IMF: Food Price Rises Threaten Efforts to Cut Poverty

A rise in food prices of 48 percent since end-2006 is a huge increase that may undermine gains the international community has made in reducing poverty, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned. He told an April 10 news conference in Washington that policy responses to higher food prices have to be tailored to meet the needs of each country.

Strauss-Kahn said the IMF could take four steps to help address higher food prices in the short term:

• Support countries in designing appropriate macroeconomic policies to deal with shocks
• Provide advice and technical assistance for countries where rising food prices are eroding terms of trade, through targeted income support for the poor—without jeopardizing hard-won gains on economic stabilization
• In countries where price shocks are affecting the balance of payments, provide assistance through IMF lending facilities
• Work, along with other agencies and donors, to help countries mitigate negative impacts.

Open trade policies

Longer-term answers to the problem of higher food prices centered on removing obstacles to increased supply, Strauss-Kahn said. The IMF cites increased trade as a policy option for mitigating the effects of higher commodity prices on national economies. IMF chief economist Simon Johnson told an April 9 World Economic Outlook briefing: "As a way to reduce global pressure on food and energy prices, more open trade policies in those products would be a good start. Less insular biofuels policy in advanced economies would help relieve some pressure. At the same time, we encourage countries to avoid raising taxes or imposing quotas on their food exports. These reduce incentives for domestic producers and also increase international prices."

Impact on inflation

IMF research shows that higher prices for food pose new challenges for African policymakers and could have particularly adverse effects on the poor. Because food represents a larger share of what poorer consumers buy, a global increase in food prices has a bigger impact on inflation in poorer countries. IMF studies show the rise in food prices reflecting a mixture of longer-term factors such as food crops being diverted to biofuel production; higher food demand from emerging economies; and higher energy and fertilizer costs. Temporary factors, such as droughts, floods, and political instability, also contributed to higher food prices.

Strauss-Kahn displayed a map at the press briefing that showed the impact of projected food price increases on global trade balances (see chart). 

New kind of imbalance

In Africa and Asia the effect of higher food prices would have to be seen not only in terms of undermining the efforts to fight against poverty but also as representing a new kind of macroeconomic imbalance, Strauss-Kahn said. For a large part of Africa, a shock could be expected that was as big as, and maybe bigger than, previous shocks.

Strauss-Kahn welcomed an initiative launched by U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown that urges the IMF, the World Bank, and the United Nations to develop a global strategy to address higher food prices. "The initiative taken by Gordon Brown is perfectly timely, We need now to consider the rise in food prices as something which is not just happening for one or two months but as probably more structural," Strauss-Kahn said. The Brown proposal would probably be on the agenda of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings and of the ministerial meeting of the Group of Seven industrial countries, he added.

Mother’s Recipe Fried Idlis

Ingredients :
1 cup semolina(sooji),
1/2 cup curd,1 tsp eno powder,
1 onion finely chopped,
1 capsicum finely chopped,
1 grated carrot,
1/2 cup grated cabbage,
2-3 green chillies,
curry leaves,
tomato ketchup,
mustard seeds,
black pepper and salt to taste.

Method:
1.Take a bowl and add semolina,curd,eno and salt.Add some water.Make a smooth atter
2.Rest a batter for sometime.Now take an idli stand and apply some oil on it
3.Now pour the batter in the stand and steam it in the pressure cooker for 15-20 mins.
4.Cool the idlis and then cut them into 2 halves.
5.Take a wok.Add some oil in it.
6.Then add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
7.Now add all the vegetables into it and stir for 4-5 mins.
8.Add salt and black pepper.Then add idlis into it.
9.Add tomato ketchup and stir for 2-3 mins.
10. Serve the fried idlis with coriander chutney.

Chicken Breast Hawaiian

 
Ingredients:

4         whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
     1/4 cup   butter or margarine
     2 tsp.    chili powder
     1/4 cup   flaked coconut
     1 egg     slightly beaten
     3/4 cup   dry bread crumbs
     1 tsp.    salt
     1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons shortning
     4         pineapple slices
     2         cooked sweet potatoes (quartered)
     2         firm bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

     Sweet and Sour Sauce

     2         tablespoons shortening
     1/4 cup   finely chopped onion
     1/2 cup   catsup
     1/2 cup   apricot preserves
     1 Tbs.    brown sugar
     1 Tbs.    cider vinegar
     1/2 tsp.  curry powder

Procedure:
Rinse and pat chicken dry. Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap; flaten slightly. Cream butter and chili powder. Blend in coconut. Divide into eight portions. Spoon one portion onto each chicken piece. Tuck in sides; roll and skewer. Chill two hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dip chicken rolls into egg, then roll in compined breadcrumbs and salt to coat evenly. Melt 1/4 cup of the shortening in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken rolls and brown evenly on all sides. Transfer to greased shallow baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Remove skewers. Melt remaining shortening in skillet over medium heat. Heat pineapple, sweet potatoes, an bananas. Arrange with chicken rolls on a searing platter and serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce Instructions:

Melt shortening in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until tender. Stir in catsup, preserves, brown sugar, vinegar, curry powder, blend. Keep warm until served.

President Barack Obama's Chili Recipe

What does our new president like to eat?
Barack Obama admits in Dreams From My Father to having eaten dog, snake and grasshoppers as a boy in Indonesia.

On the campaign trail, Reggie Love, Obama's aide and “body man” said that Obama “eats pretty much anything, from chicken wings and barbecue and ribs to grilled fish and steamed broccoli.” In a small towns with limited options, a cheeseburger is always a good bet. “Cheddar is the cheese of choice,” Love said. Time magazine's Pico Iyer reported that Obama likes to put avocado on his burger.

While campaigning in North Carolina, the motorcade stopped at Ashville restaurant 12 Bones Smokehouse where Obama greeted diners and took ribs, brisket, pulled pork, corn pudding and sweet tea back to his motorcade.

“That’s a lot of food,” Obama told the restaurant staff. “That’s not all for me.”

Unlike some former presidents, he likes his vegetables, especially brocolli and spinach. Asparagus, not so much. Beets? "I always avoid eating them," Obama says.

Barack Obama has been known to brag about his chili. When asked what is his favorite dish to bring to a potluck, Obama said, “I’ve been using this chili recipe since college and would bring it to any potluck. I can’t reveal all the secrets, but if you make it right, it’s just got the right amount of bite, the right amount of oomph in it and it will clear your sinuses.”

Good Morning America (and others) have published his recipe, adapted hereBarack Obama's Chili

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:

    * 1 large onion, chopped
    * 1 green pepper, chopped
    * Several cloves of garlic (to taste), chopped
    * 1 Tbsp olive oil
    * 1 pound ground turkey or beef
    * ¼ tsp each: ground cumin, oregano, turmeric, and basil
    * 1 tablespoon chili powder
    * 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
    * Several tomatoes (depending on size) chopped -or- a can of chopped tomatoes
    * 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
    * 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
    * Toppings: grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped onion, sour cream, bottled hot sauce

Method:

   1. Saute onions and green pepper in olive oil until soft, 6-7 minutes. Added the garlic and saute a minute longer.
   2. Add ground meat and brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
   3. Mix the spices together with the red wine vinegar in a small bowl and stir intto ground meat mixture.
   4. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. The time will vary depending on how much juice is with the tomatoes and how soupy you like your chili.
   5. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes, long enough to heat the beans through.
   6. Serve over rice with your choice of toppings.

Other Favorites: The Obamas are also reported to like:

    * Michelle Obama's Macaroni and Cheese
    * Shrimp with Grits
    * Fried Chicken
    * Take-out Pizza (especially from Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Chicago who will be supplying pizza for some of the inauguration festivities)
    * Sopa Azteca (when eating at Rick Bayless' Topolobampo restaurant in Chicago): This version of tortilla soup consists of a dark broth flavored with pasilla chile, garnished with grilled chicken, avocado, Jack cheese, thick cream and tortilla strips.

Will there be chili at the formal inauguration luncheon? No, but if you're in the right place you might get some of that pizza.

Go here to see more chilis and stews, including:
    * Cowboy Chili with Steak
    * Belgian Beef Stew
    * Boeuf Bourguignon - Beef Burgundy
    * Hoppin' John Chili with Black-Eyed Peas
    * Cioppino to Die For

red chili peppers benefits

red chili peppers benefits.
this tips for overcome a weight with chili.
Chili, we knew him as a vegetable that has a spicy taste. Besides functioning enrich flavor in cooking, eating meals with a mixture of chili in it, it also can help overcome a weight problem.
Recent research shows, hot pepper potent to suppress one's appetite.
But new research shows, the effect will be more optimal if the chili is not too often be eaten.
Red chili or cayenne pepper is a type of chili that is larger than cayenne pepper, red and touted the most widely consumed throughout the world. Other names are Guinea spice, Pepper Cow Horn, aleva or bird pepper.
Like other types of chili at large, red peppers also contain capsaicin which is a compound that gives spicy taste. Various studies prove, capsaicin is good for dieting because it can suppress appetite and increase calorie burning.
Provision of capsaicin capsules in several scientific studies participants showed a satisfactory effect. Likewise, when testing is done by the original chili, benefits administration capcaisin as effective in extract form a capsule inserted.
Recently, research at Purdue University in Indiana revealed a more effective way to get the benefits of capsaicin in red chili. The study involved 25 participants, consisting of 13 people fans of chili and 12 people who are not fond of spicy.
Researchers did not determine how much original red chili (not extract capsaicin) that must be consumed, participants may take their own will. Enthusiasts sambal average took 1.8 grams while that is not fond of spicy average only 0.3 grams.
In general, all participants were asked to consume red peppers are equally benefited. The body becomes warm, decreased appetite, especially on salty and fatty foods, as well as burning calories more efficiently.
But seen from the amount of chili consumed, participants who are not fond of eating hot pepper sauce a little more. This means that in smaller doses, capsaicin effects are even more optimal to people who are not accustomed to eating hot peppers.
"There are differences in changes in appetite responses differ between the two groups. This shows, the effect is greater in people who are not accustomed to eating chili," said Prof. Richard Mattes in a report published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, as quoted from Dailymail.
source : http://www.lienaaifen.com/kesehatan/makan-cabai-merah-bisa-turunkan-berat-badan/

lifestyle tips of eating breakfast is important

eating breakfast is important
Most of us always start the day with an empty stomach. Some argue do not have enough time for breakfast, some are thinking that the habit of eating breakfast will only make the body fat.
But you know, a research at Harvard University in the U.S. showed that people who regularly eat breakfast have a tendency to 50 percent were not overweight than those who skip breakfast.
Well, so you better understand the benefits, the following is an explanation of why breakfast is good for the body and also gives tips on how to make it as a lifestyle:

1. Breakfast can meet the required nutrients.
Delaying breakfast makes it difficult to obtain the intake of nutrients and vitamins that are recommended. Menu breakfast such as cereal with milk or low fat yogurt plus granules will provide enough calcium and fiber.

2. Breakfast can lose weight.
When you move with an empty stomach, your body will burn calories slower. According to nutrition expert author of The F-Factor Diet Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, breakfast the morning after a night on an empty stomach can increase metabolism, which means burning calories throughout the day becomes more efficient.
But Zuckerbrot stressed that the key of all is the kind of food you consume. Foods containing simple carbohydrates such as donuts will make glucose increased, then decreased drastically. It also causes you to feel hungry at 11's.
A better way is to eat a type of complex carbohydrate such as oatmeal or whole grain bread. Foods with high fiber content and low in sugar will be digested slowly, providing constant energy and make you hungry faster.

3. Breakfast boost brainpower.
Research experts from the University of Wales Swansea prove that students are always breakfast recorded an average score of 22 per cent higher than peers who did not breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, most of the energy in the form of glucose and glycogen has been depleted by the activities of the previous day. According to experts, glucose is the only fuel needed brain. Without enough glucose, you feel tired and dizzy.

4. Protection against heart disease.
Research shows that healthy women who skipped breakfast for two weeks has the bad LDL cholesterol levels higher than those who ate a bowl of cereal plus milk in the morning.
Zuckerbrot explains, fiber to bind cholesterol before reaching the arteries. Hence also, 10-year study conducted at Harvard Nurses Health concluded that high fiber intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease to reach 50 percent.

Healthy breakfast tips:
1. Breakfast should contain at least 5 grams of fiber, one dish of calcium (equivalent to a glass of milk or yogurt) plus protein and fat. Limit your sugar intake to 6 grams (one teaspoon equals 4 grams).
2. If there is no breakfast at home, you can bring sandwiches and milk to be enjoyed on the trip or after arriving at work.
3. Eggs are a food that is relatively practical and easy to prepare. The content of nutrients in eggs of vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, iron, potassium, calcium, and other substances, our body is necessary.
4. So varied, we should eat fruit favorites to the needs of vitamins for the body. If there is time in the evening, blenderlah mixed fruit yogurt or milk and save it in the fridge to be consumed in the morning.
5. If you always do not feel hungry in the morning, Zuckerbrot recommends that you stop eating after 20:00 o'clock at night. In two or three weeks ahead, biological clock will change your appetite. Every morning wake up, you will feel hungry. (Kmp / dion)
source : http://esq-news.com/kesehatan/2011/04/20/pentingnya-sebuah-sarapan.html

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is more than a diet. It is a lifelong living style. You have to adopt it, as a religion. Decades ago, it was the natural way of life of many people around the Mediterranean Basin, especially in Spain, Italy and Greece. High activity, Mediterranean nutrition, anti stress attitudes and not much money shaped a culture that was declared last year Immaterial Human Heritage by UNESCO.Nowadays, these circumstances have changed in the mentioned countries, but many responsible people are still keeping or returning to what is considered to be the healthiest diet in the world.

The Mediterranean Diet is the best way to live many years with a high quality of life. It is also the best way to keep your body in shape, your skin clean and beautiful and your internal organs working properly. It the best diet to lead you to a proportional weight and don’t endanger your health with urgent and unbalanced malnutrition.  These fad diets may allow you to lose a few pounds, for a time, a weight that you will regain later after having lost part of your health. You may not know immediately, but the aftermath will come later.

There is something that you should take into account. The Mediterranean Diet is free, without any supplements or packs.  Consequently, there is not any economic interest behind it. The only money you are going to spend is your own investment in proper and fresh food, fruits and vegetables.

The Mediterranean Diet is also the best way to prevent many diseases. The most important are the “brain ictus” or stroke (first cause of death in women and second in men) and the “myocardial infarction” or heart attack (the main cause in men), but are many more. It has been proved the important role of the Mediterranean Diet in the prevention of the metabolic syndrome (some health disorders of which the most important are: too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure and/or insulin levels and unbalanced levels of cholesterol. So it has been in the prevention of lung diseases, asthma, many allergies, Parkinson, Alzheimer, and also for keeping the bone mass in elderly people. Recently, it has been related the Mediterranean Diet with low incidences of many types of cancer.

The original Mediterranean Diet characteristics are:

1. High consumption of virgin olive oil.
2. High intake of vegetables and fruits and legumes.
3. Use of non refined carbohydrates (portions to be adjusted to physical activity).
4. Consumption of fish, specially oily (or “bluish” one) three o for times a week
5. Consumption of milk and derivates, cheese and yogurt (the original cheese was fresh goat cheese). Keep an eye on the saturated fats of the dairy products. Do not consume too much!
6. Three or four eggs per week.
7. Moderate consumption of meat and saturated fats (natural, not artificially hydrogenated!).
8. One or two small glasses of wine a day, preferably red and at the main meals. White wine and beer are alternatives.
9. Nuts as snacks.
10. In “special occasions” Mediterranean traditional desserts.

Of course, if you want to reduce your weight, you will have to choose the less caloric nutrients. Or just do the opposite, if you want to increase it.

Prince William Favourite Foods

For the upcoming royal wedding, Princess Diana's former chef Darren McGrady predicts guests will enjoy formal English fare. But when it comes to Prince William's favorite food, one decidedly unstuffy dessert tops the list: Banana Flan. McGrady used to serve the dish (displayed above on Diana's favorite "Herend Birds" china) during private lunches he prepared for the Princess, William and Harry in the dining room at Kensington Palace. "On these occasions, William and Harry could eat what they wanted," McGrady tells PEOPLE. "Two or even three slices of banana flan were perfectly okay as long as 'my boys' are happy – that was how the boss thought." And the dessert – akin to banana cream pie – has a Royal pedigree: "Both William and Harry loved banana flan," says McGrady. "It's the ultimate in comfort food or 'nursery food' as the Queen would call it. In fact, the Queen herself used to be served it as a child, too." And you don't have to be a Windsor to eat like one. Check out the recipe for Prince William's favorite dessert below:


INGREDIENTS

Serves 6
For the pastry – enough for two tart shells:
• ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
• 3 ½ sticks butter, in small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 ¼ cups flour

For the filling:
• 1½ cups milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
• 3-4 ripe bananas, sliced ¼-inch thick
• ½ cup apricot jam

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Pulse until smooth. Add the flour and pulse until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and form into two balls. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Unbaked dough may be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen up to three months.) 2. Roll out one ball to about ¼-inch thick circle and place it in a 9-in., two-piece tart pan. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425º. Line tart with parchment paper and fill with baking weights. Place tart in oven. After 5 minutes lower temperature to 375º. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until tart is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. 3. In a large saucepan, bring the milk and cream to the boil. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, vanilla, cornstarch and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. Continue whisking pastry cream over medium heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter. Let cool slightly, then spoon into the tart shell. 4. Arrange banana slices neatly on top of the warm filling. In a small pan, bring the apricot jam to a boil and brush over the top of the bananas. (Adapted from Chef Darren McGrady's Eating Royally)

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting ready for what will be one of the busiest and most exciting weeks of their lives, as they are set to finally marry at the Royal Wedding on Friday.

The Royal Wedding is a huge event that people all over the world will be celebrating. In fact, The Disney Channel has even deemed this “Royal Wedding Week” so that the kiddos can get involved on the action. My five year old son even knows about the Royal Wedding thanks to Disney!

Anytime a new couple gets married, speculation on when they will decide to start a family usually starts before the wedding reception is even over. How long will it be until the William and Kate baby buzz begins…if it hasn’t already?

The only event bigger than the Royal Wedding will be the birth of William and Kate’s first child. Do you think that they will wait a while before choosing to have children, or will Kate be pregnant within their first year of marriage, like Prince William’s mother, Princess Diana was with him?

Either way, we can’t help but be a little excited about the possibility of seeing a new Royal in the near future.