Baby Steps to Reducing Salt in Your Diet

While salt is an essential part of human health, excessive intake can get you closer to dreaded diseases including heart problems, high blood pressure and strokes.

Six grams is the recommended daily allowance of salt for adults but studies show that the average salt intake for adults is ten grams. Needless to say, we take in more than we need and so we're beating a path to those dreaded diseases. The key to keeping this in check is to be conscious of what we eat. I believe that half the battle is won if we avoid any types of processed food but that will never happen. So the next best thing is buying wisely. One wise tip I picked up is to check the label for sodium content because this is the representation of salt in packaged foods. The sodium content should be multiplied by 2.5 to get the real salt content. If the label indicates per 100 grams then a bit more computation is needed.

For breakfast cereals the type with the lowest content is muesli and wheat. Avoid processed meat as much as you can because they have been cured with salt and if you have them in your sandwich ditch the ketchup for some slices of tomatoes. Go for wheat or rye for your bread and if you are a rice and pasta person, iodized beats rock salt hands down, or take out salt from the whole cooking process. Go easy on the condiments, instead of mustard, soy sauce, mayo or pickles think along the lines of Scarborough Fair, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, yes, try herbal spices.

Perhaps the biggest salt contributor to most people's diet is in their snacks. Who can say no to a big bag of chips and ice cold soda. I know I can't and you have to admit their substitutes are bit of a bore, but try them we must! So there's celery and carrot sticks, other fruits or vegetables, a tiny fruit bun or scone. Remember that the goal here is to reduce the intake but our health would definitely be better if we go cold turkey! The first baby step is to be aware of the food you are eating, in our busy lives most of us can only relate to fast food and that is a big no no! Think organic, think natural then act on those thoughts!

Author: Monie Maunay
email: buddygallagher@gmail.com

How do you improve on perfection?

I'm currently watching Roger Federer's game against Britain's Andy Murray for the finals of the Australian Open 2010. I love watching him play, for me he is the embodiment of the sport, individual, elegant and stylish. Tennis, or lawn tennis as it was known before has always been a sport for the upper class. The opponents are like gladiators when they come to the court brandishing their rackets.I never got around to actually playing the sport though two of my sisters did. We had a wooden Wilson racket that was heavy as hell and my eldest sister used it for her P.E. class in college.

I did get a chance to swing the racket and hit the ball but only on the walls of the CCP edifices (mostly that wall where the Gloria Maris restaurant used to be, or is still is im not sure).

But even at a young age, I've been drawn to the sport because of its elegance, I wanted to learn becuase I heard somewhere that lefties have a slight edge just because of their orientation. My dad was a mean ping-pong and badminton player and I remember he would say that taking up tennis wouldn't be a huge stretch because the concept is the same, hitting the ball with a racket or a paddle. I remember taking lessons as a kid (maybe just one lesson), where I learned the footwork, which was complicated as hell and felt more like learning a dance.

Even the game's jargons appealed to me. There are the words for the various strokes; the forehand and backhand, the slice, the lob the clip and the volley. Then there are the terms for scoring, the fault, the double fault, the foot fault, the game point, break point, set point, match/championship point. There's the ace, the winner and the unforced error, the deuce, and of course the love, which means zero. This year, I've heard the expression "consolidating the point" (or is it the game). Its when you break the opponent's serve and you hold your ensuing serve to consolidate the points moving the game quickly to your favor.

I enjoy the game most when I watch Roger Federer. On the court, he is all elegance, from his form when he hits the ball, to his choice of angles. There are a lot of arguments over who is the best tennis player ever, I really don't give a hoot because for me its always been the Fed Express. When he plays, I feel the love he has for the game, he is precise, serious as a heart attack and doesn't budge for an inch. It looks really personal it’s almost spiritual. And he makes it look so easy making it even more beautiful to watch.

He is by no means invincible and Rafael Nadal knows that very well. But he is such a pleasure to watch, even when he's losing because he never looks distressed or perturbed at all. His demeanor never changes like nothing ever touches him. Beautiful and effortless or effortless beauty, that's what makes his game perfect or near perfect. And at 7:20 pm here in Manila, Federer won his 16th grand slam title. He doesn't share this distinction with any other tennis player, dead or alive. Andy Murray was a worthy opponent and gave good game, it looked like the game would turn his way in the third set, which was decided by a tie-break. Murray was in tears when he accepted his runner-up prize. Roger accepted his trophy with much gusto, he definitely loved winning. He marked his win in the tournament as his first grand slam as a dad. Tennis' favorite son, world number 1 at 28, wholesome and engaging, generous as well (he rounded up his co-players and convinced them to forgo their last day of prep for the tourney to do a fund-raising for Haiti), a veritable role model if I've ever seen one.

Author: Monie Maunay

email: buddygallagher@gmail.com

Terrible Television

nope this is not a food blog. I just love the sound of amuse bouche, heard it first from all those reality cooking shows Im such a big fan of. This is how I want this series to feel like, a small bite to amuse the mouth before the meal. I'm not really clear on how I'm to accomplish that but this layout is a start.

ASAP 10 - For the first time this year, I gave in to the weaker part of my brain and tuned in to this lunchtime show that happens every Sunday at ABS CBN Ch. 2. If there is one thing I absolutely hate in television, its the variety shows. But I'm a fan of Philippine show business (and yes a lot of that is due to Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda!) and all the brightest stars are in ABS, so I think it wouldn't be so painful to watch them in ASAP. My problem with variety shows is that nothing much happens, you have the same set of people performing song and dance numbers all throughout the show. I hate it so when they mention their sponsors, their long list of sponsors...

What I enjoy are the outfits, the hairstyles, the accessories, the hits and the misses. There's something so amusing about people of very different ages trying to look the same, young and vibrant. So there's Sara G alongside Zsa Zsa sporting pretty much the same look or style. It must be hell for Zsa Zsa to be surrounded by young people, to actually share the stage with them. Television is merciless to the ages and the sizes. You have Bea who can never ever showcase her thunder thighs and she sings with Anne, Shaina and Iya.

Do you ever see Sharon Cuneta slug it out every Sunday while struggling the whole time to hide those bulges? How about Corina trying to downplay her abundant bumpers. It's a good thing I did not get discovered to be a TV personality, I bet I wouldn't last long...

Author: Monie Maunay
email: buddygallagher@gmail.com