The Poultry Controversy: Chicken vs Duck

It wasn't very long ago that the FDA informed us that some chicken meat may contain cancer-causing arsenic. Although the FDA stressed that it is contained in very small levels, it is still something that can be found in chicken meat overall as it is an ingredient found in the actual feed given to many chickens which are harvested for consumption.

The FDA conducted a study and found the following:


"In the study of 100 chickens, the FDA found that chickens that had eaten the Roxarsone had higher levels of inorganic arsenic – as opposed to organic arsenic, which is naturally occurring – in their livers than chickens which had not eaten the Roxarsone. Inorganic arsenic is more toxic than the naturally occurring form."


Click here to  read full article


I don't know about you, but any trace of arsenic in the foods I eat are a no-no in my book. Since this study came out, I have steered more towards eating duck. Recently cited in Bon Appétit magazine as one of the "10 Surprising Health Foods" and in Natural Health magazine as one of "10 Foods that Keep You Young." I figured why not give this breed of poultry a try. When compaired to the traditional lean meat choices on the market, it seems that duck does offer some competition in regards to calorie content and unsaturated fats. Not to mention, it offers so much more flavor!

For those of you who haven't yet tried duck, here's a great holiday recipe to start with. Please feel free to share your feedback and thoughts with us.

Seared Duck Breast with Cherries and Port Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 5- to 6-ounce duck breast halves or one 12- to 16-ounce duck breast half
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled butter, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 8 halved pitted sweet red cherries, fresh or frozen, thawed
• 2 tablespoons tawny Port
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey

Preparation

• Place duck breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Discard plastic wrap. Using sharp knife, score skin in 3/4-inch diamond pattern (do not cut into flesh). DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
  
• Heat your Ultra-Tech II 11 Fry/Saute Pan to high heat just to warm up pan. Season duck breast on skin side with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook until skin is browned and crisp. Make sure to remove the fat that is released into the pan regularly to make sure the duck breasts stay crispy. Turn breasts over, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer for small breasts and 5 minutes longer for large breast for medium-rare. Transfer to work surface, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallot to skillet and stir over medium low heat 30 seconds. Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to medium and boil until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

For more information on Carico Ultra Tech II Cookware click here

Bring Carico Home for the Holidays

The holidays are the time of year where we look back at the year behind us, reminiscing about the great memories we've shared with our friends and family. It's a time in which we get together with our loved ones over delicious meals to give thanks of all we've been blessed with.


Carico would like to be a part of your holiday celebrations this year and every year. Celebrate the holidays in the best way possible with some of Carico's finest products.

Here's a great turkey recipe with some cooking tips on how to make the perfect turkey in your Carico Ultra Jumbo Roaster. We hope you enjoy!




Porcini Mushroom Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom Butter:

* 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
* 1 cup boiling water
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Turkey:

* 1 14- to 16-pound turkey, rinsed, patted dry inside and out; neck, heart, and gizzard reserved for Shortcut Turkey Stock

* 10 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
* 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
* 6 fresh thyme sprigs
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cups turkey stock or water

Gravy:

* 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups turkey stock
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons water
* 5 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

For mushroom butter:
Place porcini in small bowl; add 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until softened, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms. Transfer half of chopped mushrooms (about 1/3 cup) to small bowl; reserve for gravy.

Chop garlic finely in processor. Add butter and next 6 ingredients, then remaining porcini. Blend to coarse paste.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill mushroom butter, reserved chopped porcini, and mushroom liquid separately. TRUE GRIT: When using the porcini soaking liquid, pour it off slowly so that any grit or sediment at the bottom remains in the bowl.

*Dried porcini are at supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and Italian markets.



For turkey:
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Spread with 2 tablespoons mushroom butter. Starting at neck end of turkey, carefully slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread mushroom butter over thighs and drumsticks, then over breast meat under skin. Fill main cavity with herb sprigs. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.

Place turkey on rack set in your Ultra Large Carico Roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups stock into pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices from main cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent very loosely with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.



For gravy:
Scrape juices and browned bits from reserved roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 3 tablespoons.

Heat reserved 3 tablespoons fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms, garlic, and shallot. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl and set aside. Add wine to skillet. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Add reserved 1/3 cup chopped porcini mushrooms, reserved mushroom soaking liquid (leaving any sediment behind), 2 cups stock, and degreased pan juices. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce slightly, about 10 minutes.

Add cream and crimini mushrooms to skillet. Mix 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Whisk into gravy. Continue to simmer until reduced to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley and mint. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.

Can you trust the EPA with the air you breathe?

Maybe not as much as before considering they recently proposed modifications on smog regulations throughout the nation. If passed, The Associated Press reports that at least 10 states including Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and Arkansas will be allowed to emit more smog-causing pollution into the air we breathe. How do you feel about that?

It's clear that we can't control the air we breathe outdoors but we definitely can filter what we breathe on a daily basis in our homes and work environment. Carico's Nutri-Tech™ high efficiency Air Purification systems can help you get cleaner, fresher, healthier air.

For more information click here


Click here to read full article

Sooty air pollution is linked to genetic mutations

In an article by Lauran Neergaard from Associated Press you can read about how air filters protected mice in a study done by Canadian researchers. Here is an excerpt:

"WASHINGTON — Sooty air pollution can cause genetic damage that can be passed along to offspring, Canadian researchers reported Thursday in a study on mice.

Follow-up work is needed to learn if people can inherit pollution-damaged DNA that harms their health. In the meantime, the discovery is sure to increase scientists' worry about particulates, the microscopic soot particles emitted by factories, power plants and diesel-burning vehicles.

The good news: Air filters protected the mice.
Click here to read full article

Carico's Nutri-Tech™ high efficiency Air Purification systems can help you get cleaner, fresher, healthier air.

For more information click here

Can your sleeping patters affect your cardiovascular health?

Recent studies have now linked the lack of proper sleep with hypertension. So what constitutes as "proper sleep"? Studies have shown that in order for our bodies to reach a restorative physical and mental sleep state, we should be reaching the slow-wave stage of sleep regularly. This "slow-wave" phase of sleep is also essential for metabolic and good heart health. The more time one spends in this phase of sleep, the more their body is able to restore itself from daily physical and mental stresses.

"Compared to men who spent at least 17% of their sleep time in the slow-wave phase, those who spent less than 4% in this restful state had 83% higher odds of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) years later, the study found."

This is not the first time sleep disorders have been linked to heart health. Sleep problems have been linked to high blood pressure before. Sleep apnea, a chronic disorder in which a person wakes up struggling for breath several times during the night, is strongly linked to hypertension, although it’s not clear whether the disorder causes high blood pressure or vice versa—or whether the two conditions feed each other.

Untangling the relationship has been tricky in part because obesity increases the risk of both high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Obesity could play a role in the link between slow-wave sleep and hypertension as well; in a previous analysis, the authors of the current research found that insufficient slow-wave sleep was related to obesity.

In the new study, published today in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, researchers at the University of California–San Diego and Harvard University assessed the sleep quality of the participants using polysomnography, a technique in which electrodes are used to track brain activity.

All of the men had normal blood pressure when they underwent the test, which was performed on a single night in their own beds (as opposed to in a sleep lab). When the researchers followed up with the men an average of 3.5 years later, roughly 31% of the study participants had developed hypertension.

"an important aspect of successful aging is the preservation of good sleep quality,” says Eve Van Cauter, PhD, the director of the Sleep, Metabolism, and Health Center at the University of Chicago.

So how do you make sure you're getting the proper amount of sleep? By practicing proper sleep hygiene: going to bed and waking up at the same time each day while avoiding alcohol and tobacco before bedtime.

But what if you're doing all these things but you're still waking up irritable, tired, & moody? Maybe you should look further....further into your bedroom that is...Is what you're sleeping on supporting a restful nights sleep or are you tossing and turning to gain comfort all night? It's not how long you sleep that matters, it's how deep you sleep!

Carico International recently launched their Ultra Tech Levitan Sleeping System with this problem in mind. A product of extensive studies, this sleeping system is manufactured from the finest materials and is designed to solve each consumers needs individually. Take a look at the link below for more information. A good nights sleep & happy heart is just a click away!



WWW.HEALTH.COM

Have you tried Carico's Ultra Cooker yet?

You may remember last year when Carico International introduced the Ultra Cooker, one of the most amazing products on the market today.

The response to this product has been overwhelming, we want to read your recipes or comments on how you have enjoyed or benefited from this fantastic product. You can post them here or e-mail them to us to pabonc@carico.com.

Chek out the latest video showing Carico's Collection of beautiful products

This special collection is the result of extensive consumer research and one that we bring you with pride. There are no finer products available in the world! They are designed to last a lifetime, give you great value and save you money. For additional information, contact your Certified Carico Consultant or visit us at http://www.carico.com

Bottled water recalled for mold contamination

Many people turn to bottle water as a convenient way to get, what in their minds is, "clean, pure, water" at a reasonable price. They often only take into account the price of a bottle or case of water at a time and don't ever consider the long term costs. In reality, purchasing bottled water can be 2-3 times the price of a gallon of gasoline; inconvenient to carry and store; and may not be fresh because it can be bottled up to 2 years before purchase.

What's even worse is that we don't really know how pure our "pure spring water" in a bottle really is. Do you know how safe your bottled water is? A recent finding in Arkansas resulting in the recall of a batch of Montain Pure bottled drinking water for mold contamination! Read along for the details on this finding...

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) announced Monday that test results on a sample taken from certain lots of Mountain Pure bottled drinking water contained biological contamination. The company voluntarily recalled a batch of its mold-tainted bottled water. of lots marked with a four-digit time code.

The recalled Mountain Pure water bottles are etched with legends bearing a date by which they should be consumed. The Health Department said the batch involved in the recall is labeled "Best By 2-27-2013 MPWA" or "Best By 2-28-2013 MPWA."

The Health Department said the contamination showed up in testing of some bottles shipped to Clinton after that city's water system failed last week.

Dr. William L. Mason, the agency's branch chief for preparedness and emergency response, said it was unlikely that a healthy person would get sick from drinking the water, but people with a weakened immune system might be at higher risk.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42972578/ns/health/


Makes you think twice about grabbing that case of bottled water at the grocery store, doesn't it? Check out Carico International's Nutri Tech Water Filtration system; it's the only choice for guaranteeing cleaner, safer, fresher tasting water!

http://www.caricowater.com/

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...

Growing up, our parents constantly nagged us about eating all of our veggies...

In school we were taught the importance of consuming 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables as part of the food pyramid....

As adults, life keeps us so busy that we barely can grab that "apple a day" in an attempt to keep the doctor away...Many of us barely have the time to stop and have three decent meals a day much less factor in that many servings of fruits and vegetables; so in reality how on earth can we begin to think of consuming 5-9 servings of fruits AND vegetables a day!? It's simple...by juicing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Juicing can lower the risk of:

* Heart disease
* Cancer
* High blood preasure
* Diabetes
* Osteoporosis
* Artriris
* Colds and flu


Many of us can't imagine where to begin...what to juice, how much to juice, how many times a day to juice?

The answer is quite simple...start with drinking 2 glasses of fresh juice a day, try to get to 4 glasses a day with a balanced diet and you'll be feeling great! So what do you juice? Start with a simple mix of fruits and vegetables.

The Potassium Broth is my favorite recipe base:

Handful of parsley
Handful of spinach
4-5 carrots, greens removed
2 stalks celery

I like to add a piece of ginger, half a cucumber, a handful of kale, and/or half a green apple to the mix...it lightens it up a bit and the green apple gives it a fresh taste...

In reality, you can play with the mix anyway you'd like...juicing gives you all the minerals and nutrients your body isn't getting and you can mix it up with some of your favorites...try a beet instead of a carrot one day...throw some citrus in the mix, maybe some asparagus instead of spinach! Have some fun with it...

Once your body starts getting its much needed 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, your skin will start to glow, your energy levels will rise, and overall you're going to look and feel fantastic!

Happy Juicing!

Carico customers rave about Carico’s water filtration systems and the new Carico water bottle

See what one of our customers recently said about their experience with Carico and its products on one of our blogs http://www.caricolisteningpost.com/.

Can the cookware you use bring on early menaupause!?

Apparently so! That is, of course, if you're using popular non-stick products made from or coated with Teflon....

For decades, products containing Teflon have been the topic of controversy as it was proven that Teflon could be linked to a variety of illnesses including, but not limited to, thyroid disorders and birth defects. These illnesses have not only been limited to humans but have also been linked to the deaths of many household pets.

• "In two to five minutes on a conventional stovetop, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces can exceed temperatures at which the coating breaks apart and emits toxic particles and gases linked to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pet bird deaths and an unknown number of human illnesses each year, according to tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG)."

A study from West Virginia School of Medicine, which will be published in the Journal of The Endocrine Society, has sparked new controversy over a key chemical in Teflon. The study found that women who have higher levels of perfluorocarbon in their bodies have a higher chance of an early onset to menopause. 

Can you believe it!? Many of us work so hard at choosing the right foods necessary to create a healthy balance in our life and we take the time to prepare healthy meals for our family & friends using only the finest ingredients. Can you imagine, your family's health can be so drastically impacted by the cookware you use? Here's just another reason why it is not only important to chose the right foods, but what is most important is how and in what you prepare them in.



Click here to read full article


For more information on stainless steel cookware click here

Fight Eye Disease Through Healthy Eating

Harvard women’s study shows that eating fish helps fight of eye disease. Here’s a delicious recipe from our new Ultra Tech Cook book to help you.

Red Snapper with Spinach, Pecans, & Tomatoes

1 1/2 lb of fresh Red Snapper (approximately 4 small filets)
Juice from 2 limes
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Lysander Organic Fish Rub
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
10-ounce package fresh spinach, stemmed and washed
1 fresh tomatoes, sliced

1. Rinse Snapper fillets with the lime juice Lightly rub dry seasonings over both sides of the Snapper fillets
2. Place filets of snapper in Ultra Tech II layer chopped pecans, spinach, and sliced tomatoes on the fillets Cook fish on low covered with open valve until lid whistles
3. When lid whistles (approximately 5-6 minutes), close Ultra Tech valve and remove from stove. Let sit for an additional 3 minutes and serve.

Restful Sleep Doesn't Have to Be a Dream

Oh how we love Monday mornings...especially the one that comes directly after the much anticipated "spring forward" time change known as daylight savings. Although it is a glorious sign that we are gradually coming out of the winter blues and being introduced to longer more sunnier days, most of us can't help but dread the initial loss of that extra hour of sleep.

Why is that? I mean it does happen at the same time every year and in reality the impact on our sleep patterns barely lasts into the end of the first week. So why is it we place so much emphasis on the negative impact of this time change? Have you ever thought that maybe our sleep disorders have begun way before the time change?

Many of us still wake up tired every morning no matter how many hours of sleep we get. We wake up with body aches, stiffness, irritability and congestion all of which have nothing to do with the time change. The amount of sleep you get is important but the quality of your sleep is much more vital to healthy living overall. So how can you tell if you are sleep deprived? It's likely you are not getting enough sleep if any one of several factors are true:

• lack energy during the day
• difficulty concentrating
• lack of motivation
• are irritable and quick to anger
• need an alarm clock to wake up
• doze off while driving a car

The reason most people are sleep deprived is because they are not practicing good sleep hygiene. You should:

• avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon, which is a potent sleep disruptor
• avoid alcohol a minimum of six hours before you go to bed. (Alcohol has a rebound effect where you feel sleepy initially, but then will have a disrupted sleep through the night.)
• eat a heavy meal at lunch and a light meal at dinner • finish working out at least six hours before you are ready to sleep
• make your bedroom quiet, dark and slightly cool to optimize sleep
• begin a ritual to help you relax before bed each night
• don't go to bed unless you are sleepy. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of bed and go back when you are sleepy.
• keep a regular schedule and get up at the same time each morning

Use your bedroom for sleep and avoid watching TV, working on a computer, eating and paying bills there.

Get a good mattress and pillows, and if you have a bed partner, makes sure that person doesn't disrupt your sleep. That includes your pets.

Proper sleep hygiene is as simple as making a few changes to your daily routine. Try the above mentioned tips before you blame the time change on your overall lack of rest and make sure to assess your mattress and pillows to make sure they're providing you with the support needed to promote the deepest stages of sleep.

Sweet dreams...and enjoy the sunshine!

For more information on improving your sleep with the Carico Ultra Tech Levitan Sleeping System click here

Dirty air triggers more heart attacks than cocaine!

When we think of the risks affiliated with breathing in bad air we normally think of increased allergies & respiratory problems. A recent study explained that "air pollution triggers more heart attacks than using cocaine and poses as high a risk of sparking a heart attack as alcohol, coffee and physical exertion". Can you imagine that!? Living an overall healthy lifestyle free of drugs and excessive alcohol can still result in premature death due to not breathing in clean air? The World Health Organization (WHO) describes air pollution as "a major environmental risk to health" and estimates that it causes around 2 million premature deaths worldwide every year. This is just in relation to outdoor air pollution; when you think of this and consider that the quality of our indoor air may be up to 100 times more polluted than our outdoor air it really makes you wonder.

I don't know about you, but I don't like those statistics. Considering we can't control the quality of the outdoor air we breathe, we need to focus on what we can control- the air we breathe in our homes and offices. There are many air filtration systems out on the market that claim to address one of many problems such as dust, pollen, pet dander, odors, gas, bacteria, mold, etc. but there isn't a product like Carico's Nutri-Tech Air Filtration System out on the market that can address all of these problems in one compact unit. How important is your health and that of those you love?

Click here to read full article


For more information click here

Carico's Ceramic Cartridge REALLY WORKS!

Carico's full spectrum cartridges do a fantastic job blocking bacteria and eliminating lots of contaminants.

Our customers are so satisfied that we constantly receive comments about how great our products are.

Here is a recent comment from one of our customers in New York:

"Ewwwwwww. We cleaned our filer yesterday. I COULD NOT believe how dirty is was. I even took a picture and showed to everyone at work."

And in another e-mail she wrote:

"Yuck, yuck, yuck. I had to take the picture b/c I could not believe it."

Alison M.

To find out more information about Carico's water filtration systems, please click on the picture below

Reduce the risk of cancer through healthy eating

International Health Insurance News: Healthy eating 'reduces cancer risk'

Research has shown that when individuals think of cancer, they hardly correlate it with what they eat and drink and rather focus more on the hazards of smoking and excessive sun exposure. This is according to recent comments from Teresa Nightingale, general manager of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).

" Not enough people are aware that what they eat and how active they are affect their cancer risk," she explained. The comments come ahead of World Cancer Day, to be held on February 4th. Research conducted in advance of the awareness day has suggested that around a third of the most common cancers can be prevented through healthy eating, keeping physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.

Click here to read full article

Proper nutrition begins with the foods you eat as well as how these foods are prepared. Preparing our foods under low temperatures preserves the essential minerals and nutrients found in food, which aid in warding off various diseases such as cancer.

For more information click here