GoodFoodMood

“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” National College

2014

What we eat has an enormous impact on our health and weight status. Did you know that when and how we eat also makes a huge difference? Eating at appropriate times throughout the day we help maximize fat burning and keep hunger at bay. If we don’t have a regularly scheduled meal and snack time we are more likely to get a digestive disease such as gastritis.

We asked the school’s doctor to give some advice towards a healthy mealtime schedule and the risks involved in not following her recommendations, more specifically the possibility of developing gastritis.

The answers to the questions that have been asked during the doctor’s presentation revealed the fact that most children do not have or follow a regular mealtime programme.

In order to avoid digestive issues, the doctor strongly recommends the children to have five meals every day: three main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner and two snacks.

These are the most appropriate hours to eat and we should follow them without exceptions:

Breakfast: 7-9

First snack : 10-11

Lunch: 13:00-14:00

The second snack: 16:00-17:00

Dinner: 19:00-21:00

BREAKFAST Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When skipping

breakfast ,we lose its stimulating benefits on our metabolic rate. We also become more likely to eat unbalanced meals and plenty of research

shows that those of us who skip breakfast are actually heavier. Missing out on a healthy morning meal also increases stress hormones.

LUNCH Breakfast is not the only important meal of the day. Even though we all

have busy schedules which don’t allow us to have a healthy lunch, we should always make time for this meal. Salads and grilled chicken, as well as grilled fish must be included in our daily lunch menu because it provides us with all the proteins and vitamins our body needs.

DINNER The most important thing we all should be aware of is that dinner must

be eaten within two hours before we go to sleep. Otherwise the food remains in our stomach until the next morning , thing which gives us stomach ache. What’s more, doctors strongly advise us to eat light products.

SNACKS Nowadays most people believe that snacks should consist of

chocolate , candies or chips, but this is not true. Chips and chocolate do not provide us with all the nutrients and vitamins our bodies need in order to function well. Thus, the most appropriate snack we should eat must consist of fruits or biscuits.

In 2002, the Romanian Government introduced the programme which consists in delivering fresh croissants and yoghurt/milk early in the morning to all the primary and middle school pupils.

Ever since the introduction of the programme, the Non Profit Organisations and Governmental analysts have observed a mass phenomenon, which takes place in the most developed parts of the country, more specifically big cities, such as Bucharest, Ploiesti and Timisoara.

The phenomenon consists in the fact that the students involved in the programme misuse their daily received snacks, especially the croissant and throw them away or play with it.

In recent months, our school has begun a campaign to educate the students to use their snacks appropriately and stop wasting them.

The members of the Good Food, Good Mood team showed the primary and middle school students presentations regarding the complex process of obtaining the final product: the croissant.

We have showed them the steps required to obtain the croissant, from the agricultural process of grinding wheat into flour to making it dough and baking it. The process has been shown to the children, both theoretically and practically.

We have taken the small children on a school trip to the local bakery which produces the croissant that is being delivered to the schools.

We took into consideration that seeing the complexity of the process with their own eyes will eventually make them value the final product.

After returning to school we have taken pictures of the delivering process of the snacks. The fact that they had witnessed the production process has obviously made them more responsible.

Right at the end of the campaign, we have shown the children the photos and the videos to prove the fact that their behaviour was inappropriate.

As expected, their reaction was according to what we had expected and to what they have seen: photos of them fighting with the croissants.

The Food HospitalDisease prevention and cure through diet and nutrition

Do you suffer from any of these ailments? We suggest the following...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the role of diet in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), both in children and adults.

(http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-diets)

What to eat: high-protein food (beans, cheese, eggs, meat, nuts) ; complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and some fruits (oranges, pears, grapefruit, apples, kiwi); omega-3 fatty acids ( tuna, salmon, walnuts, Brazil nuts, olive and canola oil).

What to avoid: candy, corn syrup, honey,

sugar, white flour, white rice.

Tourette’s Syndrome

Children with a diagnosis of Tourette’s Syndrome can benefit tremendously from special diets. 

( http://www.livestrong.com/article/485064-foods-that-affect-tourettes/ )

What to eat: nuts, green leafy vegetables, legumes and whole grains (food high in magnesium); fish, starchy vegetables, noncitrus fruits, organ meats and fortified breakfast cereals (vitamin B-6); fish, flaxseed, walnuts, cooking with canola oil (omega-3 fats).

What to avoid: caffeine, sweeteners and preservatives.

Insomnia Insomnia is more than just frustrating tossing and turning — it can be detrimental to your health. (http://www.joybauer.com/insomnia/how-food-affects-sleep.aspx )

What to eat: whole-grain breads, crackers, and cereal;

whole-wheat pasta; brown rice; wild rice; oats; fruits;

vegetables; corn; green peas; broccoli; brussels sprouts;

kale; asparagus; cauliflower; snap pea; pumpkin.

Memory Deficit Eating certain foods can help make life’s little details unforgettable. These "brain" foods contain flavonoids, which are chemical compounds that give fruits and leafy green vegetables their color.( http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-living/food-and-memory.aspx )

What to eat: berries (the highest concentrations

of antioxidants among fruit, and all berries are rich in

healthy anthocyanins and flavonols(a subgroup of

flavonoids), leafy greens, fatty fish, coffee.

Fatigue Tired. Drained. Exhausted. No matter how you

phrase it, you're beat and need to drum up some energy. Food is truly our body's fuel. ( http://www.webmd.com/diet/fight-fatigue-energy-foods-6/power-up )

What to eat: whole grain bagel with cheese,

cereal with fruit and yogurt, whole grain toast

with peanut butter and fruit, hard-boiled egg

sliced into a whole wheat pita, scrambled eggs,

toast, oatmeal with raisins.

Nutrition for the Athlete Athletes achieve peak performance by training and eating a variety of foods. Athletes gain most from the amount of carbohydrates stored in the body. Fat also provides body fuel; use of fat as fuel depends on the duration of the

exercise and the condition of the athlete. Exercise may increase the athlete's need for protein. Water is a critical nutrient for athletes. Dehydration can cause muscle

cramping and fatigue.

Carbohydrates Athletes benefit the most

from the amount of carbohydrates stored in the body.

Complex carbohydrates come from foods such as spaghetti, potatoes, lasagna, cereals and other grain products. Simple carbohydrates are found in fruits, milk, honey and sugar.

Proteins After carbohydrates,

protein provides energy for the body. Exercise may increase an athlete's need for protein, depending on the type and frequency of exercise.

Extra protein consumed is stored as fat. In the fully grown athlete, it is training that builds muscle.

Foods highest in Protein : Fish ,Cheese , Tofu ,

Eggs , Yogurt, Milk , Chicken Breast.

Happy and Healthy Easter! Enjoy your different Romanian pasca recipes!

From Moldavia

Ingredients: The dough is prepared according to the Common bread recipe; 150 g curd cheese, 1 egg, salt, 1 egg for greasing.

Preparation method: The cheese is mixed with the salt and the eggs. The dough is divided into two unequal parts. The biggest part, after given a round form is streched, the round layer is put in a pan for bread with high borders ,greased with oil. The rest of the dough is divided into two parts ,we make two torsions .One torsion is placed circularly near the border. The other one is divided in two parts, one of them is divided again in two. The three torsions are placed

on the Pasca (cake) as a cross. The cheese mixed

with salt and eggs is put in the four holes . The

Pasca (cake) is greased with the beaten egg and

it is baked at 180˚ for 35-40 minutes.

From Maramures

Ingredients: (dough) 50 g butter, 125 g sugar, 3 eggs, 250 ml milk, 500 g flour, 2 tbsp rum essence, 25 g dry yeast, a pinch of salt; (filling) 1 kilo butter, 4 bags vanilla sugar, 5 eggs, 200 g powder sugar, 3 tbsp cream ,1 tsp rum essence,150 raisins,1 tsp flour, 1 tbsp crumb, lemon peel, a pinch of salt.

Preparation method: The dry yeast is soaked in some warm and sweet milk. The rest of the milk is boiled and then we add 3-4 tbsp of flour, mixing continuously. Then we add the yeast. This mixture is covered with a towel and is put in a worm place to grow. The yolks are beaten and then we gradually add the salt and the sugar. Separately we beat the whites. In a pot we put the rest of the flour and above we add the mixture of yeast and flour and we mix well; than we add the yolks, the warm milk and foam beaten whites. Everything is mixed well, adding the oil, the melted butter and the rum. After mixing, we cover the pot with a towel and we place it in an worm place for 1 hour. The dough is divided in two halves and then one of the halves is divided in other three equal parts.

From the first half we stretch a round sheet as large

as the pan which is greased before placing the dough

on it. Out of the three pieces of dough we make braids.

For the filling we have the cheese mixed with butter

and the above mentioned ingredients. It is baked in

the oven for 1 hour.

All things considered, will you think twice before choosing what goes into your mouth?

Foody hopes you will…