Why do egg whites whip up into fluffy white meringue clouds? What techniques will produce the best meringue?

When egg whites are beaten, they stretch and trap air bubbles. Smaller air bubbles will last longer and be and more stable than large air bubbles. Using the right beater will determine the end result. A balloon whisk for your mixer, or a hand operated balloon whisk will produce the best meringue. Be sure to beat the egg whites at high speed to insure good aeration.

Adding an acid such as 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar per large egg will strengthen the egg white proteins. Add sugar, if the recipe calls for it, after adding the cream of tartar. Sugar also strengthens the meringue. Once the foamy whites are established and no liquid egg white is apparent, add the sugar slowly (about one tablespoon per 30 seconds to one minute). The sugar needs to dissolve uniformly. Adding the sugar before the egg whites reach the soft peak stage can result in “plastic-like” meringue.

Fat is the enemy of meringue, in fact, egg whites will not foam in the presence of fat. A dirty mixing bowl, or even the slightest bit of wayward yolk will cause a failure to foam.

If you have a copper mixing bowl, the ions in the copper will release and act like an acid to assist in fortifying the foam, and give a creamy look to the meringue. Copper also helps to keep the whites cooler than in a glass or other type of metal mixing bowl.

A note: a too small mixing bowl will not allow for the production of good foam, and the foam could collapse. Allow approximately 1 cup of bowl volume per egg (white).

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Breathing is the fastest and most efficient way to oxygenate your body, but most people use half or less than half of their lung capacity. Deep breathing can give your lungs a workout and increase lung capacity.

One technique that is easy and works well is to exhale as much air from your lungs as possible. Next, breathe REALLY deep lungs full of air through your nose, and hold the air for 5 seconds. Repeat ten times. It only takes a minute to do this. You can do it at a stop light, or when taking a brain break. A great time to deep breathe is after a meal.

You should do deep breathing throughout the day. If you do this once per hour over ten hours, you will expand lung capacity, and expand oxygenation. If you are oxygen starved, this technique will cause a light-headed feeling at first. When you stop feeling light-headed, you are making progress.

Physical exercise causes deeper, faster breathing. Athletes are usually oxygen sufficient, but athletes can do deep breathing exercises on the days between workouts, and get additional benefits from the oxygen. If you are unable to do a physical workout, deep breathing is definitely for you.

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My goal in this post is to tell the oxygen story without getting too technical. I do not want cause your eyes to glaze over, but do want you to understand the importance of this element and what it does that you should care about. Remember, you can go days without water or food, but only moments without oxygen. You need oxygen for life.

Oxygen is the most important of all the elements. Life as we know it is impossible without oxygen. Every living creature on planet Earth is dependent upon oxygen in one way or another. You need oxygen for energy, and for survival. After all, mammals can’t extract oxygen from water; the free flow of oxygen-containing air is necessary to support life.

Breathing brings oxygen containing air into your lungs. Your lungs do something pretty amazing with the oxygen; they diffuse the oxygen into your blood plasma through membranes that are so thin that the oxygen passes right through them. Hemoglobin, in iron-rich blood cells, grabs (binds) the oxygen. As the hemoglobin grabs the oxygen, it releases carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide travels a pathway opposite to the oxygen and your lungs exhale the carbon dioxide as a waste gas. This process is referred to as respiration.

A few of the benefits of oxygen are:
a. Higher energy levels
b. Anti-oxidant benefits
c. Anti-microbial properties
d. Contributes to good sleep
e. Helps maintain “clean” blood
f. Anti-aging benefits

Increase your energy, wellness, skin beautification, and more with increased oxygenation. Maximize oxygenation for free with simple and easy breathing techniques. Be sure to read the upcoming “Breathing” post for details about deep breathing techniques.

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Only you can achieve wellness. Eighty percent of wellness is achieved by a good, healthy diet. No medical system, doctor, pharmaceutical preparation(s), exercise program, or medical treatment can make you well, or keep you well. The medical system can assist you where appropriate, but you can stay out of the that system by staying well.

The medical profession can treat injuries and perform diagnostic tests, and prescribe potions that can be beneficial, but ONLY your immune system can heal you. If you contract a disease or life threatening condition such as cancer, the treatment meted out by a physician can buy some time for your immune system to finish the healing. If the underlying reasons for disease are not addressed and you do not invigorate your immune system with a healthy lifestyle, the disease will often return.

The sad truth is that the medical industry is woefully inadequate regarding wellness. The medical model is built on disease research and treatment. There is a real need for a medical system that treats injured bodies, and performs heroic surgeries, and develops vaccines and treatments to address various diseases. There is also a huge need for a wellness model. A wellness model that addresses the dissemination of information regarding the very real opportunity to stay well and live a long life using common sense nutrition and dietary supplementation.

The current FDA bias in favor of a medical model, to the exclusion of other wellness models, has resulted in suppression of health and wellness information that could help people take charge of their wellness needs. We all just need good information that explains, simply, how to stay well.

In future posts, I will address the basic cornerstone steps that, if followed, could improve your level of wellness. Many wellness devotees are really well informed, but in my experience, most people do not understand the basics of wellness. Wellness is not taught in school, so most people have little or no understanding of nutrition.

I want to keep the basics very simple. To be well, your body needs oxygen, minerals, enzymes, and vitamin D. You can certainly purchase dietary supplements by the hundreds, but most people do not have the resources to spend hundreds of dollars a month on supplements. It is important to stick to the basics and build on that if there are resources to allow that.

Watch for my next post about oxygen.

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In my first post I asked the question, why do you eat? I believe that most people want to eat healthfully, and they want to eat food that is really delicious.

Many people, with whom I communicate, are interested in preparing food that is healthful, tasty, and affordable, however, they don’t know how or where to start. What foods are the most healthful? What to do if you don’t know how to cook, much less food combine or make top rate nutritious food choices.

I believe the best way to begin is to make simple meals. If you don’t know how to cook, prepare salads and sandwiches. Salads are very simple and easy to prepare, and most people know how to make a sandwich. Salad greens are available in ready to “dress” combinations of various greens. Add cucumber slices and green onions or other veggies you like, and toss in your favorite dressing.

Make your own salad dressing and limit the bad stuff that is found in many ready-made dressings, and save money. With the money you save by making your own dressing, you’ll be able to invest in organic olive or other oil, and organic vinegars of your choice.

Sandwiches are very easy to make. Try brown bagging it save money, calories, and know what’s in your food. Between two slices of whole grain organic bread, drizzle on a little salad dressing and pile on lettuce and sliced bell peppers and slices of chicken breast; to amp up the nutrition, add sliced radish or some grated carrot, or sliced tomato. Juicy vegetables should be place in a separate container to prevent soggy bread.

I am going to start posting recipes of some of my family’s favorite recipes. I will be sharing tips and techniques for growing some of the produce that has helped me save money and have flavorful, ultra fresh herbs and other veggies on hand for use at any time.

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