PERFECT SHAPE

How many times did it happen to you to have a bad day!?! How many times did it happen to you to not be in the mood for anything!?! Well, it might help you to know that sometimes bad days or bad mood are the result of an improper sleep during nights.

Sleep brings more energy into people and can make us think clear and in a more positive way. In addition, sleep can also be considered as a method of reliving stress build up during the day.

It is recommended to sleep around 7 or 8 hours a night in order to function at maximum capacity. From a personal point of view, I think that decreasing a little the number of slept hours will not cause any problems. However, exceeding this period can make us feel heavier and lethargic. We should also bear in mind that the timeframe allocated for sleep it is important. Going to sleep earlier or later than we have to can also have a negative influence on our after sleep mood. For example, you will fell better even if you sleep less during the normal night period as compared to sleeping more hours but in the day, morning, etc.

Research has shown that less or bad sleep during the night can affect our health. Sleeping 4 hours or less for several days can gradually affect our ability to perform complex tasks. This can also cause several changes in the immunological system, e.g. increase in CRP (C-reactive protein), which is a defence reaction indicator. Other surveys found social inequalities in sleep problems with less sleep recorded for people with low income and low education. A group in Munich and Ingolstadt had determined an influence of a chronic sleep disorder going along with severe sleepiness (narcolepsy) on the processing of emotional stimuli in the human brain. This last finding is a very important proof of the fact that disturbed sleep regulation affects our well being and the interaction with the environment.

Food can help when it comes to getting a solid sleep. The following 10 foods are known to stimulate sleep-inducing hormones like serotonin (an important neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of sleep, anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, etc.) and melatonin (melatonin regulates our body’s perception of night and day and stimulates sleep when night falls. People suffering from insomnia do not produce enough melatonin. Also, stress can reduce the level of melatonin produced by our bodies). In addition, these foods have other positive side effects like relaxing tense muscle, calming stressed minds, etc.

1. Bananas

Bananas contain melatonin and serotonin which are practically some of the best sleep stimulating substances (such substances are frequently used in pharmaceutical industry). In addition, bananas contain magnesium which has a relaxing effect on muscles.

2. Warm milk

As probably a lot of us know from childhood, a glass of warm milk was the solution when we couldn’t fall asleep. The explanation for this would be that milk contains tryptophan, which is an amino acid that has a sedative effect. Moreover, calcium contained by milk helps the brain use tryptophan.

3. Chamomile tea

Chamomile is one of the oldest garden herbs which was considered a universal remedy in ancient Egypt. The plant is usually used for tea making and, as we all know, tea has a relaxing effect and is most often used for this purpose. Chamomile tea is generally known not only for its relaxing effect, but for its sedating effect as well, being in this way the perfect natural antidote for stressed minds and bodies.

4. Honey

Usually, sweet food products provide an extra quantity of energy to our bodies. When we think of extra energy, we definitely do not think of sleeping. However, recent studies have discovered that glucose (like the one contained by honey) can stimulate the brain to reduce the quantity of orexin. Orexin is a recently discovered neurotransmitter that is connected to alertness.

5. Potatoes

Patatoes clear away acids that can interfere with tryptophan amino acid. Baked potatoes can have an even greater sleep inducing effect if they are combined with warm milk when eaten.

6. Almonds

These nuts contain both tryptophan (sedative effect) amino acid and magnesium (muscle relaxing effect).

7. Oatmeal

Oats are good for a good night’s sleep because they stimulate the production of melatonin.

8. Whole-wheat bread

Eating bread will cause insulin to be released into the body, which helps tryptophan get to the brain where it’s converted to serotonin.

9. Turkey

Turkeys are a very good source of tryptophan. However, bear in mind that tryptophan is most effective when the stomach is basically empty, not full, and when there are some carbs in the stomach, not lots of proteins.

10. Flaxseeds

These little seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, acids that act as natural mood lifters. So, when feeling down is what’s keeping you up, these seeds should be considered as antidote.

Nowdays, more and more people are trying to reduce their callories intake. How much we eat does not affect only our looks, but our health as well. It seems that people who eat less have a lower risk of heart disease, less chances of having a stroke or getting diabetes. Moreover, some even believe that eating less will extend their life span and will help them avoid health problems associated with aging.

Some researchers calculated that (based on tests conducted on animals) every calorie we avoid means about 30 seconds extra life.

The „French paradox” is a very good example for this matter. Only 7% of French people are obese (as compared to more than 22% of all Americans) although they do not eat only salats all day. French people, like every one else, like to smoke, drink wine, eat food products high in calories (buttered croissants, goose livers, pastries, etc.). The only difference is that they eat less of everything as they are used to serving smaller portions.

Researchers found that an average food portion in Paris has about 270 g, while in Philadelphia an average food portion has about 350g, an American hotdog is about 60% larger that a French one, a soft drink is 52% larger in US as compared to France, etc.

Related to the upper mentioned conclusion, Paul Rozin, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that „people tend to consume what is put in front of them, and generally consume more when offered more food”.

As sometimes we may find it difficult to reduce and sustain the intake of calories, we thought that presenting some tricks that might help us reduce the quantity of food we eat and prevail in the battle with calories would be healpfull.

1. Eat less, but more often. Is better to eat smaller portions than few large ones because in this way food is properly digested and nutrients are better used. When we eat much, the body cannot effectively “process” all the food.

2. Drink water before you eat. This will make you feel full and will decrease your appetite.

3. Eat in smaller plates. The main advantage of a smaller plate is that it gives the impression of a normal serving although it holds less food. When going to a restaurant switch the dinner plate with a salad one, which is smaller.

4. Brush your teeth. Some people might refuse to have a quick snack or even a meal when their teeth have just been brushed and feel clean.

5. Include more vegetables in your meal. Eating more vegetables can make us fell satiated even if few calories are assimilated. So, look in your meal for ingredients that can be substituted with vegetables.

6. Count calories intake. First of all, it will help you keep track of how many calories have you assimilated during the day and how you can allocate the remaining ones for future meals. Secondly, it might motivate you to reduce the number of calories assimilated daily. You can also practice this when going out for groceries in order to purchase “lighter food products”.

7. No more sugar. Sugar is a very important source of calories, causing an increase in appetite. In 100 g of sugar there are approximately 400 calories. Try to replace as much as possible products containing sugar with sugar-free similar products (e.g. replace soft drinks with sugar-free juices, still water, etc.).

8. Eat slower. The body must have time to process and fully estimate the quantity of food that is eaten. When we eat fast, we sometimes might not realize that we are satiated.

9. Say NO to chips, snacks, breads, etc. Besides the fact that such products are well know for their “weight attraction” due to their ingredients, such products can make us want to eat and drinks more (especially salted ones).

10. Chew gum. Chewing sugar-free gum can give us the impression that we are eating. So, when hunger strikes, try first some gum.

11. Avoid foods cooked in oil. Although sometimes fried means tasty, we should bear in mind that oil has a lot of fats and calories (there are more than 100 calories in a spoon of oil). Try to eat as much as possible baked, barbecued foods.

12. Avoid snacks. You will eat less if you have a normal meal as compared to having several snacks before or after meals. So, try to impose a fix schedule in terms of meals.

13. Go for more taste and less quantity. Try to keep as long as you can the taste of something you want to eat in your mouth. For example, if you freeze chocolate, it will melt more slowly in your mouth and you will fell like you have eaten more.

In the modern society, people have less and less time to cook their own food. This is why fast-food outlets and restaurants have become more popular. However, is this a healthy eating habit?

Nutritionists underline that some food products are a real nightmare for our health. These food products contain high quantities of saturated fat, nitrates, sugars and salt and, therefore, can lead to cholesterol level increase. Long-term consumption of such food products can cause weight increase and also various diseases. Moreover, these food products don’t ensure the necessary daily intake of vitamins and minerals.

In this respect, we thought that a list with the 8 most unhealthy food products would be of interest to you:

1. Burgers
2. Bacon
3. French Fries and Potato Chips
4. Hot Dogs
5. Doughnuts
6. Margarine and butter
7. Sodas
8. Cookies and cakes

1. Burgers

Burgers have a lot of fat and calories and can drastically increase the level of cholesterol. Difference may occur among restaurants in terms of fat and calories contained by burgers. Depending on cooking methods and ingredients, a regular hamburger with condiments, vegetables and without mayonnaise has about 280 calories (about 14% of the needed daily value) and more than 13 grams of fat (about 20% of the needed daily value).

A large double cheeseburger with condiments, vegetables and mayonnaise has about 900 calories (45% of the needed daily value) and more 50 grams of fat (80% of the needed daily value). Still, the most negative aspect is that most fat are saturated fat which are some of the unhealthiest type of fat.

The worst ingredient of the burger is mayonnaise, which consists of 70-80% fat. If you do like burgers and don’t consider giving up on them, ask something without mayonnaise and you will save about 200 calories and 12 grams of fat. Burgers have a lot of salt, so they are not good for those suffering from high blood pressure. Also, burgers are not recommended for pregnant women.

2. Bacon

One ounce (28 grams) of fried bacon has about 150 calories and more than 10 grams of fat. Regular consumption can cause a rapid weight-gain and cholesterol level increase. Also, the high level of saturated fat and sodium make it unhealthier.

In addition, processed meat products like bacon and hot dogs are added nitrates to preserve colour and maintain microbial safety. Even though nitrates don’t have harmful effects on the human body, in the presence of amino acids present in our stomachs it can convert into carcinogenic chemical compounds called nitrosamines. Vitamin C inhibits this conversion and, therefore, if you do eat food products with nitrates, it would be better if you eat/drink also something rich in Vitamin C at the same time (like orange juice).

3. French Fries and Patato Chips

French fries generally have about 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. However, some fast-food outlets serve fries with even more calories and fat. French fries contain saturated fat and, due to the high oil temperature in which they are fried, they also contain high levels of trans fat. Trans fat are known to increase the risk of heart diseases and accelerate the aging process. Also, heated carbohydrates in French fries contain acrylamides, a potential carcinogen substance. In addition, French fries have a lot of salt which can cause strokes and stomach cancer.

Potato chips also contain acrylamides. One bag of 225 grams has 1,200 calories (more than half the number needed per day) and 85 grams of fat (130% of recommended fat per day). Still, the worst aspect is that such food products have 25 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams more than a person should have per day. Numerous experiments have demonstrated that saturated fat raises cholesterol level and increases the risk of heart diseases.

So, let’s say that you share the chips with someone else. That means you get 600 calories, about 42 grams of fat (65% of the daily needed value) and about 12 grams of saturated fat (62% of the daily needed value). In order to get 25% of the daily needed value of saturated fat (5 grams), 26% of fat and 240 calories, you have to share chips with other four persons. Unbelievable, but all this are included in just a quick snack.

Getting chips with no fat made with olestra (fat substitute) isn’t good either. Olestra can bind with vitamins A, D, E and K and eliminate them from the body.

If you are just addicted to potato chips, try the ones made of dried potatoes. They have the same amount of calories, but half the amount of fat. However, it’s best just to replace them with some fruits.

4. Hot Dogs

A plain hot dog has about 250 calories and 14 grams of fat (which includes saturated fat). The hot dog meat generally contains pork or beef and sometimes pork mixed with chicken. The high content of sodium, fat and nitrates make it a very unhealthy choice.

5. Doughnuts

One normal-size doughnut has about 250-300 calories and 10-20 grams of fat, depending on its type. Doughnuts are tasty but they have no nutritional value whatsoever.

Because they are fried in oil, doughnuts have a lot of trans fat. Also, they contain high quantities of sugar and refined flour and are made with partially hydrogenated oil. The saturated fat and trans fat that doughnuts contain increase heart diseases risk.

What is interesting about doughnuts is that they have high levels of carbohydrate which releases serotonin and dopamine, two brain chemicals associated with mood and pleasure.

6. Margarine and butter

These are two different food products which are unhealthy for two different reasons. But since they substitute each other, they deserve the same place.

Margarine is basically hydrogenated fat. One tablespoon of margarine has about 30 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 0.5 grams of saturated fat. Hydrogenated fat are high in trans fat.

Butter has less calories and fat and doesn’t have dangerous trans fat levels. However, it does have high amounts of saturated fat (about 1.5 grams per tablespoon).

Both trans fat and saturated fat increase cholesterol level along with the risk of heart diseases.

7. Sodas

Sodas are nothing but water, sugar, artificial food colours and artificial flavours. The high amount of sugar from a can of soda gives you about 150 calories. Most sodas contain 30 milligrams or more of caffeine. Sodas have become a major problem due to their high popularity. People of all ages drink one up to five or more soft drinks per day. The dangers of sodas are weight gain, diabetes, tooth decay and others.

If you don’t want to give up on them, consider the sugar free soda or switch to fruit juices.

8. Cookies and cakes

Many cookies and cakes are made with hydrogenated fat and contain a lot of calories. Just one chocolate chip of one ounce (28 grams) has about 130 calories and 7 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of which is saturated fat (more than 20% of the daily needed value). One cupcake has about 200 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Of course, whenever you’re craving for something sweet, you can choose a cake with fruits, which is healthier.

Conclusions

An average person needs about 2000 calories (about 1,600 calories for women and about 2,200 calories for men), 65 grams of fat and can handle about 20 grams of saturated fat per day.

Let’s say that you have bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. How many calories do you get?

Worst case scenario:

4 oz of Bacon (600 calories, 40 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturate fat) + 2 Eggs (200 calories, 15 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat) + two slices of toast (150 calories) + 1 Biscuit (100 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat) = 1050 calories, 60 grams of fat, 20 grams of saturated fat.

If at lunch you go to a fast food outlet and order a burger with french fries and a soda, what do you get?

Worst case scenario:

Double hamburger, with condiments, vegetables and mayonnaise (950 calories, 58 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat) + large french fries (530 calories, 28 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat) + one medium soda (180 calories) = 1660 calories, 86 grams of fat, 27 grams of saturated fat.

Let’s say you eat a dessert. If we add chocolate chips (230 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat) it becomes a total of 1890 calories, 91 grams of fat, 32 grams of saturated fat.

Best case scenario:

Hamburger with condiments and vegetables (280 calories, 13 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat) + one small size french fries order (270 calories, 14 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat) + one medium soda (180 calories) = 730 calories, 27 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat.

You do the math….!!!

Of course, the best case scenario would be to order something totally different, like a chicken salad or grilled fish with a diet soft drink and fruits as dessert.

“Restaurant Magazine” made a top of the 50 best restaurants in the world, using votes of writers and critics. The first 10 in the list in 2007 are:

1. El Bulli – Spain
2. The Fat Duck – UK
3. Pierre Gagnaire – France
4. The French Laundry – USA
5. Tetsuya’s – Australia
6. Bras – France
7. Mugaritz – Spain
8. Le Louis XV – Monaco
9. Per Se – USA
10. Arzak – Spain

El Bulli

El Bulli can be found on Carretera a Montjoi road, on the seaside of Mediterranean. The restaurant was voted the best in the world in 2002, 2006 and was awarded a considerable number of prizes over the years (especially for Ferran Adrià, El Bulli’s current chef). El Bulli’s history begins in 1961 with a licence for a minigolf installation. The business was named “El Bulli” after the breed of the French bulldogs the owners had. The restaurant is only opened for dinner between April and September, and has only 50 seats in the dining room. Therefore, securing a table at El Bulli is a very difficult, being booked out for a long time. The menu is modified every year.

At the beginning of the season, the menu is the same as the one in last September. This menu is changed step by step, by removing old dishes and putting new ones. The menu is completely different starting with May. In other days of the year, people at El Bulli are working in Barcelona, researching and trying to find new cooking techniques and recipes.
Here are some examples of original recipes that El Bulli served in 2006: frozen chocolate and hazelnut praline crumbs with passion fruit, sweet figs with light rose and white chocolate meringue powder, white sangría in suspension.

Prices:
- Wines: €15 - €3,500
- Tasting menu: €185

The Fat Duck

The Fat Duck restaurant can be found on High Street, Bray, Berkshire, England. It is opened from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch between 12pm and 2pm and for dinner between 7pm and 9:30pm.

Heston Blumenthal, the chef of The Fat Duck is famous for its original and innovative style of cuisine. His passion for chemistry and physics made him apply science in cuisine. His scientific approach on cooking allows his work to reach the molecular compounds of dishes, giving him a better understanding of taste and flavour. Heston Blumenthal was awarded in 2006, for his research and commitment to exploration of culinary science.

The Fat Duck has two menus: the tasting menu (recommended for those who came for the first time in the restaurant) and the à la carte menu. Unlike El Bulli, The Fat Duck’s tasting menu is not completely modified every year. It is more like a work in progress. The dishes are evolving in time as a new idea is applied, or a new concept is improved. For example, The Bacon and Egg Ice Cream from today, are very different from the ones that appeared in 2004. There are some modifications to the à la carte menu as well.

Here is a sample of what you can taste at The Fat Duck: Tasting menu: Nitro-Green tea and lime mousse, Oyster and passion fruit jelly, Lavender pommery grain mustard ice cream, Snail porridge, Hot and iced tea. A La Carte menu: Crab biscuit, Radish ravioli of oyster, Lasagne of langoustine, Pot roast loin of pork, Roast turbot, Chocolate fondant, Macerated strawberries, Mango and douglas fir puree.

For these, and more other dishes, The Fat Duck orders between 150 and 200 litres of liquid nitrogen every week.

Prices:
- Wines: £30 - £5,500

Pierre Gagnaire

Pierre Gagnaire is a famous French chef, owner of the restaurant named by himself located in Paris. He started his career at St. Etienne were he won 3 Michelin Stars. He had to close the restaurant due to financial problems, but a new start at Hotel Balzac in Paris made him the famous chef he is today. He is also owner of the restaurant Sketch in London, the restaurant Pirre at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong and another restaurant in Tokyo.

Pierre Gagnaire is viewed as chef-artist, being a kind of poet and having a section entitled “Mon Universe” on his website. This may sound strange, but the French band Aston Villa set Gagnaire’s menu descriptions to music on their 2002 record “Slowfood”.

He often collaborates with the molecular gastronomist Hervé This in order to find new ways of cooking, new flavours and textures.

Prices:
- Wines: €55 - €8,500
- Lunch menu: €95
- Dégustation menu: €245

The French Laundry

The U.S. restaurant The French Laundry on Washington Street, Yountville is ranked fourth. Thomas Keller took over The French Restaurant in 1994. Since then his reputation as a perfectionist spread all around the world.

The restaurant’s name comes as far back as 1920, when it was actually a steam laundry. The outlet became a country inn that was later transformed into the greatest restaurant from America of today. The French Laundry serves dinner the whole week, but lunch is served only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are two menus that change daily. The Chef’s Tasting Menu and the Vegetable Tasting Menu are both of 9 courses. Here are some dishes that you can enjoy at The French Laundry:The Chef’s Tasting Menu: Oysters and Pearls, Salad of “compressed” Kohlrabi, Maine lobster tail “cuite sous vide”, Medallion of Elysian Fields farm lamb, Fuji apple sorbet. Vegetable Tasting Menu: Sweet turnip cream, Olive oil-poached sunchokes, Hawaiian brown sugar icecream.

Prices:
- Wines: $35 - $7,900
- Chef’s Tasting Menu: $240
- Vegetable Tasting Menu: $240

Tetsuya’s

The best in Australia, Tetsuya’s restaurant offers a combination of classical skills influenced by Japanese cuisine. Tetsuya Wakuda, the chef of the restaurant, left Japan in 1982 and came to Sydney, were he immediately became successful. Tetsuya’s is located on Kent Street, Sydney. It is opened for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm and for lunch Saturday only from 12 noon.

Tetsuya’s serves a ten-course degustation menu, which costs $185. Here are some dishes that you can choose from: Pea Soup with Bitter Chocolate Sorbet, Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga Caviar, Leek & Crab Custard, Grilled Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with White Beans & Dates.

Prices:
- Wines: $45- $10,500
- Dégustation menu: $185

Bras

1. Location: Route de l’Aubrac, Laguiole, France
2. Chef: Michel Bras
3. Famous for: Gargouillou de Jeunes Légumes - a dish containing 30 or 40 vegetables, each cooked and seasoned individually to retain its flavour. This is considered to be the finest vegetable dish in the world.
4. Prices:
   - Wines: €35 - €3,500
   - Evasion & Terre menu: €104
   - Découverte & Nature menu: €167

Mugaritz

1. Location: Mugaritz, Gipuzkoa, Spain
2. Chef: Andoni Luis Aduriz
3. Famous for: Aduriz has worked with Adrià at el Bulli in the past. Also, he worked at the University of Granada, in the liver transplant unit. There he understood better the DNA of duck livers. Therefore, he learned to select only the finest lobes (even if this means using only about 30% of an expensive duck liver) and to cook them using a special recipe (searing, roasting, smoking and resting the liver)
4. Prices:
   - Wines: €18.20 - €4,985
   - 8-course menu: €85
   - 11-course menu: €112

Le Louis XV

1. Location: Hôtel de Paris, Place du Casino, Monaco
2. Chefs: Alain Ducasse and Franck Cerruti
3. Famous for: The natural, simple and seasonal cuisine and the extravagant, magnificent interior decorations
4. Prices:
   - Wines: €50 - €11,560
   - Two-course menu “Club Déjeuner de Saison”: €125
   - Four-course “Pour les Gourmets” tasting menu: €225

Per Se

1. Location: Columbus Circle (at 60th Street, New York, U.S.A.
2. Chefs: Thomas Keller and Jonathan Benno
3. Famous for: Design of The French Laundry and its classic dishes
4. Prices:
   - Wines: $50 - $18,000
   - Menus: $250

Arzak

1. Location: Avda. Alcade Jose, San Sebastian, Spain
2. Chefs: Juan Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak Espina
3. Famous for: Its avant-garde approach on cuisine, its research kitchens and experimental bent
4. Prices:
   - Wines: €40 - €2,500
   - Set menu: €130
   - 3-courses à la carte menu: from €110

Diets and insects are 2 words extremely rare put together.

Although you might have never eaten insects deliberately, you probably consumed over a pound of insects in your lifetime. Insect parts can be found in numerous products consumed daily, like: bread (flour beetles, weevies and other insects pests that infect granaries are milled along with the grain), fruit and vegetables, canned and processed food. Surprising or not, these insects did you some good by providing extra nutrients (especially proteins) in your meal.

Here are some interesting things related to insects:

1. Many insects are edible, but few species are nutritious and easy to obtain;
2. Insects are easy to raise;
3. Numerous species of insects are low in fat, contain significant quantities of proteins and have a better feed to meat ratio than beef, lamb, pork or chicken;
4. Insects are tasty - if you don’t feel like eating them as a main diet, you could try to make insect flour and add it to bread, for a significant protein boost;
5. Insects are beautiful;
6. Raising insects is environmental friendly.

Insects in the world

Edible insects are starting to be accepted in the western world as a resource worth being considered for present and future food needs. Africa, Asia and Latin America have the highest consumption of insects per person in the world. Here, hundreds of species have been used as human food for centuries. Some of the most important insects species consumed in these regions include: caterpillars, gross-hoppers, beetale grubs, winged termites, bees, wasps, ants, cicadas, etc.

Usually, insects are not used as emergency food, but are included as a planned part of the diet throughout the year or when seasonally available. In Colombia, Venezuela, South Africa, Mexico, etc. there are a lot of people who prefer insects to fresh meat. Insects are served in famous restaurants, fried with black butter or with onion and garlic.

Nutritional value

In dried form most frequently found in village markets of the developing world, insects are very high in crude proteins, many species ranging above 60%. The house cricket seems to be superior to soy proteins as a source of amino acids at all levels of intake. Also, the Mormon cricket seems to be equivalent to soy proteins when referring to nutritional value.

Still, whole insects as a source of protein can be considered to be of a lower quality than vertebrate animal products because of the indigestibility of chitin. Removal of chitin increases the quality of insect protein to a level comparable to that of products from vertebrate animals. Insects vary widely in fat (energy) content. The insects with the highest quantity of fat are termites and caterpillars.

The African termites have a calorific value of 761 kcal (3196 kJ)/100g, while caterpillar in Nigeria have a reported calorific value of 611 kcal (2566 kJ)/100g. So, termites and caterpillars contain 1.5 more calories than chocolate, 2 times more calories than corn flakes, 3 times more calories than bacon and sausages, 6 times more calories than ham, 15 times more calories than apples, etc.

Recently analyses of 94 of the insect species consumed in Mexico also found a high fat caloric value. Excluding pork, soybeans (466 kcal/100 g) was the highest ranking non-insect food tested, plant or animal. Maize was found to have a value of 370 kcal/100 g. Of the insects analysed, 50% had a higher caloric value than soybeans; 87% were higher than corn; 63% were higher than beef; 70% were higher than fish and beans and 95% were higher than wheat. The five highest caterpillars (of 16 species) had an average caloric value of 659.4, far greater than any of the other analysed food products.

Cholesterol levels in insects vary from low (none in the edible leaf-cutter ant) to the levels found in animals. Also, insects seem to be very rich in vitamins and minerals: the caterpillars are rich in iron, copper, zinc, vitamin B2; Termites are high in magnesium and copper; the palm weevil larva is rich in zinc, thiamine and riboflavin. The high content of iron and zinc is many edible insects is of particular interest as iron deficiency has become a major problem in women’s diets in the developing world, particularly among pregnant women (the iron deficiency is higher for vegetarians).

Potential hazards

Although insects contain a lot of healthy elements, some of them secrete toxins, produce toxic metabolites or sequester toxic chemicals from food plants. Defensive secretions that may be reactive, irritating or toxic include carboxylic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, lactones, hydrocarbons and steroids. Insects are also a source of injectant, ingestant, contractant and inhalant allergens, and some insects serve as vectors or passive intermediate hosts of vertebrate pathogens such as bacteria, protozoa, viruses, etc. Still, insects intentionally harvested for human consumption do not pose any significant health problem.