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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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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We all have to eat. I have spoken with thousands of people in the course of conducting my nutrition business, and have discovered that people eat for a variety of  reasons. One might think that asking a question such as “Why do you eat,” would result in a couple of common responses, but what a surprise we received. Answers ranged from the obvious: because my stomach was growling and because it was mealtime, to, the food was talking to me; I was bored; I needed to eat before drinking booze; I have to eat before taking medication; I had to carb up before working out;  food means comfort when I’m depressed; I’m on a special diet; the food smells good; food tastes good, and more.  Why do you eat?

There was one answer we almost never heard: I eat for health and wellness. Perhaps many people do eat for the health results, but the concept does not seem to be the uppermost reason for eating. Do you know of what a healthy meal consists? Do you eat healthfully and (importantly) deliciously?

I always felt that it was not only cheaper to eat for health (no doctor visits and no missed days of work), but fresh foods tasted so much better than overcooked foods. It became a goal of mine to provide my family with really healthy foods that the hubby and kids really wanted to eat. They probably didn’t think much about protein to carb ratios, or care about the nutrition content of the foods, but I did.

The family loved the meals I served, and it wasn’t until they visited their friends homes that they began to notice a big difference in the meals that were served in other homes. My daughter was surprised that one of her friends had a brother who existed on cocoa puffs. The rest of the family ate hot dogs and Kraft mac’n cheese, for the most part. One of our neighbors never ate anything unless it was cooked. Canned foods were his primary food source. He had 6 feet of intestine surgically removed due to low or no fiber meals. Even his physician cautioned him about his food choices, but he wasn’t convinced. He died in his early fifties. He never smoked or drank. His son, having the same diet, suffered the same fate of intestine removal, but changed his diet and is living  healthier and with far more energy than before the surgery. Good for him, I say.

So, what are you eating and why? Those of you who, like me, are willing to share ideas and recipes for health success, leave some comments for others.

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