three tablespoons of cilantro, the juice of one whole lime, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste if desired.
You could dice up each ingredient by hand; however, that would take much longer. It is easiest to use a blender or a food processor. To avoid getting the processor all messy and sticky from the beginning, start off by dicing up the onion. If you first chop it into medium sized pieces, you can then throw it into the bowl of the processor. Next add in the cilantro. Pulse it until the pieces are somewhat evenly diced. Empty the mixture into a container. Next chop the tomatoes into similar sized pieces as the onion. Then add those into the bowl and pulse until they are diced as well. Empty them into the container. Now you can add in the minced garlic and the cayenne pepper. Then cut the lime into four pieces, to make squeezing out the juice easier. Stir until it's all combined. Right now it should resemble something like pico de gallo. The final step is to blend the avacados. The easiest way to open an avacado is to first cut it all the way around with a knife. Hold one half firmly without squishing it, then pull the halves apart. Scoop out the pit and then scoop the green fruit into the processor bowl. Do this for each avacado. Finally, blend the avacados until they are more of a paste. Add it to the "pico" and stir everything together until it's well combined. If you want to, add salt. Enjoy your snack with some tortilla chips or on a quesadilla and you're good to go!
The most important ingredient in guacamole is avacados. They mash up beautifully and are a lovely green color. You will need three of them that aren't too ripe, but not too hard either. But set these asside until the end. The other necessary ingredients are: half of any kind of onion, two Roma tomatoes, a teaspoon of minced garlic, three tablespoons of cilantro, the juice of one whole lime, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste if desired.
You could dice up each ingredient by hand; however, that would take much longer. It is easiest to use a blender or a food processor. To avoid getting the processor all messy and sticky from the beginning, start off by dicing up the onion. If you first chop it into medium sized pieces, you can then throw it into the bowl of the processor. Next add in the cilantro. Pulse it until the pieces are somewhat evenly diced. Empty the mixture into a container. Next chop the tomatoes into similar sized pieces as the onion. Then add those into the bowl and pulse until they are diced as well. Empty them into the container. Now you can add in the minced garlic and the cayenne pepper. Then cut the lime into four pieces, to make squeezing out the juice easier. Stir until it's all combined. Right now it should resemble something like pico de gallo. The final step is to blend the avacados. The easiest way to open an avacado is to first cut it all the way around with a knife. Hold one half firmly without squishing it, then pull the halves apart. Scoop out the pit and then scoop the green fruit into the processor bowl. Do this for each avacado. Finally, blend the avacados until they are more of a paste. Add it to the "pico" and stir everything together until it's well combined. If you want to, add salt. Enjoy your snack with some tortilla chips or on a quesadilla and you're good to go!
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