Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Healthy Eating Diet


By Theresa Byford

I believe in eating healthy and staying fit, but I also believe everything needs to be done in moderation. If we restrict ourselves completely from everything we love to eat, we end up over indulging ourselves later and regretting it. So if chocolate is your thing or vanilla ice cream or what ever you fancy. I say its okay to have a little here or a little there.


Exercise: There are all kinds of ways to get your exercise. Don't make the mistake of doing the same exercise routine day in and day out. You will get bored! Walk in your neighbor hood, walk down town, or maybe you have a park near by that has trails. Do some stretching exercises, start out slow, they will help loosen up tight muscles and improve joint movement. Later you can add some weights if you would like. You might try putting some tunes on and dance around the living room. The secret is to make exercise fun.Here are a few health tips that I have picked up, some recently and some that I have known for a while. Hope that you will find some of these tips useful in your quest in becoming a healthier you.

Phosphoric acid an additive found in soda is believed to remove calcium from your bones and cause tooth decay. When girls and boys bodies are changing into young adults as we all know their hormones change which causes skin break outs and mood swings, but did you know it also causes more plaque to build up on their teeth then when they were younger. Another reason to push our teens to brush their teeth. They will be grateful to us later.

We are all looking to burn more fat when we exercise: Start your morning off with whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole grain toast or bran cereal. They have "slow release" carbohydrates which can help you burn fat, according to a new study in the Journal Of Nutrition.

Weight bearing exercise helps our body absorb calcium. You can take all the calcium you want but with out exercise and vitamin D your body will not absorb the calcium. You can get vitamin D from leafy green vegetables, most milk also is fortified with vitamin D these days, there's also vitamin D supplements or you can spend fifteen minutes in the sun a day with out sunscreen. Exercise is great way to lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, including breast cancer. Exercise also helps reduce stress, which is an important factor in our health.

Another way to reduce stress is to take time out for ourselves. Read a book or take a nice warm bubble bath, turn the lights off and light some candles, or just watch a good movie. We can't just depend on exercise and some relaxation though to keep us healthy, we need to also follow a healthy diet. Avoid processed foods they are very high in salt, avoid foods that are high in fat, and last but not least avoid too much sugar. Always read labels and don't forget everything needs to be done in moderation.

Hello Everyone, My name is Theresa, I live in Northern California, just South of the Oregon boarder. I am surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes. The winter is very cold, spring is comfortable and summer is toasty hot. I am engaged to a wonderful, handsome prince. Between the two of us we have five wonderful children and one grandson. We have a dog named Honeybear and two cats River and Baby. I enjoy cooking, reading, hiking, camping and spending time with family and friends. Check out my blog at http://www.eatinghealthydiet.net

Saturday, December 26, 2009

5 Reasons Why You Should Take Enough Fiber in Your Daily Diet

By Madhurima Devi Sarma

The Life Sciences Research Office of the federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology defines fiber as "the endogenous components of plant materials in the diet which are resistant to digestion by enzymes produced by humans".

Fibers are of two types, Soluble and Insoluble. Fiber has the capacity to swell and hold water within a matrix. Fibers with a high water holding capacity have been referred to as soluble fiber. Soluble fibers include gums mucilage, pectin and hemicelluloses. Food sources include fruits,vegetables; barley, oats, oat bran, and legumes (dried beans and peas).Fibers with low water holding capacity are termed as insoluble fiber. Insoluble fibers include cellulose, lignin, and some hemicelluloses. Food sources include fruits, vegetables, cereals, whole wheat products and wheat bran.

Why you should take fiber in your daily diet?

1. There is now overwhelming evidence that dietary fiber reduces serum Cholesterol considerably. Simultaneously it reduces risk of getting heart disease.

2. Some intervention studies among hypertensive and normotensive individuals have reported reductions in blood pressure in response to increased fiber intake.

3. High fiber vegetarian diets have also been associated with reduce risk of obesity

4. Various studies have also established the fact that fiber is effective in reducing Hyperglycemia in diabetic individual.

5. High fiber diet (21-38 gm/day) is also recommended for health condition like constipation, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome etc.

Normally a person should take approximately 30gm fiber per day or 12 gm per 1000 kcal for a normal healthy adult. Excessive intake of fiber may reduce the absorption of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc.

Hi, I am Madhurima Sarma and write health related articles to help people make aware about the numerous role of diet in healthy as well as in diseased individual, with an aim to prevent the development of the disease or to stop/ slow down the further development of the ongoing disease process. I spent over 10 years as a dietician and presently working in a multispeciality hospital.To contact me please email me at rimaliney@gmail.com. My blog is http://www.healthywealthyandwiseinfo4u.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Healthy Breakfast For Those on the Go


By Julie S Robertson


Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day for a reason. Eating a good quality meal early in the day jumpstarts your metabolism--and it also keeps you from making poor choices midmorning and at lunch. Making a healthy breakfast doesn't have to be time consuming-with a little planning, you can have quality choices on hand in your own kitchen.

Heat and Eat:
Instead of hitting a fast food drive thru, make breakfast burritos or sandwiches ahead of time and then microwave them. They are easy to carry and make for a healthy option. Choose eggs or egg substitute, and top with veggies or low fat cheese. Add a little seasoning to the mix rather than choosing a meat to save both fat and calories. If you have to have a meat, consider turkey bacon or low fat turkey sausage. Assemble your breakfast on a whole wheat bagel or English muffin or wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla the night before; and you can microwave it just before you walk out the door.

Grab and Go:
Consider grabbing a yogurt, and a whole grain cereal bar, protein bar, or meal replacement bar. Make sure you read your labels and check for sugar contents, fat, and calories. Some of the "granola" bars that are available in the supermarket are more like candy bars-so be sure you read the label and choose one that is truly healthy.

Fruit:
Keep bowl of fruit handy-pieces like bananas or apples are great for grabbing on the run. If you do opt for fruit, have a mid-morning snack that contains some fiber and protein to keep you going until lunchtime.

Drink your Breakfast:
You can make a quick and healthy smoothie if you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready in advance. Choose a fruit like banana or strawberries, and add a juice (orange works well). Add some good quality plain yogurt to up both the calcium and protein, and sprinkle in some wheat germ for added fiber. If you keep some "go"cups handy, you can whirl up a fast, healthy breakfast just before you walk out the door.

Less Common "Breakfast Foods":

Often people get hung up on what breakfast is and what it isn't. You don't have to eat "breakfast foods". You just need to grab something you like it that is also healthy.
• Low fat cheese slices, cubes, or string cheese. Pair that with whole wheat crackers for an easy breakfast that is also easy to carry with you. Add fruit to the mix and you have a great meal for any time of the day.
• Sandwiches are another easy to carry food. Add a low fat meat, low fat cheese, lettuce or spinach, and tomato slices, on whole wheat bread and you have a complete meal that is easy to go.
• Prepare boiled eggs ahead of time. Breakfast can be a boiled egg with a slice of toast. Both are easy to grab and don't take a lot of time to prepare.

For healthy breakfasts on the go, choose a meal that has protein and fiber to get you moving, and that you can easily fit into your morning routine. A good breakfast may take a little advanced preparation, but skipping the drive-thru will make a difference for both your waistline and your pocketbook.

The Wonderful Banana

By Dorian Hawkesford

Belonging to the same family of fuit as the orchid and the lily, the banana plant matures anywhere from 10 to 20 feet. This plant can be harvested for anywhere up to 150 bananas.

Bananas are one of the richest sources of potassium. This mineral is essential for maintaining ones blood pressure at normal levels. Since just one single banana contains a massive 467mg of this mineral, consuming just one banana a day could very well prevent high blood pressure and could prevent atherosclerosis, this is where fatty deposits build up on the walls of your arteries.

Bananas have also been known to act as antacids. These can protect against stomach ulcers and the damage they can cause. It has been studied that mixing banana with milk help to reduce the acid secretion within the stomach. How this works is the bananas enable the cells that make up the stomach linning to produce a thicker protective mucus, which acts as a barrier against the acid within the stomach. Also they contain what is known as protease inhibitors which aid teh elimination of bacteria which are believed to be the root cause of ulcers.

If you are suffering from diahorea then make sure you add this fruit to your diet ASAP! Diahorea depletes the number of what are called electrolytes. Bananas are high in electrolytes, which help to balance your fluid levels and the functioning of the heart. Also they contain soluble fibre, which will help to return your movements through the digestive track back to normal.

This fruit should be one of the very first you add to your recommended five fruits a day. They are one of those fruits that take no motivation to consume since they are treated as a natural form of sweet.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Foods to Avoid High Cholesterol - What You Need to Know


By Joe Dungait

When it comes down to choosing foods to avoid high cholesterol, you need to be aware of some of the misinformation that is out there. Most often when we think about high cholesterol then our first thought is that we need to totally eliminate the foods that cause it from our lives, the fact is that we do need some of it in our blood for our bodies to function properly and also while we can skip certain foods to avoid high cholesterol, diet only plays a small part in the grand scheme of things.


Cholesterol is a wax like substance which is produced by the liver and the body needs it for building and maintaining cell membranes and balancing the hormones. As we mentioned a small part of it can be made through our diet but the vast majority of it is produced by our livers. The foods to avoid high cholesterol are in the main foods that contain saturated fats such as red meats and dairy products, and probably the worst offenders are foods that contain trans fats; trans fats are made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, and often found in fast foods and processed foods.

The typesd of foods which we have mentioned i.e. the saturated fats and trans fats will reduce a little bit of production of LDL which is the "bad" cholesterol, however there is another cholesterol that you want to have high amounts of and that is HDL. The purpose of the HDL is that it helps to reduce plaque buildup made by LDL, and not only that it mops up the LDL and takes it back to the liver for reprocessing. Foods that can give you a good boost of this HDL are normally foods that contain omega three fats such as flax seed and walnuts; oily fish in particular is excellent at raising the HDL because that contains two omega3 fats known as DHA and EPA and these been scientifically proven to not only help balance out the levels but also reduce triglycerides as well.

Quite often if you go to the doctors to discuss your cholesterol levels, they will just look your total combined levels and look to reduce that rather than look at the separate LDL and HDL levels and also triglyceride levels. Normally the course of action that is taken is to prescribe statins. The problem with statins is that although they will reduce your LDL by way of inhibiting the enzymes that produce it, at the same time they also inhibit enzymes that the body needs to function properly, and inhibiting these good enzymes can lead to some severe health complications. Unfortunately statins are dished out quite often without looking at other remedies such as discussing foods to avoid high cholesterol. You need to think carefully if you are offered statins by a doctor as once you are on them then you are on them for life.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Eat Healthy - Feel Great


By Dr. Dale


Everyone wants to eat healthy and feel great. Let's explore what to eat and why these inexpensive healthy foods are less costly than fast foods.

Unfortunately, few people eat healthy. It's a shame because many of the ills that plague mankind are caused by nutritional deficits of one type or another.

The reasons most folks don't eat properly are many and varied. Some people truly don't know the correct foods to consume. Others refuse to give up the foods they were raised with.

Wise Eating

Eating healthy on a budget is often a high priority when determining if a lifestyle change will suit you.

That's understandable.

Being able to make inexpensive healthy recipes you can afford may be your first consideration. Luckily, good health foods can be very affordable.

Natural Healthy Diet

The affordability of many healthful food choices lies in the fact that the best foods are unprocessed and in their natural state. This offers the greatest chance for you to consume the nutrients you need to eat healthy and feel great as nature intended.

Raw vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole grains are some of the best foods to eat. Because they are consumed as they come from the fields and orchards processing costs are minimized or totally eliminated.

A raw vegetable diet can be had for only the cost of growing the produce.

Whereas the worst foods to eat, fast foods, require many different processes (including transportation costs) which all add to the cost of foods in the supermarket. And as you well know; fast food is bad for you.