BigBangKitchen

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Category Archives: Scientific Facts of Food


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Yes, already mid-February! It can be a good time for a check-in to see how we are doing or even re-setting ourselves if need be too! So as this year is a year towards wellness, I noticed something interesting and relevant in my last reading of one of my favourite magazines: Success Magazine, February 2013 issue.

What I found to be of interest and also relevant, be it for making time for us as this could be near that time of the year where we are being healthy yet are stressing that the gains are not as big as we would like them to be, or conversely on the other side of the coin where we are still catching up from the holiday season just 8ish weeks ago! The interesting article was from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen entitled “Take a Deep Breath”. In this article there great suggestions about lifestyle tips for managing stress. The one that I really liked whats about vitamins and minerals that can help with stress. Those that were mentioned in the article are foods that contain the specific vitamins and minerlas. Those foods are:

  • avocados, any type of berry, nuts (watch out for allergies), oranges, and salmon

With these foods listed, check out the next few posts starting next week for recipes with these foods!

Happy kitchening, cooking & cuisine!


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The quick second to protein source aside from beef, is poultry. In this mention, it will be specific to chicken and preferably free-range. Albeit, I also understand about budgets, so there could be inference made to chicken as a whole.

The nitty-gritty science will be presented, but first some general awareness about the health benefits of chicken:

• helps prevent our body from aging prematurely due to stress;
• contains hyaluronic acid, so can hold water in the collagen in order to keep our body hydrated and the skin firm
• is the carrier of the main protein in human muscle – glutamic acid – helping in strength

Good general science stuff? Well for those of us who like numbers, here is the nitty-gritty below.

Major nutrients per 100g or 3 ounces:

• 114 calories
• 2.5g total fat
• 0.57g saturated fat
• 0.76g monounsaturated fat
• 21.3g protein
• 0mg carbohydrate
• 0mg fiber
• 10.4mg vit B3
• 1.4mg vit B5
• 0.75mg vit B6
• 32mcg selenium
• 3.15g glutamic acid

Enjoy your chicken dishes, mine will be turmeric-curry chicken tonight.

Happy kitchening, cooking & cuisine!


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Most of the time we may think of beef as one of our chief sources of protein. Yes it is a source of protein, yet so is lamb, chicken, turkey, venison, fish, and even the popular hot greek-style yogurt!

So why is there such a fuss about protein anyways? Here is a little more of the science behind protein and what contribution it makes for us and our health:

  • repairs and rebuilds worn out cells
  • protein makes the collagen that is needed to rejuvenate our hair, skin, and nails
  • keeps the bones and muscles continually renewed

A few other protein sources include kefir, eggs, and goat cheese.

Happy kitchening, cooking & cuisine!


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Heading into mid-October and giving thanks over Thanksgiving weekend, here is a little bit of slick science for a very well known oil that we may all be using – olive oil.

Here is the science about this oil. For 1 tbsp or 15 ml of olive oil there is:

  • 132 calories
  • 15g fat
  • 4.6 g monounsaturated fat
  • 1,464 mg omega 6-fatty acids
  • 10,600 mg omega 9-fatty acids
  • 2.15 mg Vitamin E

So what does all that mean? Good question. Olive oil has been well documented to being at the cornerstone for the healthy Mediterranean diet as the monounsaturated fats, flavones, quercetin and omega-9 fatty acids create a healthy combination of protective nutrients that are famous for heart health properties.

Enjoy using this healthy oil!

Happy kitchening, cooking & cuisine!


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October – Pumpkins & Ginger?

The Pumpkin Spice flavour is around for sure! Check out some local coffee stops and you will find it there as part of a choice you have for your drink. Yet does ginger go with the pumpkin season? You decide! But first a series of science about the herb ginger:

  • Ginger is also known as Zingiber officinale or Adrak (India) and its botanical name in the Sanskrit name singabera
  • Ginger has a rich history, dating back as far as 3000 years ago (India and China) & Greece and Rome 10th century

Do you have this historical herb in your kitchen as a staple?

Here is the nutritional scientific facts for a 3/4″ (8mm) piece:

  • 12 calories
  • 0.11 g total fat
  • 0.27 g protein
  • 2.66 g carbohydrate
  • 0.3 g fiber
  • 2.4 mg vitamin C
  • 62 mg potassium

Remember, this is a fantastic piece of herb for the kitchen as it assists in circulation and is an anti-inflammatory!

Happy kitchening, cooking, & cuisine!