Avoid These Mistakes And Make Sure Your Popcorn Is The Best

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Hey Everyone!

Avoid These Mistakes

And Make Sure

Your Popcorn

Is The Best 

Movie night is incomplete without a steaming tub of buttery popcorn—here’s how to make sure yours is the best it can be by avoiding these mistakes.

You use too much oil

You may be not worried about cutting calories, but if you pour too oil much into the pan you’ll have a mess on your hands. Kernels that are saturated with oil won’t pop properly. And when they do pop, they’ll explode right into a pool of oil, which will leave them soggy and sad.

Less is more when it comes to oil-popped popcorn. Add enough to swirl around the bottom of the pan, but not more. Two tablespoons of oil per half cup is usually efficient. 

The kernels are old

Stale, outdated, or just plain bad kernels will never deliver delicious popcorn. “There are plenty of good brands of popping corn that are available online or at most supermarkets. But once the packaging is opened, air and moisture are the enemies to those kernels,” says Susan Sellani-Hosage, co-author of The 40-Year Old Vegan: 75 Recipes to Make You Leaner, Cleaner, and Greener in The Second Half of Life. “Ideally, the corn you don’t pop should be vacuumed sealed to maximize its shelf life.”

The salt is too big

Popcorn salt is sold separately on grocery store shelves for a reason. It’s nothing like typical salts. “One of the biggest mistakes people make when popping their own popcorn is to try to use salt that’s too big to stick to the popped corn,” says Katie Moseman, food blogger and author of Gluten-Free World Tour Cookbook: Internationally Inspired Gluten-Free Recipes. “You don’t need to buy ‘popcorn salt,’ though. All you have to do is grind your favorite salt down with a mortar and pestle to make it fine enough to stick to the popcorn. This works with any salt, whether it’s sea salt, kosher salt, pink salt, or smoked salt.” 

You try to be too efficient

You can’t get every popcorn kernel to pop, at least not the first time. You might make a mess if you try. “True popcorn aficionados are willing to sacrifice a few for the benefit of the many,” Sellani-Hosage says. “Attempts to pop every kernel of corn, regardless of the method used, result in burning the ones that popped earlier in the process.”

You don’t watch the pot

A watched pot might never boil, but if you walk away from your popcorn, your snack will be ruined. “Popcorn burns so easily, but you can avoid it by standing and watching the pot,” says Beth Nydick, a clean cooking guru and founder of Blue Barn Kitchen. “Try a glass cover so you can actually watch it. Start at high heat, and when the kernels get going, turn it down to medium. It will allow more kernels to explode into the white fluffy goodness.”

You add too many toppings

Popcorn is naturally nutty with a just-right hint of saltiness. If you overdo the toppings, you’ll ruin the snack—and potentially the health factor, too. “Nothing destroys the fluffiness of freshly popped corn like disproportionately adding too much salt, butter, or other seasonings,” Sellani-Hosage says. “High-quality popcorn actually has a delicate texture and taste. The purist will add only enough topping to complement, not overpower, the corn’s natural flavor.”

You rely on a timer

The popcorn button on your microwave is not your trusted friend. Most microwave memory settings are programmed to run too long, which will leave you with charred bits or worse, a flaming appliance. Instead, follow the time suggested on the package and listen for the cadence of the kernels. When you hear two to three seconds between each pop, your snack is ready. 

You pop too early

When you let popcorn sit around a bit before you season it and start eating, you’ll be disappointed with the results. “Room temperature and moisture are not friends of freshly popped corn,” Sellani-Hosage says. “There’s a sense of urgency about eating popcorn. Perfect popcorn waits for no one!” For prime popcorn flavor and texture, pop just before you plan to eat it. If you need to keep it warm, throw a thick towel over the top of the tub to keep heat in.

You try to cut fat by cutting oil

Popcorn is among the healthiest snacks for nearly every type of diet. It’s a whole grain and packed with fiber, and you can have several cups for one serving. Adding oil can increase the calories and fat, but a bit of oil is necessary to make the kernels pop. If you use water, as The Kitchn tried in one experiment, your pieces will likely burn, if they even pop at all. Use just enough oil to get the kernels primed for popping, and split the big serving with someone else to keep your portions in check

You don’t shake the pot enough

If you’re popping kernels on the stovetop, make sure you remember to shake, shake, shake. If kernels sit on the hot surface of the bottom of a pan, they can burn; even if only a few pieces get a hint of char, the smoke and smell may be enough to taint the whole batch. Once kernels start popping, give a shake every few seconds. Shake more often as the popping intensifies.

You add the toppings while the popcorn is in the hot pan

Hot popcorn may be able to capture toppings more easily than they do at room temperature, but a hot pan will rob your kernels of flavoring. Salts, powders, and other popcorn toppings will adhere to the oil that’s still covering the surface of the pan and remain behind when you dump the kernels into a bowl. Instead, season the snack in the bowl and give it a few shakes to distribute the flavor evenly.

You use the wrong oil

Popcorn pops at high temperatures, so you need an oil that can take the heat. Instead of olive oil or butter—both of which have low smoke points and can burn. Opt instead for oils like canola, corn, grapeseed, or sunflower. These oils can withstand the high heat from a microwave or stovetop without creating off flavors. If you like the flavor of butter, sprinkle it on the popcorn after it’s popped. 

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Want To Flatten,Tighten Your Belly And Lose Your Belly Fat? This Is Exactly How Long You Should hold Your plank

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Hey Everyone!,

Want To Flatten,Tighten

Your Belly And Lose Your 

Belly Fat? 

This Is Exactly 

How

Long You Should 

Hold 

Your Plank To Lose 

Your Belly Fat

All hail the plank!

Finally! The six-pack you’ve always dreamed of is only a plank (or two!) away. . But there’s just one catch: While the act of planking is pretty straightforward, how long you should actually hold one is probably a bit less clear. Thankfully, the experts have you covered.

To reap the most rewards, holding three planks for up to 60 seconds each is ideal, according to Doug Sklar, a certified personal trainer and founder of PhilanthroFIT in New York City.

But if you’re new to planking, don’t risk injuring yourself in the name of a slimmer waistline. “It’s OK to start with shorter sets and work up to 60 seconds,” Sklar told Women’s Health. “Forcing yourself to hold a plank for an excessive amount of time can put a lot of strain on your lower back. As fatigue sets in, the lower back may start to arch. This is where you put yourself at risk for injury.”

If one minute is too challenging, try holding a plank for 10 seconds, relaxing for five to 10 seconds, then re-engaging for 10 seconds. Repeat each set three to six times.

And don’t worry about losing out on any gains in the meantime; planking for shorter periods of time can still amount to a solid workout. “You receive very similar strengthening benefits because you are engaging your muscles for the same amount of total time as if you just held the plank for 30 to 60 seconds without stopping,” said Sklar.

On the flip side, holding a plank for one minute might be a breeze for you. If that’s the case, Matheny recommends increasing the difficulty by contracting your abs, as well as squeezing your glutes and quads. 

Form should always come before figure, of course. Although planking can strengthen your entire body, you should only do it for as long as you can hold the correct position, experts say. “Keeping perfect form is goal—only do it as long as you can keep this,” Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition, told Women’s Health.

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Exercises That Will Help You Flatten And Tighten Your Belly And Minimize Pain

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Hey Everyone!,

Exercises That Will   

Help You Flatten And Tighten

Your Belly And Minimize Pain

Crunches were once the answer to sit-ups, the gym warm-up of our elementary school days. Now both abdominal exercises have a bad rap in the fitness community. The repetitive flexing of the lumbar spine, or lower back, has been implicated in back injuries as serious as disc hernias. 

The following exercises can help flatten your belly while minimizing pain.

Core stability exercise: The plank

Nolan Lee, DC, MSAC, CES, E-RYT, is a big proponent of core stability exercises like the plank and its many variations. One plank favorite is to hold high plank (arms extended versus on forearms) and alternate a weight between each hand. The weight should sit next to one hand and be pulled across the body with the opposite hand. Repeat this exercise for one minute. “Alignment of the spine should be neutral to maintain ideal core activation,” Lee says. “A good point of focus is the pelvis. If you can keep the pelvis neutral, not tilting it forward or backward, the low back should remain neutral. Plank can be a good way to work on a neutral, stable spine.” Jess Fritsche, an ACSM certified Health and Wellness specialist and NCCPT Personal Trainer, reminds us to breathe. “Exhale while you lift the weight and inhale while you return to start position or relax,” 

Core stability exercise: The McGill curl up

To avoid creating too much flexion in the lumbar spine, Lee recommends the McGill curl up. To complete this movement, lie on your back with one leg straight and one leg bent. Place your forearms and hands under your low back. Lift your head, chest and shoulders off the floor as much as you can without jutting out your chin. “Everything moves in one piece like there is a board under you, from the tailbone to head. You might not lift very far, but that is okay,” Lee says. Do two sets of 10, switching legs between sets. 

Core stability exercise: Marching

For those just building a fitness routine and a foundation for more complex moves, Brent Locey, NASM, certified personal trainer and SoulCycle instructor, recommends core stability exercises, such as marching. To complete this exercise, lie on the floor with your knees together and bent, feet flat and arms by your side. Lift one leg at a time, maintaining the bend, and draw the knee as close to the abdomen as possible. Locey says it’s important to practice the “drawing-in maneuver” during all core exercises. To draw-in, pull the area below your navel towards your spine, while maintaining a neutral spine. “I often coach this by placing your hand on that area and noticing as you inhale how your stomach draws toward your back,” Locey says. “The most important thing to focus on, especially for beginners, is making sure they have adequate balance and stability… [Otherwise] you could easily injury yourself immediately, or develop long-term injury because your body starts to overcompensate in the wrong areas.” 

Core stability exercise: Two-leg floor bridge

Another great exercise for foundation work is the two-leg floor bridge. Lying on the floor with your knees together, bent, feet flat, and arms by your side, lift your pelvis and hips off the so that your knees, hips, and shoulders are all in line. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat. Locey recommends doing one to four sets of this core stability exercise, with 12-20 repetitions.

Core strength exercise: Pulse-ups

A pulse up is a progression from a core stability exercise; it is considered a strength core exercise. Lying down face up, bring your legs toward the ceiling, with the soles of your feet adjacent to the ceiling. Lift your legs, posterior, or rear, and low back off of the ground to “pulse” up as high as you can. As you return to the starting position, Locey says to brace your core to limit the amount your legs fall toward the ground as much as possible.

Core strength exercise: Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers are also strength core exercises, a progression from stabilization exercises, says Locey. Starting in a high plank position, begin to run in place, bringing your lead knee as close to the same-side elbow as possible. As you alternate your legs, resist the urge to lift your hips and posterior, maintaining a solid brace and engagement of your core throughout. Locey says this is a common mistake. “If an exercise is too advanced or difficult, or if you start to fatigue, our bodies often try to compensate and continue to work through the exercise by finding the path of least resistance, [like] losing proper form to make the movement easier.”

Core power exercise: Soccer throw

Once you’ve built a foundation and your progression continues, move into power core exercises like this one. To complete a soccer throw, stand tall with a medicine ball (weight of your choice) overhead. Quickly throw the ball toward the floor and follow through with the arms. Complete two to three sets of this power core exercise, repeating the steps for eight to 12 repetitions. Your abdominals should be engaged, says Fritsche. The most common mistake she sees is that people go through the motions and don’t focus on tightening and engaging the core muscles. Locey describes it as a great total body exercise. “It is working not only your upper and lower abs as you go from a total stretch with your hands above [your head], to squeezing your abdominals as you forcefully throw the ball down to the floor, but [it] also works your triceps and latissimus dorsi (back).”

Core power exercise: Swiss Ball with medicine ball pullover throw

Placing a Swiss exercise ball under your lower back, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat on floor. Hold a medicine ball overhead with your arms extended. Quickly sit up and throw the ball against a wall or to a partner. Catch and repeat.

Finally: Cardio and healthy eating!

While targeting your ab muscles, remember they are protected by the fat and tissue surrounding them. A common mistake Dr. Lee sees when clients are working on flattening the belly is working on the abdominal muscles but forgetting about the layer of fat that covers them. “You could have great muscles covered with a layer of fat. Calorie burning activities like spinning, HIIT, cardio workouts are a great addition, and diet will need to be addressed trim down the belly most effectively,” Lee says. “I definitely think nutrition and exercise are equal partners in a goal of a flatter midsection,” says Locey. “You can do all the abdominal and core work you want for hours a day and every day of the week, but if you aren’t eating well, you will mask that muscle growth with layers of fat. As a fan of pasta, cheeseburgers with buns, and bagels, I will say you can have your carbs and get your flat belly too. Carbohydrates themselves are not the things holding people back from having a flat belly; it is the amount in which they are consumed. So as long as you live by the old phrase ‘everything in moderation,’ you can still see results.” 

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Think Twice Next Time Before You Order Your Drink With Ice Why ?

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Hey Everyone!,

Think Twice Next Time 

Before You Order    

Your Drink With Ice 

Why?

How clean is that ice in your drink, really? Investigations have shown that if you're in a restaurant, it's probably not as clean as you'd think.

Does anything sound more refreshing than an ice cold drink when you’re thirsty? Unfortunately, there’s a pretty gross reason you might want to skip the ice next time you’re at a restaurant or bar.

Business Insider asked more than 30 bartenders what they wish they could tell their customers, and one response made our stomachs turn. “Almost no restaurants or bars clean their ice machines as regularly as they’re supposed to,” one bartender revealed. Translation? Germs—and lots of them.

The FDA is pretty vague when it comes to how often an ice bin should be cleaned. Its Food Code just says restaurants should follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations (usually at least two to four times a year), or “develop a cleaning regimen” if the equipment maker doesn’t specify.

Even if restaurants are diligent about cleaning their ice machines and bins, though, your ice isn’t necessarily germ-free. If employees are sick or don’t wash their hands correctly, those germs could spread. Their hands could bump the ice while scooping with a glass, or a scoop’s handle could touch the ice after an employee handles it. Disturbingly, there’s actually a very good chance their hands aren’t clean after washing. One Michigan State University study of more than 3,700 people found that only 5 percent of people actually wash their hands for 15 seconds or more—and the CDC recommends scrubbing for a full 20 seconds. 

And that one bartender wasn’t alone in thinking restaurant ice is pretty gross. A recent BBC investigation found 13 out of 30 U.K. coffee chain locations tested, including Starbucks, had fecal coliform in their ice.  A 2014 report from Utah’s ABC4 found that all four restaurants they investigated had bacteria and fungus. The only place to come out clean was an ice distributor.

Getting sick from dirty ice isn’t common, but it isn’t unheard of. In 2008, investigators said a sick bartender and a dirty ice machine got a bride, groom, and about 70 guests sick at a wedding reception. In 2002, a 15-year-old golfer died and about 80 other golfers got sick, and officials think it’s because a sick employee didn’t wash his hands before handling ice to put in the coolers. “[Contaminated ice is] not going to smell funny. It’s not going to look funny,” microbiologist Debra Huffman, PhD, told NBC at the time. “These are microscopic.”

Even though these cases are far from the norm, it can’t hurt to avoid ice when eating out. In restaurants, shell out a little extra for a bottled drink instead of letting an employee serve you from the fountain, or instead of ordering a shaken cocktail, go for a glass of wine or beer, or order your liquor served “neat.” 

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