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Woman adding icing to homemade cupcakes
 by Victoria Santalesa

Vitafiber Is The Latest Health Craze

So much for not eating anything you can’t pronounce. Vitafiber is the newest producer of a nondigestible, sugar-free, gut friendly fiber/ solution for those with a sweet tooth who can’t stomach the gluten or the sugar. While we have been exposed to power bars and candy bars which seem to fall short of the real thing in taste, and are reputedly not even much better for us, the real question here may not be how vital fiber stacks up, but rather, can you say isomaltooligosaccharide? More mercifully known as IMO, this short chain carbohydrate is the secret weapon behind via fiber, and may be the answer to healthy baked goods. Let’s take a closer look at the latest craze in health foods.

What is Vitafiber?
Vitafiber IMO is a low-calorie natural sweetener which provides probiotics ( the good bacteria) and non-GMO dietary fiber for better digestive health. It has all sweetness of sugar, is minimally processed. and is so versatile, it can meet almost all of your baking and cooking needs. Dietary too, Virafibert is free of dairy, gluten, sugar, allergens, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and also meets vegan, halal, and kosher food standards. It is available in syrup and powder forms, making a great bulking agent for your baking creations.

As an addition to your food, you’ll find that Vitafiber has no bitter aftertaste and the 98% fiber content makes it great for keeping full, baking with a nice crispy outer texture and inner gooeyness. Plus, it saves time and money, acting as a sweetener and a binder without the addition of sugar, flour, starch and preservatives and great for your vegan, pale, and diabetic friends.

Vitafiber Recipes

Hemp Seed Microwave Cake
Ingredients (4 servings)

1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 eggs
1/4 cup Vitafiber powder
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients using a hand blender, cook in the microwave for three minutes.
134 cal., 7 g fat, 6.7 g protein, 0 g sugar, 14.8 g carbs, 9.4 g fiber

Simple Mini Cakes (4 cakes)
I egg
2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup Vitafiber powder
2 tbsp pea protein
1 tsp baking powder

Bake in cake or muffin pan for 20 minutes at 200-220 degrees. Flip over, cakes should maintain their shape and come out in one piece.
62 cal., 1.6 g fat, 5.5 g protein, 0.8 g sugar, 10.8 g carbs, 9.3 g fiber

Yogurt Flans (4 servings)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg
1 tbsp melted ghee (optional for buttery taste- warning: this tbsp is 112 cal, 13 g fat)
1/4 cup vanilla extract
1/3 cup Vitafiber powder
Put these in individual cups add water, turn over, removing from cups, the mixture should maintain its flat shape. Drizzle with water, bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
92 cal, 12.5 g fat, 2.7 g protein, 1.2 g sugar,2.7 g carbs, 5.2 g fiber

Have you tried Vitafiber? What do you think? Got any good recipes for us? Let us know!

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Woman in pain and clutching her tummy area
 by Victoria Santalesa

Beware Vibrio Vulnificus

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water….it’s not. If you still haven’t gotten over the movie “Jaws,” don’t. There’s another predator lurking in our waters, but it you probably won’t see or hear this one coming. Vibrio Vulnicus is a natural bacterium that lives in warm saltwater that can infect humans through skin wounds or consumption of undercooked shellfish, and while it’s not likely to be the subject of the next summer blockbuster, there are a few facts about it’s you may want to be apprised of it. Here are some reasons you should beware vibrio vulnificus.

It’s Not “Flesh Eating”
If you have heard about vibrio vulificus before, you may have heard it described as a “flesh-eating bacteria.” Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your thirst for drama, it’s not. The “flesh-eating” associations come from the possibility of the development of necrotizing fasciitis, which is a condition in which the bacteria destroy the tissue and skin covering the muscle. However, it is not a medical term and does not fit the definition of flesh eating, which is occasionally used to describe other forms of bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis.

Symptoms
The human-infecting bacteria, transmitted through skin wounds or undercooked shellfish consumption is known to cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in those with healthy immune systems, however, those who are immunocompromised may run a far greater risk. Patients with weak immune systems may develop potentially fatal bloodstream infections including sepsis, skin lesions, fever, and chills. Exposure to bacteria through open wounds can lead to redness, swelling, and pain near the wounds. Symptoms will typically begin to show one to three days after exposure.

woman throwing up

Statistics
The occurrence of Vibrio vulnificus is relatively rare, although health experts say many incidences tend to go unreported. Most recent data from the CDC reports more than 900 cases between 1998 and 2006 in the Gulf Coast area, including Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

Risk
Individuals who consume a lot of raw shellfish are at the highest risk of gastrointestinal problems caused by Vibrio vulnificus. The more serious and life-threatening bloodstream infections are likely to target those with compromised immune systems or chronic diseases such as HIV. However, most people who acquire infections will recover without any long-term effects, unless the infection contaminates the bloodstream. In such cases, there is a potential for skin ulcerations, gangrenes, and decomposition of bodily tissue, which may require amputation or skin grafting.

Prevention
The best way to prevent a Vibrio vulnificus infection is by avoiding uncooked shellfish and swimming at the beach with an open sore or cut. Doctors typically treat the infections with common antibiotics.

Have you had a run-in with V.Vulnificus? How did you handle it? Let us know what keeps you in or out of the water in the summer.

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Roast chicken and toast on table
 by Victoria Santalesa

Your Chicken Should Be Antibiotic Free

The dating world can be scary these days. Everyone is looking to have Fun Ways To Move Morefun, but when it comes to starting long term relationships, you need to know some vital information about your partner’s past. After all, if your going to be putting parts of a person’s body into your body, you need to know where those body parts have been. The same can be said of your chicken. If that chicken is going to be in your mouth and stomach, you should know a little about this chicken, especially whether of not this chicken is antibiotic free. Why? Read on to find out.

Harmful to Human Health
The use of antibiotic on farm animals have been amped up in recent years. Fifteen to seventeen million pounds go the drug are freely administered on a yearly basis. The goal of this is not only to keep animal healthy in general, but also to prevent sickness in animals raised in unsanitary conditions. The results have been anything but healthful. The overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria strains, superbugs, if you will, and, since poultry products usually carry more than one bacterial strain, it is becoming more likely the meat you buy is contaminated.

In fact, a recent study from the Environmental working group found that 81% of ground turkey, 69% of pork chops, 55 % of ground beef, and 39% of chicken wings and thighs are tainted with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

Add to that the fact that the antibiotics used to treat chicken are similar to those that are used on humans and the threat to public health increases. Dr. Glenn Morris says that humans who ingest the resistant bacteria may not respond to antibiotic treatment. The risk for children is higher due to less mature immune systems.

Happy hens

Government Response
It would not be an exaggeration to say our government’s response to this danger was underwhelming. In 2013, the FDA declared a “voluntary strategy” asking that drug companies limit the amount of antibiotics in animal feed. While the association released a statement acknowledging the use of antimicrobial drugs as “an important health concern,” and recommended “judicious use of the drugs, the call carries no penalty for failure to comply and is open to ambiguous interpretation.

Antibiotic Chicken
Despite the weak response from the FDA, consumers can be proactive in avoiding the consumption of contaminated chicken. A 2012 Consumer Reports studies found antibiotic free products at 119 stores, including, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. The “no antibiotics” chickens were reasonably priced and, in some cases, actually cost less than the average price of chicken breasts nation-wide. Panera Bread is a leading restaurant in the increasing availability of antibiotic-free products, including chicken, pork. and turkeys, a trend that we will hopefully be seeing more of in the near future. Until then, you can keep yourself informed at RealTimeFarms.com.

What are you doing to avoid eating unhealthy foods? Let us know! We want to hear your recommendations and suggestions!

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