Healthy Food
Global Food Trend: Healthify!
There is a global evolution from considering food as only nutritional to considering food as the key to healing and purifying your body. You are what you eat!
What is considered to be 'healthy' is subjective and there are gradations in how healthy something really is. However there are always options to choose the healthier alternative from a number of products. Here are some suggestions from our H&S assortment.
COCONUT WATER
Coconut Water is the clear liquid inside coconuts. Coconut Water forms naturally in the fruit and contains 94% water and very little fat. The liquid inside young green coconuts is often preferred to the liquid of a ripened coconut. In Asia you can buy a fresh young coconut on every corner of the street, after opening you can enjoy the fresh Coconut Water. In Europe whole coconuts for drinking are served chilled, fresh, or packaged.
Coconut Water is a 100% all natural, very refreshing, low in sugar and highly hydrating (e.g. after sports) drink.
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We also have organic Coconut Waters!
DAIRY ALTERNATIVES
Milk products are less popular as the consciousness about lactose intolerance grows. A nice opportunity for healthy Asian alternatives like Soy Milk and Coconut Milk Drinks.
Soy Milk or Soy Drink is a drink made from Soy Beans. It is a common drink in Asia and is also drunk as a meal (substitute). In the West, soy milk is drunk mainly as a milk substitute by vegetarians, vegans and those with lactose intolerance. Most important brands for H&S are the Thai brands Vitamilk & V-soy and Drinho & Homesoy from Malaysia.
Coconut Milk Drink is a combination of Coconut Milk and (Coconut) Water. It is often used as a substitute for normal milk by people with lactose intolerance. It has a very outspoken, coconutty flavour which brings a nice twist to your drink. Coconut Milk Drink is great for breakfast cereals, tea or coffee, sweet or savoury cooking, or simply on its own.
ALOE VERA DRINKS
Aloe Vera is known for thousands of years as a medicinal plant that is considered to have certain health benefits and positive effects on digestion. Aloe vera Drinks contain crushed Aloe Vera leaf, Aloe Vera Water or leaf gelatin. It is a refreshing drink, especially if served ice cold. The original colour is green like the Aloe Vera plant, but if another flavour like Mango or Blueberry is added the colour can be different.
At H&S we also have a 0% sugar 0% calories Aloe Vera Drink Zero from Tropical.
NO MSG
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in Europe is indicated with the E-number E621 and is considered safe if only limited amounts are consumed. However there is a lot of controversy surrounding MSG in the natural health community. Therefore more and more MSG free products are introduced like for instance the NO MSG Sriracha Sauces from Flying Goose.
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But also a lot of other products in the H&S assortment contain no MSG, like for instance the complete Asian Home Gourmet range.
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Read this interesting article about MSG from blacklist tot the spotlight!
LESS SALT
Even though Salt is the number one seasoning spice worldwide, consuming large amounts of salt is considered not good for your health. Health organizations have been warning us about the dangers of Salt for a long time. That’s because high Salt intake has been claimed to cause a number of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
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Products with reduced Salt can be a healthier alternative.
LESS SUGAR
Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consuming whole foods that contain natural Sugar is okay.
However, problems occur when you consume too much added Sugar, that is Sugar that food manufacturers add to products to increase flavour or extend shelf life. Excess Sugar's impact on obesity and diabetes is well documented, but one area that may surprise many is how their taste for sugar can have a serious impact on their heart health.
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At H&S we offer several products with less or reduced Sugar.
HEALTHIER RICE
There are a few rice variants in our H&S assortment which are the healthier choice in Rice. These Rice species are not milled and the husk is still on the Rice grain.
Also Organic Rice is considered to be healthier compared to normal rice.
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ORGANIC
Organic agriculture is about a way of farming that pays close attention to nature by using fewer chemicals on the land such as artificial fertilisers, which can pollute waterways. It means more wildlife and biodiversity, the absence of veterinary medicines such as antibiotics in rearing livestock and the avoidance of genetic modification. Organic farming can also offer benefits for animal welfare, as animals are required to be kept in more natural, free range conditions.
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As the organic demand grows also does our H&S assortment of organic products.