Water is the most abundant nutrient in our body and plays an important transmission function in every body cell and tissue. Sixty percent of our body weight is water. The fact that you can live without food for a long period of time, even months, but live only for a few days without water is true. Under normal conditions, the body releases about one quart of water daily. Therefore, replacement to equal the losses is very important for survival.

Dehydration is the most common problem of water imbalance due to water losses and deprivation. The effects of dehydration on nutrition can adversely affect ones health. Dehydration is the major cause of ones diminished ability to perform during endurance activities. Body water is lost through the stomach, respiration, sweat, and the kidneys. It is recomended that 24oz of water a day should be taken. This amount can double or even triple with endurance type exercise.



A note about water: More and more evidence shows the benifit of being well hydrated.

Studies show that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated (likely applies to half the world's population), leading to possible health problems such as fatigue. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger, leading to over-eating. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.



Bottled Water: Some types of bottled water are not subject to the same regulations as tap water. These are regulated as food products, and their regulations are largely related to sanitary food handling and processing practices. Bottled water manufacturers will provide a detailed report on the quality of their product to consumers who call to request it.

The only alcohol suitable for drinking is ethyl alcohol, a liquid produced by distilling the fermented juice of fruits or grains. Pure ethyl alcohol is clear, flammable and caustic. Water is therefore added to reduce its potency. In the United States, the average amount of alcohol in distilled spirits is about 40 percent (80 PROOF)A USDA study has disproved the theory that alcohol evaporates completely when heated. In truth, cooked food can retain from 5 to 85 percent of the original alcohol, depending on various factors such as how and at what temperature the food was heated, the cooking time and the alcohol source.

Alcohol has been used medicinally throughout recorded history; its medicinal properties are mentioned 191 times in the Old and New Testaments. Medical research suggests that alcohol can have a greater impact on heart disease than even these hard-won reductions in cholesterol levels or blood pressure. Only cessation of smoking is more effective.



source: fda & allrecipes.com

Sugar produced from cornstarch; comprised of glucose (dextrose), maltose and higher sugars; 70 percent to 80 percent solids

Sugar based sweeteners are those such as that developed from corn starch. The development of the various types of corn syrups, maltodextrins, and high-fructose corn syrup from corn starch sources could be called one of the greatest changes in the sugar and sweetener industry over several centuries. In the late 1800s it was found that corn starch could be hydrolyzed and a sugar formed. It was not until the 1970s that it became commercially a major product bringing about changes in the food industry. Over-reliance in the food industry and over-indulgence by consumers of these processed sugers, particularly high fructose corn syrup, has most likly contributed to obesity in many western countries.



These sweeteners are processed and refined using a series of separation, and grinding processes. Finally, the products are converted and fermented. From this processing a five classes of corn sweeteners are formed. This does not include the corn syrup conversion into high-fructose corn syrup.

Whole-Wheat Flour - A coarse-textured flour ground from the entire wheat kernel. It contains the bran, germ and endosperm. The presence of bran reduces gluten development, so baked products made from whole-wheat flour tend to be heavier and denser than those made from white flour. In most recipes, whole-wheat flour can be mixed half-and-half with white flour.

By removing free fatty acids and phospholipids from crude corn oil, the oil refining process gives corn oil one of the qualities consumers value most: its excellent frying quality and resistance to smoking or discoloration. It also has a pleasant taste, resists developing off-flavors and offers high levels of polyunsaturated, instead of saturated fats.



Studies using typical American foods have found that no vegetable oil is more effective than corn oil in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

At the core of the starchy substance and toward the pointy end of the kernel is the germ. The germ contains a small amount of oil. If you cut a popcorn kernel in half, you can see the husk, starch and germ. If you cut out the tiny piece of germ and squeeze the germ, you will see the oil.

the oil is odorless, has no taste, and has a high smoking-point, which makes it a good choice for frying. It is used in salad dressing, mayonnaise and some margarine.



Corn oil contains very little cholesterol. It has a fatty acid content is 13% saturated, 62% polyunsaturated, and 25% monounsaturated.

Cornstarch, or cornflour, is the starch of the maize grain, commonly known as corn. It is also ground from the endosperm, or white heart, of the corn kernel. It has a distinctive appearance and feel when mixed raw with water or milk, giving easily to gentle pressure but resisting sudden pressure. It is usually included as an anti-caking agent in powdered sugar (10X or confectioner's sugar). For this reason, recipes calling for powdered sugar often call for at least light cooking to remove the raw cornstarch taste.



Cornstarch is often used as a binder in puddings and similar foods. Most of the packaged pudding mixes available in grocery stores include cornstarch. Cornstarch puddings may be easily made at home, benefiting from the use of a double boiler. The most basic such pudding may be made only from milk, sugar, cornstarch and a flavoring agent.



It is also used as a thickener in many recipes. Cornstarch is best dissolved in cold water, as it forms obstinate lumps when mixed with warm or hot water.



Cornstarch also has many uses in the manufacturing of environmentally-friendly products. For example, in 2004, the Japanese company Pioneer announced a biodegradable Blu-Ray disc made out of cornstarch.



Cornstarch has been used as a replacement for talcum powder by some.



Due to cross contamination, wheat may be present. Read food label carefully to ensure it is Gluten Free.

Corn starch does not trigger the autoimmune response in celiac disease. It contains a form of gluten (a type of combined grain protein), but not the same form as wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt, and triticale. ??If the corn starch is not contaminated, it is safe for celiacs



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornstarch

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)



Also known as bicarbonate of soda, baking soda is used as a LEAVENER in baked goods. When combined with an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles, thereby causing a dough or batter to rise. Because it reacts immediately when moistened, it should always be mixed with the other dry ingredients before adding any liquid; the resulting batter should be placed in the oven immediately. At one time, baking soda was used in the cooking water of green vegetables to preserve their color. That practice was discontinued, however, when it was discovered that baking soda destroys the vitamin C content of vegetables.



Baking Soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a naturally occurring substance that is present in all living things--it helps living things maintain the pH balance necessary for life. Baking Soda is made from soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate. The soda ash is obtained in one of two ways: it can be manufactured by passing carbon dioxide and ammonia through a concentrated solution of sodium chloride (table salt). Whether the soda ash is mined or processed, it is dissolved into a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled, and sodium bicarbonate precipitates out, forming Baking Soda

Sodium aluminium sulfate, NaAl(SO4)2·12H2O or Na2SO4·Al2(SO4)3·24H2O, also known as soda alum or sodium alum, is a form of alum used in the acidity regulator of food (E521) as well as in the manufacture of baking powder. It is also a common mordant for the preparation of hematoxylin solutions for staining cell nuclei in histopathology.



The classical cubic alum structure is the dodecahydrate, which is known in mineralogy as alum-(Na).[2][3] Two other rare mineral forms are known: mendozite (undecahydrate)[4] and tamarugite (hexahydrate).

Based on its histroy of use no food safety problems have been shown to occur with this chemical at the levels commonly used in foods. It is used in bread, rolls, and buns, artifically sweetened fruit jelly, canned potatoes, canned sweet peppers, canned tomatoes and as a jelling agent. In the canned products it provides calcium which has been shown to maintain the firmness of friuts and vegetables during the canning process.It also provides a source of calcium which aids in the jelling of artifically sweetened friut jellies. It acts as a dough conditioner in bakery products.

This ancient spice is a popular flavoring in many cuisines, and is especially noted for its delectable aroma. There are many species of cinnamon, but Chinese cinnamomum trees, evergreens native to China and Vietnam and now cultivated in many parts of Asia, are the source for medicinal cinnamon bark remedies used in Chinese, Indian, and Western traditional medicine. A close relative, cassia, is often used interchangeably with cinnamon. Its name comes from the Greek word kassia, meaning "strip off the bark."



Medicinal use of cinnamon bark was first recorded in Chinese formularies as early as 2700 B.C. The herb has been used as a healing aid for stomach upset and gas, diarrhea, rheumatism, kidney ailments, and abdominal pain. Cinnamon "drops" containing the essential oils of cinnamon and cassia are also used for many of the same purposes. Possibly because Chinese cinnamon has antiseptic properties, the bark and the essential oils it contains are also used in topical products such as liniments, soaps, and lotions, and in oral preparations such as toothpaste and mouthwash.

Cinnamon comes in ‘quills’, strips of bark rolled one in another. The pale brown to tan bar strips are generally thin, the spongy outer bark having been scraped off. The best varieties are pale and parchment-like in appearance. Cinnamon is very similar to cassia, and in North America little distinction is given, though cassia tends to dominate the market. Cinnamon is also available ground, and can be distinguished from cassia by its lighter colour and much finer powder.

Native to the Spice Islands, this seed from the nutmeg tree (a tropical evergreen) was extremely popular throughout much of the world from the 15th to the 19th century. When the fruit of the tree is picked, it is split to reveal the nutmeg seed surrounded by a lacy membrane that, when dried and ground, becomes the spice MACE. The hard, egg-shaped nutmeg seed is grayish-brown and about 1 inch long. The flavor and aroma are delicately warm, spicy and sweet. Nutmeg is sold ground or whole.