Assalaamu alaikum,

Winter is just about upon us here in Chicago. Other areas of the nation have already been blessed with a generous snowfall. It’s time to bundle up when we head outdoors. Indoors, we may want to warm up with a hardy bowl of soup. “Soups and Stews” offers tips on how to prepare different soup stocks.

Last issue we provided advice on reading the nutrition information found on food labels. This issue “Dates on Food Labels” looks into the meaning of the various dating formats found on food products and how to use them. You’ll want to check dates on products before you purchase them.

For those who like their food hot and spicy, “For the Love of Spice” discusses the health benefits of spicy foods and the “hotness” of some common peppers. If you try a Carolina Reaper, which is 100 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper, please let us know how it feels!

The Quranic food this issue is a fruit you can generally find throughout the year: bananas. “The ApPEEL of Bananas” looks at the different types available, where they come from, and the health benefits, as well as some ways of enjoying them.

More and more consumers are looking for substitutes for animal derived products. Last issue we considered plant-derived meat products. This issues “Moooove Over Milk…The New Dairy” looks into the myriad of non-animal derived dairy products. This goes beyond just milk products to cheese, butter, yogurt, and even ice cream.

Just because it is winter, that’s no reason to hibernate! In “Mitigating Disease with a Healthy Lifestyle” we learn that getting up off that comfy sofa for 22 minutes a day and engaging in some “moderate-intensity aerobic activity” can help us burn the caloric equivalent of thirteen pounds in a year.

Finally, be sure to try out the recipes and share your comments with us via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Roger M. Othman, editor