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The many uses of baking soda

Grace — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Who knew the forgotten forlorn 10-year-old orange box of baking soda has many uses outside of taking up the same spot in your fridge for the last 10 years. Sprinkle a little baking soda in your shampoo the next time you’re washing up for more manageable and cleaner hair. Hair not your thing? Sprinkle in a dabble of baking soda in those sweat soaked basketball shoes after use. Just remember to dump the powder out before you lace up!

Some other uses of baking soda include:

-toothpaste substitute (perfect for camp outings)

-clean battery corrosion on electronics or car batteries

-finally get ride of those brown rings on coffee mugs and pots

-give super power cleaning power to laundry detergent

-remove stubborn grease and oil stains (this applies to crayon marks as well)

-fruits and vegetables rinse

Access the full list here!

City Weekend: Where does your food come from?

Grace — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out City Weekend's article "Where does your food come from?" with commentary from My Local Store!

Tummy Flattening Foods

Grace — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Marie Claire recently featured an article with some tummy flattening tips that involve none other than eating. Not just eating more, but eating healthy and eating right. As a foreigner in Shanghai, it’s easy to get carried away with all the dumplings, yummy cakes and sugary milk teas that cross our paths. Enjoying these goodies from time to time is fine as long as we keep our bodies filled with healthy produce. We've added some helpful little links to the veggies and fruits we have that will not only promote a flatter tummy (away with the China bloat!) but are all naturally fat free to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Oranges and Watermelons

Because water flushes waste and excess water out of your system, enjoying water-rich foods is ideal. Watermelons, as their name suggests, are almost all water — 92 percent. Oranges too are approximately 80 to 90 percent water.

Garlic
This plant helps reduce the levels of fat in the liver, whose main functions include detoxification and the production of biochemicals necessary for digestion — major aspects of the prevention of bloating.

Bran Cereal and Oatmeal
Fiber helps relieve constipation, which is an all-too frequent cause of bloating. By adding bulk in the form of certain cold or hot cereals, everything moves through the intestines more quickly. Because women need at least 25 grams of fiber daily, eating a bran cereal with at least five grams of fiber per serving helps reach that goal. Just be certain to not add too much fiber to your diet too fast, or worsened bloating can occur.

Strawberries and Blueberries
Fiber also takes the form of certain delicious fruits and berries. Snacking on high-fiber foods such as strawberries and blueberries, as well as dried apricots and dried plums, can help clean out one's system regularly.

Grapefruit

Like other fruits with high water content, grapefruit is nearly 90 percent water. An added benefit of snacking on this pink treat: It's high in fat-burning enzymes.

Lettuce and Spinach

These green leaves, in addition to kale and chard, require ample chewing and provide a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also help with acid indigestion, constipation, and urinary tract infections.

Peppermint and Ginger

Carminative herbs, which include peppermint as well as chamomile and ginger, are gas reducers and can be enjoyed in tea form. In addition to these herbs, bitter herbs, despite their taste, are effective at stimulating the digestive tract as well as the flow of saliva.

Chili Peppers

Not just a spice to heat up a meal, these peppers reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. Capsaicin, an active ingredient found in the peppers, can also increase metabolism and curb food cravings, especially for sweets.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, break down harmful forms of estrogen for safe elimination from the body. Still, they do contain sugars that are sometimes difficult to digest and thus should be eaten in moderation (a half-cup serving at a time).

Cucumbers

This veggie may not have much nutritional value, but it serves as a natural diuretic, helping to increase urination and the flushing out of toxins from the body. Cucumbers are rich in sulfur and silicon to stimulate the kidneys into better removal of uric acid. Because cukes are low in both sodium and calories, they're also a favored vegetable in most diet plans.

Pineapples

This tropical fruit, which is approximately 85 percent water, also contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, promotes good digestion, and helps to eradicate some stomach problems.

Ageing Gracefully

Grace — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Recently, GOOP featured a great article on keeping up your metabolism as we age. Read below for some great tips by Dr. Oz Garcia, a New York city based nutritionist and expert in anti-aging nutrition.

Q:“How might a 40 something jump start a sluggish metabolism?”

A: Staying slim and fit is always a challenge but maintaining your girly figure after age forty can be an all out battle. Even maintaining an exact diet and fitness regimen will not beat the penalty of aging.

On average, women gain 25 pounds between the ages of 30 and 60 and it’s not from eating those extra Twinkies. During the course of the natural aging process, women shed lean muscle mass. These lean muscles are the force from which calories are burned even while sitting around and just blinking.

Technically speaking, a pound of lean tissue burns 35 to 50 K’s each day. A loss of just a half-pound of lean muscle could cause you to gain three pounds in just one year, 25 pounds in 10 years, 50 pounds in 20 years and a hefty 75 pounds in 30 years.

So in order for women to stay lean well into their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s they need to maintain those lean muscles. This means working out every day. Yes, every day. Exercise with increased resistance and lower reps will provide increased muscle density and bone strength.

Interval training, when you get your heart pumping at maximum capacity and then slow down for a period of recovery, is great for losing weight in your 20’s and 30’s. Once you’re a bit older, however, you want to regulate your cardio training into a steady bell-shaped progression. Start off slow, work to a crescendo and then work you way back down.

Oh yes, there’s also an eating component. (Don’t act surprised, you knew it was coming.)

A good cleanse or detox, like Blue Print Cleanse and Organic Avenue, is an incredible way to jump-start your metabolism.
You need to eat lots of lean animal proteins, like salmon or white meat chicken to help you stay fueled and burn calories.
Green tea is a metabolic enhancer and natural diuretic that will keep your body flush and lean.
Lose the wheat and gluten. Wheat can work as a hormone disrupter and alter your appetite to increase cravings. There are enough good and healthy carbs and starches that won’t gob on the fat and cause your metabolism and energy levels to become sluggish.
Try to eat five to six small meals a day. Micro-mealing doesn’t allow you to get too hungry between meals. By eating every few hours, you keep your metabolism firing, your blood sugar stable, and leave your body in a much better state to burn energy.
Plan your meals in advance - classic Mediterranean or Japanese are good choice. Also make sure to have ”go-to” snacks such as pistachio’s, fruit, and even eggs on hand at home or at work.

Ready for the good news? Studies show that starting at age 65 the body naturally begins to slowly lose weight. Social Security, here we come!

What your tongue can say about your health

Dr. Maoshing Ni — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This article is from a collection of health tips from the “Ask Dr. Mao” series. Have a hand mirror handy so you can refer to your own tongue for reference.

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

How Chinese medicine uses the tongue to interpret your health
The tongue is one of the most important diagnostic areas in ancient medical traditions. What makes the tongue such a great diagnostic tool? Your tongue, containing water, electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes, is a very sensitive organ and its appearance changes with many physical changes in the body. In Chinese medicine, the tongue is a "map" of the internal body. Like the face, the tongue is divided into five-element zones that correspond to your internal organ networks.

Get in front of the mirror and look at your tongue right now. The tip exhibits the fire element; behind the tongue tip is the metal element; both right and left sides the wood element; in the center towards the back is the earth element; and the very back of your tongue is the water element. Now that you know what element is where, how do you translate what your tongue is telling you?

Signs and symptoms
Here is what you want to see: A normal tongue should be pink, muscular without tooth marking or discoloration, and have a very thin clear coating that exhibits proper salivary secretions. Monitor your evolving health level by noticing color, shape, and coating changes in specific zones.

Tongue Color: When the color becomes deeper -- going from pale to scarlet to purple -- it means that there is increasing heat in the body. Heat may mean inflammation, infection, or hyperactivity of the organ network. When the tongue's color becomes lighter -- from pink to pale to paper white -- it indicates cold, which can mean anemia, pathogenic cold factor, or low energy and function of the corresponding organ network. I treat patients with low immune system function, sometimes due to chemotherapy or chronic fatigue syndrome, and many of them exhibit a pale tongue indicating low energy.

Tongue Coating: The thickness and color of the coating, or a lack of coating, can indicate different issues. When the coat of your tongue becomes thick, it is frequently a sign of imbalance in the digestive system. When the coat turns thick and cruddy, it generally points to decreased immune system with Candida (yeast infection). When the coat turns yellow, it often signals infection or inflammation in the body. A peeling coat is usually a sign of damage or weakening to certain systems of the body.

You can further diagnose underlying problems by analyzing the regions of your tongue; these show you which organ network is affected.

1. Tongue tip
Fire: Cardiovascular System

The fire element zone, which corresponds to the heart-small intestine network, is located at the tip of the tongue. This includes matters of the heart, both emotions and the physical health. In Chinese medicine, the spirit is said to reside in the heart network. Stress and anxiety will show up as red color and red dots on the tip of the tongue. Increasing heat signs means hyperactivity in the heart network due to stress and tension.

2. Sides of your tongue

Wood: Liver Network

The sides of your tongue display the wood element. Teeth markings on the sides of the tongue usually mean stagnant energy in the liver network. You may also notice a bluish-green or purplish hue or spots in this zone. Dark spots may indicate more serious problems. On several occasions, I've noticed purple spots in the wood zone in patients that suffer from low energy, discomfort, distension around the lower ribs, and swelling in the abdomen. I immediately sent each of them to see a hepatologis -- a liver specialist -- who, unfortunately, confirmed either liver cancer or cirrhosis in seven out of ten cases.

3. Behind the tongue tip

Metal: Respiratory and Immune System

The band-like area across the tongue and just behind the tip is the metal element zone, which corresponds to the respiratory and the immune systems. When this area turns reddish, or when red pin-sized dots occur, it usually means a respiratory infection is on its way or is settling into the body. Paleness in the metal zone may reflect a weakened immune system. In rare fungal infections of the lungs, there may appear a brownish black coating over this zone, which was the case with several of my patients who suffer from lesions in their lungs.

4. Center of the tongue

Earth: Digestive System

This area is the earth element zone, and it is related to the stomach-spleen-pancreas network. Problems of the digestive system most often show up here in the center of the tongue. G.E.R.D. -- stomach and esophagus acid reflux that keeps many people awake at night -- may be seen with redness and a yellowish coating in the center of the tongue. Subtle changes in this area may indicate digestive problems that have not surfaced yet; observe this area and take prophylactic steps if necessary.

5. Back of your tongue

Water: Kidney-Bladder Network

The back of the tongue reflects many of the body's functions, but is mainly the domain of the water element, or kidney-bladder network, which includes the hormonal system and sexual glands. The two large, elevated papilla on the back of the tongue are a normal part of the taste buds. What you should look for is color and coating. For example, when I see a thick yellow coating at the back-center of the tongue in my female patients, I know that they are very likely to get a bladder infection. I tell them to immediately start drinking 8 to 12 glasses of filtered water a day, take 5,000 mg of vitamin C, and to drink cranberry juice or take its extract -- this regimen will typically help prevent a bladder infection. More often than not, those who didn't follow this preventive treatment will call me a few days later with an infection.

Counting Your Kilojoules

Grace — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As an American, I’m accustomed to determining the healthiness of my food according to its Calories. However, upon my arrival in China, this quick and easy guideline became extremely hard to determine with food items in China either not revealing their caloric content or explaining it in Kilojoules or Kilocalories. After countless failed guestimates at healthy options and gaining the China Chub, I finally decided to do some serious searching as to just how many calories are in those tempting boxes of Almond Pocky and came up with this quick and easy equivalent chart.

1 calorie = 4.184 joules

1 Calorie = 1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4.184 kilojoules (kJ)

At first glance you may have wondered how calories seem to be equivalent to both a joule and a kilojoule, but look closer and you may notice there are two different “calories”. Calorie with a capitalized “C” denotes a food calorie (what we are most interested in) and calorie with a lower case “c” denotes a scientific calorie (what chemistry textbooks use). Because the scientific calories are so small, kilocalories are used when measuring energy in food and commonly just referred to as “calories”, with a little “c”, in diet books and recipes. The next time you find yourself gawking at a 1,000+ calories carton of yogurt drink, rest assured that it’s only about 250+ food calories.

How To: Peel a Pineapple

Grace — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I remember the days when I would sit wide-eyed and fascinated watching the fruit-cart man as he peeled, sliced, diced and scored my pineapple with such deft and skill, leaving so much of the juicy flesh intact. To peel your own pineapple in their fancy fashion, follow these quick and easy steps for your own fruit-cart beauty. There are two general peeling methods that are labeled according to peeling and knife-skill factor.

Fruit-Cart Method – Advanced Peeler; Advanced Knife Skill

1. Cut a bit off the top of the head of the pineapple and the bottom to remove the green fronds and hardened stem stub.

2. Sit the pineapple upright on its cut-off end and skin the pineapple with a small knife by cutting down in long strips. Don’t worry about removing all the divets at this point because it will remove a lot of the flesh.

3. Using the same small knife, cut diagonally along the fruit to remove divets. The outside of your pineapple should resemble a stubby spiral rod at this point.

4. Sit the pineapple upright on its cut bottom again and slice in half. Slice each half length-wise once again.

5. Cut diagonally length-wise to remove the hard stem in the middle of each quarter.

6. Pineapple can be served right away in the long slices, or cut into bite-sized pieces at this point.

Quick and Easy Method – Beginner Peeler; Beginner Knife Cutter

1. Chop off the top and bottom of the pineapple to get rid of green fronds and hardened stem.

2. Slice edges off the pineapple so that divets are removed completely in each long strip.

Any remaining divest can be removed with the tip of a vegetable peeler.

3. Sit pineapple upright on one of its ends and halve length-wise.

4. Slice each half again so that they are in quarters. At this point, you may also remove the hardened stem in the core, or nibble from the outside in and discard stem at the end. Slices with peel attached can also be eaten in the same fashion as a watermelon.

Here’s a picture tutorial from about.com on how to peel a pineapple.

Do Twinkies ever expire?

Grace — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to packaged foods, we’ve all been guilty of consuming it past its expiration or “best by” dates. Sometimes it’s on accident, sometimes there’s full-disclosure and we just don’t care, and sometimes it’s because it still tastes fine. I know that in my fearless college days of lore I’ve been guilty of all of the above and have come out perfectly unscathed, but, alas, living in China naturally raised my food label awareness. Recently, I stocked up on some discounted cereals that are due to expire in about a month and that evening as I unloaded my bags of goodies, I realized that the amount of time it would take for me to finish my Everest of food would go well beyond all of their “Best By” dates. After letting out a frantic mini shriek of terror, I googled up health risks associated with eating expired foods and I came across (somewhat) comforting articles stating that in fact, if stored properly, foods past the “Best By” dates are still safe to eat but may lose nutrients, taste, and texture qualities. Phew. So I can still enjoy my 15RMB cereal a month from now.

Unprocessed foods, such as pastas, cereals, baking mixes, dry beans, grains and nuts can be stored almost indefinitely if unopened. After opening, store these products in airtight containers to avoid exposing your goods to moisture and insects. If quality Tupperware is unavailable, plastic take-out containers wrapped in a million layers of plastic wrap will work as a fine alternative. Processed foods such as canned foods, cake mixes, dried foods, crackers and cookies can also last past their best by dates as long as they remain unopened. Be sure that containers, cans, and jars are completely free from cracks or leaks if you plan on eating them at a way, way later date. If any of the processed foods spurt liquid or seem to have bulged during their hibernation, they may contain the toxin Clostridium botulinum, the nasty spores that cause botulism. Worst case botulism-scenario can be paralysis, blurred vision, explosive diarrhea and even death.

So to keep you and your food Everest safe, store your packaged foods in a clean, dry, cool (below 85F/29.5C) cabinet away from the stove or refrigerator’s exhaust. One strategy that I practice is to display the box of food with the closest expiration date on the kitchen counter and storing the rest in a large Tupperware in my room; thus avoid being called a gluttonous pig by my roommates and ensuring that my food is far away from the heat and humidity of the kitchen.

And to answer the million dollar question, contrary to popular belief, Twinkies in fact, do not have a shelf life of X-amount of years. They last for about 25 days, which is relatively long for a bakery item, due to the fact that they contain no dairy products.

New Arrival: Geza Gold Yak Cheese

Grace — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We’ve just added a new member to our family of farmer-friendly cheeses. Have a taste of our fair-trade and all natural Geza Gold Yak Cheese. Not only does this curious conversation starter add a bold, tasty addition to your next cheese platter, but every purchase helps directly improve the livelihood of the Tibetan yak farmers. Although yaks are about the same size as dairy cows, they produce about the same amount of milk as a goat – only a few liters a day. Because of this relative scarcity of yak milk, you can be sure that the upmost care is adhered to when creating yak cheese.

Geza Gold is an aged cheese modeled after Italian Asiago - strong in flavor and rich in texture. The longer it is aged, the firmer its texture, and stronger its flavor becomes. Enjoy on a cheese plate with your favorite wine or serve as a delicious alternative to more common options such as Cheddar or American. Yak cheese melts well in sauces and is delicious on pizzas and in toasted sandwiches and pastas.

We get our cheese from the Mei Xiang Cheese Farm, a family-run business based in Yunnan, China that creates unique, artisanal cheeses from fresh yak’s milk in Langdu Village, Geza Township. Having undergone Western cheese-making training, Mei Xiang offers an innovative product in its potential to directly bring development to local villagers by utilizing their most abundant resource. Mei Xiang yaks roam freely and graze natural herbs and grass that grow only in the altitudinous mountainside of Yunnan. The result of this holistic upbringing is a milk not only rich in flavors and earthly nutrients, but is also free from any artificial additives or preservatives from start to finish. Mei Xiang Farms source their milk from 12 families in the Langdu village and have helped to increase the incomes of independent herders by upwards of 50%. With the help of Mei Xiang Farms, herders are given the opportunity to improve their livelihood, send their children to school, afford proper medical care, and to build farms to protect their livestock during Yunnan’s harsh winters.

When compared with traditional cheeses made from cow milk, yak cheese has 3 times the Omega-3 content in cheddar cheese and comes out on top in nutrition value as can be seen in the chart below.

Nutrition Facts:

Yak Cow

Dry Matter: 18.3% 12.3%

Fat: 5.6% 3.2%

Protein: 6.5% 3.3%

Sugar: 5.1% 4.7%

Calcium (mg.100ml): 135.9 124.5%

Iron (mg.100ml): 0.37 0.33

Phosphorous (mg/100ml): 106.22 97.82

Living in China: Food Poisoning

Grace — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As an expat living in China, getting your first bout of food poisoning is a right of passage. Adjusting to the time difference, weather, air quality difference and pace of life can stress out our bodies making us more vulnerable and unable to fight off the dirty germs we’re bombarded with. Food poisoning is an illness marked by intense stomach pain and frequent trips to the restroom. Salmonella is the most notorious culprit when it comes to food poisoing, but it can also come about by ingesting foods with bacteria, viruses, parasites, food that’s been left out on a counter for a bit too long, or touching foods with unwashed hands. Here are some helpful tips to keep your “rite of passage” to a minimum during your stay in China.

1. Meats are processed and it is normal to find bacteria in the intestines of healthy animals, but sometimes the parts of the animals we eat get exposed to these bacteria. Be sure to make sure that meats; especially chicken, pork, fish, and eggs, have fully cooked through. Of course there are exceptions such as sunny side up eggs and sashimi, but be sure to get these products from reputable sources.

2. WASH YOUR HANDS. This point can not be emphasized more. In addition to the commonly accepted times (after using the restroom, sneezing, handling meats) be sure to wash your hands after smoking, touching any other human body part, using the phone or handling pets. One rule my mother implemented that I practice to this day, is to wash my hands immediately upon stepping into the house.

Too often we come home and immediately grab something out of the fridge without thinking of the grimy taxi door handle we just slammed shut; the rusting gate to our complex that countless residents, visitors, delivery men have also handled; pressing that sweaty elevator button that others use the toe of their shoe to open.
When washing your hands, rub your hands together with running water and soap for at least 20 seconds; paying special attention to the back of your hands, between your fingers and under every fingernail. You never know what dirt you may find.

3. Have gel sanitizers and or wet wipes on your body at all time. Warm running water, soap and paper towels are commonplace in our Western home, but not found in all restaurants in China. Wiping your hands down with a wet wipe after consuming a greasy meal is not only cleansing for your hands, but for the mind.

4. Use paper towels or napkins to turn faucets off after washing hands and to leave the restroom. It would be a waste for all that rubbing and scrubbing to be completely negated by grabbing a dirty door handle.

5. For those who cook, keep a separate cutting board for preparing produce and meats or be sure to wash the cutting board thoroughly with warm water, soap and a sturdy scrub when switching between veggies and meats.

If, and when, you do contract a belly bug, be sure to drink lots of liquids. Vomiting and diarrhea can drain the body of liquids which can lead to dehydration and further health problems. Drinks with electrolytes such as Gatorade and Pedialyte can help replenish your body’s liquids and feeling of “vitality”. While nursing your stomach back to health, try your best to avoid foods that are high in fat (no shen jin baos) or sugar (no bubble milk teas) as well as juices and sodas. Foods high in sugars will irritate and exacerbate your trips to the bathroom.

Get plenty of rest and expect to be out of commission for 2 to 3 days. If symptoms persist or if you are pregnant, pay a visit to your local hospital as soon as possible.

Health in China: Sewage Oils in Food

Grace — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Recently there have been a slew of articles addressing the sewage oils of China. As the name already suggests, sewage oil is old, used and disgusting oil that’s been skimmed off from restaurant waste tanks filled with old uneaten foods and even from raw sewage, hence the name. Restaurant waste tanks are filled with that same gloppy, brown, murky, foodstuffs we see being carried in the big blue drums on the backs of trucks on its way to be transformed into pig and chicken feed. One of the first thoughts to pop into your head (in addition to “EW!”) may be: “How could a business like this even exist?”

The answer may surprise you, but sewage oil is a very lucrative business. The average sewage oil racketeer can collect about 300-400RMB of oil at the end of the night, which can total up to about 10,000RMB a month. Quite a pretty penny (or kuai) when comparing to the average Chinese college graduate’s monthly income of 2000RMB a month, making sewage oil an incredibly attractive line of work for the greedy. Sewage oil extraction is also a relatively simple process consisting of just simple high school chemistry lab skills: filtering, heating, precipitating and separating. According to sewage oil experts, (yes, there are actually experts of this subject) the sewage oil industry reaps in a whopping 1.5-2billion RMB every year.

One of the leading experts of this field, Dr. He Dongping, a professor at the Wuhan Polytechnic University estimates that China re-uses 2-3 million tons of old oil every year. Part of that reclaimed oil comes from human waste. According to the latest studies, 1 ton of sewage waste is produced for every 10,000 people, and out of that 1 ton of sewage waste, 130 kg of sewage oil can be extracted.

In addition to its sickening heritage, sewage oil contains aflatoxins, a well-known liver cancer causing carcinogen considered 100 times more toxic than arsenic. Livestock exposed to aflatoxins suffered premature deaths. What’s more, once refined, sewage oil looks and tastes no different from normal cooking oil. Some manufacturers of sewage oil have gone so far as to mix it with regular oil, or with peanut, soy and corn flavorings and package it under big labels to further mask this toxic swill. The only discerning factor of sewage oil from regular oil is that sewage oil may retail for less due to its low production costs. Sewage oil costs only about 300RMB a ton to manufacture whereas normal cooking oil is about twice that amount.

It is estimated that 10% of China’s annual oil consumption consists of sewage oil, and our trusty sewage oil expert, Dr. He Dongping, doesn’t expect this statistic to trim down for at least the next 10 years. As a consumer, educate yourself and be active in finding trusted sources to purchase your cooking oils; opt for non-Chinese cooking oils or cooking at home. You don’t have to swear off your favorite shen jin bao or chao mian hole-in-the-walls but it might be good to keep your fried dumpling intake to under five times a week.

Melamine Tainted Ice Cream

Grace — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thank goodness it’s not hot yet because China has just shut down three ice-cream makers in the northern province of Liaoning for use of adulterated milk powder in their ice cream products. Business Week has reported that Liaoning Yachao Foods Ltd, Yingkou Aoxue Foods Ltd, and Wuzhou Foods Ltd were recent victims to the increased government scrutiny on safety of dairy-based products. Officials found it safe to say that it was no accident how melamine had found its way into the factory’s milk powder when 3.25 tons of tainted milk were found at Aoxue.

China has recently recalled over 170 tons of milk powder from local milk manufacturers when it found that 164 tons of tainted milk powder from Tiantian Dairy Co, and others, had been repackaged and sold to factories in Inner Mongolia, Fujian, and Guangdong. Police have since located and confiscated 72 tons of the tainted powder.

“Incidents like these may be the last straw for consumers’ confidence in Chinese-made milk powder,” Jenny Chan, an analyst at Bank of China Ltd.

Representatives from all three ice cream factories were unwilling to comment on the matter. But since reports of melamine presence, the Chinese Ministry of Health has since dispatched eight food safety inspection teams to investigate 16 provinces this month alone.

Melamine is a chemical used in the production of plastics that can also artificially boosts protein readings in watered-down milk. Consumption may lead to kidney stones, bladder failure, and death. As of 2008, there have been 6 infant and countless animal deaths due to melamine poisoning.

You can view the original article here and here.

Eat Well Shanghai

Grace — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out Eat Well Shanghai, a blog all about eating well in Shanghai. Founder and Blogger, Julie Meyer, is a nutrition communications specialist who has been working with Fortune 500 companies to keep their company’s waistlines trim. She currently offers “Eat Well” workshops around Shanghai and has a soon-to-be-published “Eat Well Guidebook” in the works. Check out her most recent post to get tips on how to eat vegan in Shanghai.

5 Foods You Should Eat Everyday

Grace — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We all know that eating fruits and vegetables is the easiest way to stay trim and healthy. Here are five foods with some tasty recipes which are your best bet to staying fit.

Spinach

At only ￥4 a unit, you can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, lower your cholesterol, and raise you I.Q. Spinach is loaded with calcium, vitamin K, and magnesium which makes it an excellent bone builder, and high in flavenoids which act as antioxidants and have been shown to prevent breast, stomach, skin, and ovarian cancer. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals which accelerate the appearance of aging and mental atrophy. Spinach is also a great source of Vitamins A and C which not only prevent you from getting sick in the winter but help to keep your arteries free of clogs.

Recipe Ideas:

Saute spinach with olive oil, pine nuts, and raisins, or enjoy them in a spinach salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar topped with mandarin oranges. For the more adventurous, we’ve added a Spinach Carrot Brownie Recipe from Deceptively Delicious, which is simply delicious!

Eggs

Start your morning off with a hardboiled egg. Say goodbye to those tasteless egg whites! A whole egg holds all eight amino acids, making it an efficient source of protein. As any fitness guru can tell you, protein is essential for having that “full” sensation and to keep energy levels high.

Recipe Ideas

Hardboiled eggs can be sliced and crumbled over a bistro salad or eaten by itself with a dash of salt and pepper.

Blueberries

The ultimate anti-aging pill! These little blue babies are a leader when it comes to packing in the antioxidants that can help prevent a laundry list of health issues such as ulcers, cancer, and heart diseases in addition to preventing mental atrophy and aging.

Recipe Ideas

Top your spinach salad with some of these for a sweet crunchy burst of flavor with every bite or enjoy them with a dollop of cool whip.

Apples

And apple a day can keep more than one type of doctor away. Apples are composed with both soluble and insoluble fibers making you have that full sensation and are packed with vitamin C to keep you cold-free. The simple act of chomping into an apple stimulates saliva which scrubs stains off your teeth and freshens your breath naturally. Although we can’t do anything about Shanghai’s air quality, at least you can improve the air around your mouth.

Recipe Ideas

Slice up a plate of apples and slather on a smear of peanut butter and add some raisins, or dice up slices of apples and scatter over your morning oatmeal with cinnamon for a breakfast reminiscent of apple pie.

Carrots

Bugs Bunny swears by these brightly colored stalks to keep himself alert and away from Elmer Fudd. Carrots get their bright orange hue from their high levels of carotenoids, an antioxidant which prevents vision impairment.

Recipe Ideas

Slice stalks into carrot sticks and dip in caeser dressing or peanut butter.

15 Tips to Trim the Fat

Grace — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January is coming to a close and we all know we still haven’t gotten around to that New Year’s resolution to lose weight. The people over at Foodista came up with 15 easy steps to help you kick-start the slimming process. Keep these tips posted in your kitchen to help trim out those unnecessary calories in everyday cooking. You can view the original article here.

1. Invest in some good non-stick cookware and bake ware.

2. Use lower heat and stir a lot when using no oil.

3. Stop adding more fat to your foods. Stop using: butter, cheese, cream, milk, margarine, oil, gravy, sour cream.

4. Do not fry your food. Use other alternatives: broiling, oven frying, steaming, poaching, water sautéing, stir frying.

5. Use gourmet ingredients to enhance flavor: Dijon mustard capers, flavored vinegars, herbs, hickory smoke, ginger, garlic, fruit juices, spices, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, wines.

6. Use nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream.

7. Make nonfat yogurt cheese and use for dips and baking.

8. Use evaporated skim milk to make sauces.

9. Make flavored stocks (beef, chicken, fish, mushroom, and vegetables) then freeze in ice cube trays.

10. Flavored teas can be used for poaching chicken, fish, and vegetables.

11. Buy an herb and spice chart.

12. Use a lot of fiber instead of fat for your dishes: add beans, grain and vegetables.

13. Use a spray bottle for oils and dressings.

14. Try using salsa or chutneys on baked potatoes, rice and salads.

15. Substitute chopped water chestnuts for nuts in entrees.

Coupons on Shanghai Expat!

Grace — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We know how much you've enjoyed our weekly specials (especially last week's Beer Blowout) and now this month, you can enjoy double the savings with coupons we've added on Shanghai Expat. Just print out the coupon and leave the name of the coupon in your delivery notes to receive the savings. We'll be adding a new coupon every week so check back weekly for the next surprise special!

Messy Milk: Shanghai Panda Dairy Company Shut Down

Grace — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

2010 has started out with yet another milk scandal, this time from Shanghai’s Shaanxi province. According to a report by the New York Times In Shanghai’s Shaanxi province, Chinese officials arrested the general manager, deputy general manager, and corporate representative from the Shanghai Panda Dairy Company for producing milk tainted with unacceptable amounts of melamine in their milk powder. Melamine was the culprit in last year’s milk scandal and is commonly added to foodstuffs to artificially boost protein readings. Over-consumption can lead to kidney stones and bladder failures. Currently, Chinese law allows a little over a milligram of melamine per every pound of food product, whereas other countries, such as the US, does not allow melamine in human or pet food. Despite another dairy factory being shut down, these arrests are a clear indicator of China’s efforts to tighten dairy regulations to avoid another large-scale international health-scare blunder.

To read more, click here.

How To: Redeem Your 20RMB Discount Card

Grace — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Congratulations! You've received one of our 20RMB gift cards. In order to redeem your gift card, just follow these 5 easy steps to saving 20RMB!

1. Go to www.mylocalstore.cn

2. Login or register with us if you are a new user.

3. Fill your carts with goodies from our shelves. Be sure to check out our homepage for our weekly specials and new arrivals!

4. At the checkout, enter your card number and password in the appropriate spaces. (Found at the bottom of the page)

5. Submit your order and kick back and relax while we deliver the goods to you!

Please note:

*You will NOT be charged a delivery fee if your total prior to the discount card is 100RMB or above.

**Discount cards can only be used on orders 50RMB and above.

Environmental Living: Green Tip for Washing Dishes

Grace — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Usually when hand-washing dishes, the faucet is left running the entire time which not only wastes water but soap as well. To save water on your next pile of dishes, start by using a dishpan. Simply squirt a bit of soap in the bottom of the pan, add dishes, and fill with water. When the dishpan is full of water, wash the dishes in the dishpan and place on the side for rinsing. Doing all your dishes at once and rinsing all together saves water by eliminating any wait-time between scrubbing and rinsing each dish individually. If you have trouble finding a dishpan, any square or circular deep plastic bin will do.

How To: Get Rid of Common Cooking Stenches

Grace — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Never know what to do with all those leftover coffee grinds from your work-week? Well, if you’re a cook, those coffee grinds can come in handy. Cooking with onion, garlic or fish can leave an unpleasant odor on your hands and breath. Rubbing your hands with coffee grinds can alleviate the stench and gives your hands a nice coffee scent. As for the breath, brushing your teeth and tongue with some very minty toothpaste ought to do the trick.

How To: Keep an Avocado from Browning

Grace — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are a few methods to keep avocados from browning such as adding lemon juice, wrapping with saran wrap or sprinkling of chlorinated water, but we found that storing an avocado with a few pieces of cut onion is by far the best method. Both red and brown onions can be used and just a few slices are necessary for a brown-free avocado. For longer storage periods, cover and refrigerate the container.

Note: The container does not have to be air-tight and can just be wrapped with plastic wrap.

My Local Store Featured in Shanghai Expat!

Grace — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you never got around to reading some of our past In Season blogs, you can check them out at Shanghai Expat’s Healthy Living section. You can check it out here!

Cooking with My Local Store

Grace — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

10 Lucky winners drawn from last weekend’s Cuisine Festival will be participating in MLS’s first ever cooking class with award-winning Chef Kang. Chef Kang has won international recognition for his cooking as a featured chef in Betty’s Kitchen magazine and is currently the resident Chef at the Shanghai Gang Hong Hotel. This weekend Chef Kang will be teaching our lucky winners how to make fruit tangyuan, a favorite dessert amongst locals, as well as a vegetarian and meat-lovers rendition of the common dumpling. Check into our events for more opportunities to participate in future cooking classes!

My Local Store in That's Shanghai!

Grace — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My Local Store is listed in the latest issue of “That’s Shanghai” under “Organic Shopping”. You can find the original article here!

Health Safety Tips

Grace & Joe — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pointers from the experts over at Shanghai Family on how to keep safe while eating in China:

Food from Street Vendors

- For the most part it’s safe to buy vegetables or fruits with a peel from a street vendor. Try to stay away from anything exotic or out of season because out of season usually require some chemicals to allow the to grow out of season. Also, as a general rule of thumb, stay away from fried foods (especially if you see dark smoking oil), organ meats and baked products that are being sold on the street.

Be Cautious

- It is recommended to avoid deli cheese and hams, unless you are sure that it’s fresh and safe. Always check the expiration date for food especially anything frozen

Go Seasonal

- Try and avoid fruits or vegetables that are out of season. During off seasons farmers sometimes resort to using fertilizers and pesticides in order to achieve growth. Don’t get the wrong impression though fruits and vegetables in China are generally safe!

Wash Hands!

- It does not matter how safe the food you are eating is, if you’re eating with dirty hands you are making yourself vulnerable to contamination. Even if you haven’t touched anything dirty, the air in China is full of pollutants and if you’ve been outside, you’ve been exposed.

Meat

- Try and buy meat with less exposed surface area. If you’re buying in bulk for a family, buy meat in large single chunks rather than in slice as this also increase your chances of getting safe meat.

Ground Growing Fruits

- Try and avoid ground-growing fruits and vegetables. Mushrooms, strawberries and grapes are all vulnerable to surface contact with contaminated soil. Watermelons are also tampered with sometimes because they are sold by weight and may be injected with water which is most likely not drinking water. Buy from vendors you can trust or reputable stores.

Preparation

- Be sure to rinse fruits and veggies with salt and vinegar. This combination will remove dirt and dust off the food. Also, peeling two layers off of vegetables like onions and cabbage makes a great difference. Completing these tasks before eating will greatly increase food safety!

The Origin of Halloween

Grace & Joe — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31^st for North Americans. This renowned holiday originated in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain which celebrates the end of the harvest season. The date of October 31^st was chosen because this was the day that the Celts believed that the powers of the otherworld would destroy this world’s harvest. Today, Halloween is known for costumes and candy and the ever-present “trick or treat” where children are given candy. However, the origins of this phrase aren’t that sweet. The “trick” is a threat to perform mischief on the homeowner if no “treat” is given. Halloween is the only time during the year that it’s acceptable to dress up as whatever you wish. Ghosts, devils, skeletons, princesses and comic book characters are always popular costumes for children. The Celtics believed that wearing costumes would ward off the evil spirits that were threatening their crops. It isn’t rare to see haunted houses and pumpkins spring up around American neighborhoods during this time. Pumpkin carving is an especially popular activity where ghouls and scary faces are carved into the pumpkins. Popular food around Halloween include foods using pumpkins, candy corn, apple pies, corn and of course, candies. Over the years, Halloween has evolved into an exciting holiday that both children and dentists circle on their calendars!

German Breads

Grace — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you ever happen to be wandering the streets of

Germany

, expect to find a bakery rather easily. Germans take great pride in baking and it is surely evident with their variety of delicious breads. Every region in

Germany

is recognized for its specific type of bread and every year they dedicate a day to honor Butterbrot, a buttered sliced bread. There are over 300 types of German breads and most of these scrumptious breads contain lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates. Some of the more popular breads are: Vollkornbrot (whole grain rye bread), Sonnenblumkernbrot (sunflower seed bread), Landbrot (farm bread), Schwarzbrot (dark rye bread), Kn?ckebrot (crisp bread), and Kümmelbrot (caraway seed bread). The notorious Pumpernickel that originated in Wesstphallia is a rye bread that is baked in a steam chamber for around 20 hours so that a dark and bittersweet flavor is maximized. One of the more familiar and classic bread dishes is the soft pretzel which comes in distinctive shapes and sizes and can have toppings of seeds or melted cheese. Next time you happen to be wandering the streets of Germany, make sure to follow your nose, it will undoubtedly lead you to some delectable breads.

Deciphering Food Labels Part III: A and AA Labels

Grace — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Green Food brand includes two ratings, A and AA. A indicates that a product has most likely met the basic food safety levels of most Western countries and has nothing to do with the organic standard of these countries. Under this label, only certain chemicals can be used in limited amounts and for a limited time. AA indicates that the product is truly organic and may include genetically modified products. Organic foods are grown without use of synthetic chemical substances such as: pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators, and fodder additives. The China Organic Food Certification Centre is a branch of the Ministry of Agriculture (COFCC) is the only organic organization that is accredited by the Certification and Accreditation Administration in China (CNCA). The China Organic Food Certification Centre has many experienced inspectors and experts who abide by the strict regulations of the Certification and Accreditation Administration in China. To have a better understanding of how a fruit or vegetable is certified organic look at this link.

In Season Asian Fruit: Mango

Grace — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

About: The mango is a sweet fruit that has a soft and pulpy texture. It was originally from Southeast Asia and has been grown for over 4000 years. Today, the mango is grown in tropical and dry climates around the world. It is known for being one of the more healthy fruits. The appearances of a mango varies in size with some from only 5cm (2 inches) at its longest to over 25.4cm (10 inches) and coming in vibrant colors such as red, yellow, orange and green.

Selecting: The best way to pick a mango is by feeling or smelling the fruit. A mango is ready when it has a fragrant smell and when it is soft, but not mushy, to the touch.

Storing: Keep the mango at room temperature until it is ripe. Once the mango is ripe it should be refrigerated. Do not store in the refrigerator for more than a few days.

Using: Mangoes are most commonly eaten by itself and are also popular in smoothies, as dried fruits, as a juice and as ice cream or toppings on ice creams.

Nutritional Facts: The mango qualifies as a “super fruit” because of the possible health value. The fruit has high levels of dietary fiber, vitamin C, polyphenols and provitamin A carotenoids at only 110 calories, on average, per mango.

Fast Facts: In India, the mango tree is a symbol of love and is believed to grant wishes.

Exotic Asian Find of the Week: Longan

Grace — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This sweet little fruit is rich with flavor and vitamins.

About: Longan, literally meaning “dragon eye” is a light-brown shelled fruit about 3 cm (1 inch) in diameter with an opaque-white tender flesh and a hard, black seed is primarily grown in East Asia. Longans are extremely sweet, juicy and succulent and are often eaten as a dessert, snack, or added to desserts and soups. Longan syrup can also be found in many Asian supermarkets/

Selecting: Shells should be a homogenous sandy-brown color and slightly soft to the touch. The shell is bark-like and thin making the fruit easy to shell by squeezing the fruit as if one is cracking a sunflower seed.

Use: Longans are primarily eaten fresh, but can also be enjoyed dried, as juices, in fruit salads, or added to alcoholic beverages

Storing: Despite their shells, longans are a delicate fruit and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Be sure to not to let the longans to get wet as this may accelerate their expiration. Dried longans can keep until their expiration date.

Nutritional Information: Longans are a sweet source of calcium, protein, niacin and vitamins A, B1 and B2.

Fast Fact: The Chinese name for longan literally means “dragon eye” because of the fruit’s resemblance to an eyeball when half of the longan is unshelled.

Deciphering Chinese Food Labels Part II: Green Food

Grace — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you’re living in China chances are that you’re pretty concerned about the cleanliness and freshness of the fruits and vegetables you’re eating. In order to ensure quality produce there are certain precautions that you, as the consumer, should take. Being aware of such labels as: the Green Food Label, the A and the AA label will assist you in understanding safety levels of foods.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China began in 1990 and initiated the Green Food project. Its aim was to improve the food standards in China and to enhance the consumer’s health. The Green Food Label is not an organic food company but rather certifies products to be safer. The Green Food certification means that the products have been grown in a pollution-free environment and have had less chemicals and pesticides present. The Ministry of Agriculture guarantees to the consumer that the food is under strict supervision and that it meets international food standards. The procedure for the authentic certification involves many tests and checks on the sites of where the products were grown. To view a detailed map of this process, visit this link:

City Weekend Family Day

Grace — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Come out to this year’s City Weekend Family Day in Jinqiao Green City Sunshine Playground. There will be a host of performances for the whole family with sack races, t-shirt painting, as well as an X-Games playground. This year’s theme is Expo 2010 where different countries will be hosting games. Antarctica will have an X Games skate park and sailing, Europe will have t-shirt painting, North America will have a Disney Fairyland, and much, much more. After each visit, kids will get a stamp in their passport. Come by our booth in the food area and get a taste of the countries you visited with our yummy and healthy snacks.

This event runs from 10:00AM – 4:00PM on October 17 at Jinqiao Green City Sunshine Playground, 600 Lantian Road. Tickets are RMB100 for adults and FREE for kids 16 and under. Free food and drink voucher worth RMB40, Family Day T-shirt, and Family Day backpack will be provided upon entrance.

MSG: Is it safe?

Joe & Jasmin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Living in China we hear lots of different opinions on MSG. Is it dangerous? Does it really make us dizzy, numb or have palpitations? In order to find an answer to these questions posed by many an expat I have found an article written by Dr. Gregg MD from Shanghai United Family Hospital that addresses it from a medical perspective.

Dr. Gregg MD often had expats turn up to his ER complaining of “MSG poisoning” with symptoms of dizziness, numbness and palpitations. It seems that expat knowledge on monosodium glutamate, or MSG, has been biased since the late 1960s due to a letter written by a Dr. Robert Ho-Man Kwok which stated that he experienced “a strange syndrome whenever [he has] eaten out in a Chinese restaurant. The most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations.” When this letter was published in a prominent US medical journal it immediately caused a sensation and created a new disease named “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”.

After “experiencing” these symptoms himself and seeing so many patients claiming to have these symptoms Dr. Gregg decided to conduct his own independent study on the “detriments” of MSG. Through his own exploration of medical literature and a seemingly enjoyable self-inflicted ingestion of Chinese food for the sake of science, he came to the conclusion that MSG is safe. It seems that food safety agencies across the world have also come to this same conclusion after decades of studies that found no evidence that this syndrome exists.

If anything, research has shown that using MSG might actually have healthy side effects. A gram of MSG has less sodium intake than a gram of salt, and hospital patients eating MSG-flavored meals eat less dessert than patients who eat MSG free meals. Think of it like sugar or salt, you wouldn’t put six teaspoons of either in your food so use and eat MSG in moderation, about a half-teaspoon per pound of meat, is a safe, healthy and flavorful seasoning for foods and you won’t have any ill-effects.

Click on the link to check out the original article posted on Urbanatomy here.

In Season: Organic Asian Pears

Grace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Asian pear is a round yellow-brown or golden fruit with a shape and texture similar to that of an apple (though generally a bit larger). Asian pears also go by the names nashi, African pear, Japanese pear, and apple pear. It was once cultivated only in China and Japan but became popular as Chinese and Japanese immigrated to other parts of the world. Caring for the Asian pear is labor intensive as trees must be pruned extensively in order to provide good-sized fruit. This means yield on trees is low. Certified Organic varieties tend to have the lowest yield because there are fewer organic pesticides that can safely eliminate diseases and blights such as fungus.

Click here to learn more about pears and to try out our Asian Pear salad with Lemon Dressing.

Deciphering Chinese Food Labels Part I: QS

Grace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I constantly see logos and certifications on products in China which I don’t yet understand or question the authenticity of. I really wanted to find out what these hieroglyphics really meant especially when I’m buying and eating food in an environment that has been plagued by food scandals and often a complete lack of transparency. I’ve often come across (as I’m sure many of you have) the blue QS seal on a lot of foods as well as toothpastes and shampoos. After a bit of digging I was able to uncover the authenticity and meaning of the QS seal as well as the background involved in its certification.

In 2001 the Chinese Government established a system with three steps in order for a food-processing enterprise to produce legally.

1. The food-processing unit must first obtain a production license which requires them to satisfy conditions to ensure food quality and safety in terms of production equipment, technological flow, product standardization, testing equipment and capability, environment, quality control, storage and transportation, packaging and labeling, and production staff.

2. Food-processing units must have compulsory inspection systems which ensure that food products pass the quality inspection before entering the markets

3. Finally, the food-processing unit can put the QS label on their foods which have passed the quality and safety regulations. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the PRC is a ministerial administrative organ directly under the State Council of the People's Republic of China in charge of national quality, metrology, and entry/exit commodity inspections, to name a few, has released a list of enterprises certified to produce with the QS label.

The QS label stands for “Quality Safety” and is a blue and white label with the Chinese words: “质量安全” below, which literally means “commodity quality safety”. In order to address the issue of fake QS labels, a 12 digit code is printed below or near the label which can be checked on the QS website for authenticity.

Exotic Find of the Month: Dragon Fruit

Grace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

These colorful fruits are a fun, rich in nutrients and easy to prepare.

About: Dragon fruit, also known as Pitaya fruit or Pitahaya fruit is the fruit of cacti grown in hot regions of the world such as Mexico, Taiwan, and throughout South America. These mildly sweet fruits are encased by a leathery pink or yellow skin. The flesh can either be a deep magenta or white with kiwi-like seeds scattered throughout which add a nice crunch. In addition to being tasty and refreshing, this beautiful fruit boasts of a lot of water and other vital minerals with varied nutritional ingredients.

The dragon fruit is native to Central America. According to Aztec literature, dragon fruit date as far back to the 13th century. Dragon fruit was introduced to Vietnam by the French one hundred years ago and is now grown extensively in the country.

Selecting: Dragon fruit should be slightly soft to the touch but not mushy. Selecting the fruit is very simple; simply look for full-bodied, full colored fruits which are free from any moldy or bruised spots.

Storing: The skin is durable, but handle the fruit with care as the flesh is quite soft. You can store dragon fruit in refrigerators, unwashed for up to five days.

Use: Dragon fruit is refreshing and sweet and is best eaten raw by cutting fruit vertically in two halves and scooping out the juicy flesh. Dragon fruits are a delicious addition to fruit juices, fruit salads, jams or added to alcoholic beverages. In Taiwan, dragon fruit is used by diabetics as a substitute food for rice and to enhance the fiber content of the diet.

Nutrition Information: Dragon fruit is a good source of anti-oxidants, calcium, vitamin C, minerals and fiber. Due to its vital nutrients, the dragon fruit is popular candidate for diets as it supplements dietary fiber which has laxative properties and cleansing for the liver. Similarly, people who have high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity have attested to the fruit’s effectiveness.

Fast Fact: The Dragon fruit flower must be pollinated in order for fruit to form. However, Dragon fruit flowers bloom only at night and usually only live for one night, making the chances of flowers forming fruits literally once in a lifetime. Unlike most flowers, cacti flowers must be pollinated by nocturnal animals such as bats and moths.

China's Green and Organic Grain

Jasmin Ong — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Northeastern Heilongjiang, the area bordering Siberia was once only known as the great northern wilderness, or Beidaihuang, comprised of swamps and wetland. It is now a strong source of grain production for China and the largest production and processing base of Green Food certified grains in China.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Beidahuang was converted from swampland into farmland and is now a vast 55,300 sq km plot of fertile land that has been responsible for producing 138 billion kilograms of grain over the past six decades. The amount of grain produced has been increasing steadily with expectations of producing 15 billion kilograms by the end of this year..

Beidahaung has not only been responsible for creating mass amounts of grain, but has been successful in producing high quality grain desired by western countries. It has become the largest product and processing base of Green Food certified grains, a standard which certifies safe, quality and nutritious foods and is overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture. It is also estimated that two million hectares of farmland in Heilongjiang is dedicated to organic farming. Currently there are 1400 companies and farms that have earned internationally recognized organic certificates allowing many of these products to be exported to Europe, US and Japan.

The region’s government is dedicated to maintaining this region to be pollution-free and producing consistent high quality. In order to ensure food quality inspections are carried out, the local government has established four ministries to oversee quality control checks with over 100 work stations in the region. Sui Fengfu, the director of the Heilongjiang Agriculture Reclamation Bureau said“we built our reputation on being free from pollution and growing produce on land that hasn't been treated with chemicals for over 60 years.”

For more information click here to see the original article

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-09/29/content_8747963.htm

And the Winner is...

Grace — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone who entered our raffle at the Expat Show. We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 500RMB gift card is K. Spence.

Congratulations!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jasmin Ong — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The My Store Local team would like to thank everyone that visited our stand this past weekend at the Expat Show. We loved the opportunity to talk to you in person and to hear your suggestions and feedback. You all contributed to a fantastic weekend! We are working on integrating your feedback and product suggestions into our website. Please keep the suggestions coming via our easy-to-use function on our homepage.

We had lots of entries into our raffle for the chance to win 500RMB of groceries and we will be drawing the winner on Friday the 25^th so stay tuned in case the lucky winner is you!

Foreign drink and food products fail to meet Chinese standards

Joe Sarafian — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An article released by Shanghai Daily yesterday has reported that over 150 imported foods and cosmetic goods have failed to meet the quality standard tests for the Chinese market. Notable companies that did not meet the standards included PepsiCo, Mars Inc and Mead Johnson Nutrition. It should also be mentioned that 39 failed imported products had originated in the U.S or were imported by US-based firms and products from Japan and other European countries failed to meet China’s standards. Some products that were not able to pass inspections were; PepsiCo’s orange concentrates, Mead Johnson’s milk powder, frozen chicken from the U.S, cookies from Denmark, grape juice, frozen seafoods and chocolate. All of this information is an indicator that China has raised its standards for food inspections after a spate of food scandals over the last few years. We hope that this new level of stringent testing will also be applied to domestic products. For the full article head over to the Shanghai Daily website or click on the link here .

Shanghai Expat Show

Grace — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Are you an expat living in Shanghai who misses the taste of home, a local who appreciates international flavors, or someone who just finds grocery shopping tedious and time-consuming? If you answered yes, then you should come by the Shanghai Expat Show being held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from September 19-20. Drop by the My Local Store stand located in the food section for some healthy snacks and to stock up your fridge with our special promo items. Check inside your Expat Show goodie bag for our coupon which gives you 20RMB off of your first purchase with us, and don’t forget to fill out the attached flier for a chance to win a 500RMB gift certificate. In addition to our 20RMB coupon, we’ll be offering some great promotions on our organic blueberries where you can buy 2 punnets and get the third for free, 16 Japanese LanHuang eggs for the price of 10, or a liter of Nippy’s 100% Juice for just 16RMB. The Expat show runs from 9am-6pm on Saturday the 19th and from 9am-5pm on Sunday the 20^th at 1000 Middle Yanan Road. It’s free and is a kid-friendly event so make sure you bring the little ones along as well.

Click here for more information.

Artesian Water: Buy One Get One Free

Grace — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You don’t have to pay premium prices to get premium quality. Right now take advantage of our buy one get one free promotion on New Zealand Deep Spring Artesian water. Hailing from the pristine mountains of New Zealand, this water is sourced from a natural artesian spring from deep inside the earth. Completely untainted by the harmful pollutants in the atmosphere and filtered naturally through limestone and charcoal, this is the water your body was meant to have. Take advantage of our promotion where you can buy one refreshing 1L bottle and receive an additional 0.5L bottle for free.

Get yours here. - This promotion has expired.

Express Shop Options

Grace — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An added convenience for your one-stop shopping needs! Simply type in what you’re looking for and our Express Shop gadget will search our aisles for the products on your list. Try it out now to see how Express Shop can make your grocery shopping faster and more convenient.

Nippy's 100% Australian Juice - 20% Discount

Grace — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ever feel that the “100% Juice” here is a little off? Well you can be assured that Nippy’s 100% Australian Juices are really what they say they are – pure genuine juices. Get a taste of Nippy’s at a great deal with our ￥16 promotion. Cheers mate! - This promotion has expired!

Organic Blueberries - Buy 2, Get 1 Free

Grace — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Experience the pure taste of certified organic blueberries for a healthy lifestyle. Sprinkle these over your morning cereal or add them to your favorite muffin mixes - any way you enjoy them they are sure to add a little sweetness to your day. Right now take advantage of our “sweet” deal where you can get 3 cartons for the price of 2.- This promotion has expired!