Archive for November, 2010
Healthy Food Choices no comments
Eating healthy is something we all would like to do,
although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you
must first make the right food choices. Eating healthy
is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very
crucial to your results.
Grains
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this,
you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,
crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in
a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.
Vegetables
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of
them each day. You should start eating more of the dark
vegetables, such as broccili and spinach. Carrots and
sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat
more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney
beans.
Fruits
Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups
of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as
fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can
drink fruit juices as well, although you should use
moderation when doing so.
Milk
Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups
is the ideal goal. For kids 2 – 8, 2 cups is where you
want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you
should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who
don’t like milk or can’t have it, should go for lactose
free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified
foods and beverages.
Meat and beans
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go
lean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it,
grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from
adding to the equation. You should vary your protein
as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.
When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats
such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These
foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can
also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you
should try to add these foods and any foods that happen
to contain them.
To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low,
you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can
be found on the food package and will tell you all the
information you need to know about the food item.
By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,
you’ll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as
well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating
lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy
will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and
years – even help you and your health in the long run
as well.
(word count 469)
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Healthy Solutions For Stress and Obesity no comments
Advances in science and technology have revolutionized how people live and work. The breakthroughs in 21st Century medical science have extended life expectancy rates and wiped out some of the diseases that were once thought to be incurable.
Still, these modern miracles have fallen short of eradicating two of the most troublesome conditions that have afflicted mankind: stress and anxiety. No matter how many vitamins we take, or how many fitness programs we try… absolutely no one can get immunity from life’s woes.
Another health problem that poses a challenge to medical science is the silent plague of obesity. According to the U.S. Obesity Society, at least 64% of Americans are now obese or overweight. The dramatic changes in food intake or diet, the ease of transportation, and the change of work into a more sedentary activity have all contributed to the rise of obesity.
But another major factor that has been left behind in the news is the fact that stress is a contributing cause for obesity. What comes to mind when you are trying to beat the deadline? What comes to mind when you become so tense just thinking about the upcoming bar exams? What comes to mind when you feel over worked? Food! Food! and More Food! You begin to develop food cravings as a way to relax your nerves and keep your mind off your problems for a while. You can hear it calling inside your head Come to me….taste me! How delicious I am today! Your mind suddenly is filled with swirling images of cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate bars, donuts, burgers….and, mind you, not just plain burgers — we’re talking about double cheese burgers with extra toppings.
It is true that eating is one of the most common escapes for troubled souls. No wonder there is such as term as comfort food. Depressed people are more prone to give in to food cravings. Studies show that an average healthy individual carries around about seven to ten pounds of toxic waste. So it is not hard to imagine how much waste overweight people have to move around with. Other studies reveal that 10 percent of people who are overweight actually began overeating as a means to escape from their anxieties. The pleasures of eating had become a way to block off all negative thoughts and feelings.
Having a healthy body and a healthy mind is something that we cannot achieve separately. In fact, our thoughts have a very big influence on how our bodies feel. Somehow, our bodies show our mental and emotional condition. Obesity, therefore, could probably be a sign of a more serious emotional and psychological problem.
Stress and anxiety, as indirect causes of overeating and obesity, must be addressed squearely in order to avoid more serious health problems. To determine whether you or a person you know is being slowly sucked into a stress spiral, see if you have any of these stress symptoms:
lFatigue
lHigh Blood Pressure
lInsomnia
lIrritability
lMemory loss
lLow self-esteem
lNervous twitches
lChanges in sleep patterns
lWithdrawal
lTeeth-grinding
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Aside from managing our eating habits, we also need to manage our emotions. The daily pressures at work and at home can be too much for some people. Most urbanites and executives are trapped in a life in constant rush. Busy people can become so frantic that even their eating habits can be affected. Just observe a regular restaurant in the middle of the business and financial district. Most likely, you’ll notive people just gobbling up whatever is in their plate…not really enjoying the meal. And to make it worse, they eat enormous amounts of food thinking that they need to replenish themselves after having worked so hard. The worst part is that instead of getting good nutrition, busy people consume high fat, high calorie foods that are not good for one’s health.
So, if you are serious about not getting too fat or becoming overweight, you must eliminate the many things that can cause stress in your life. More than just controlling the amount of food you eat, you should also try one or more of the following health-enhancing activities:
1.Try out a Yoga Program or DIY Yoga – all you need is a mat and a yoga video showing the different Yoga positions.
2.Laugh till you drop- laughter is still the best medicine.
3.Meditation – although a bit difficult to master it is good stress reliever. it involves focusing inwardly and shutting out all the noise, restore the body and give us calm.
4.Diet – There are certain foods that contributes to a person being stressed out like for instance too much caffeine. Watching what you eat and knowing what essential foods that gives you strength and stamina is vital. Getting the right proteins and balancing it with vegetables keeps you strong and healthy!
A healthy solution to combat stress and obesity is that you must lessen your hectic, fast-paced life.
Get rid of the thousand and one things that bring chaos to your daily life. Eat healthy foods and try to keep in mind to do everything in moderation. Do something else with your hands other than dipping it into bucket of chicken or holding a liter of soda.
When you think about it, the solutions to stress and obesity are in your hands.
Healthy Raw Food Diet no comments
Raw food has become very popular these days and for some very good reasons. I will attend several of them in this article. Raw food is a vegetarian food which is not baked, cooked or heated over 48 Celsius, about 120 Fahrenheit, degrees. Raw food can be categorized into four main groups: vegetables and fruits, sprouts of all kinds, dehydrated breads and fruits, and fermented food with friendly germs. In this article I will discuss how one should start to consume raw food for healthy raw food diet.
It is a known fact that since 1500 BC famous people consumed raw food among them you can find: Leonardo de Vinci, Russo, Hippocrates, Tolstoy, and many more. Today many famous people follow their footsteps and consume raw food as a healthier way of life and maintaining great appearance as a bonus.
Before we start consuming raw food we need to better understand the biggest advantage in eating living food. In one word: Enzymes. When the food is heated over 48 degrees all enzymes died and we loose their blessed work. Enzymes are created by our body to support it in some of the most crucial tasks our body performs. They help in adjusting the food and consume less food but enjoy better feeding. Unlike heavy cooked food which is less nutritious.
One of the most important side affects of consuming raw food is maintaining balanced body weight. This is not the subject of this article but over weight problems are well known: blood pressure, heart disease, etc. We can benefit from the following if we keep in normal weight: improved immunity system, better night sleep, higher energy, and better digestion system, avoid skin disease, less fat in your blood, and live longer.
Another important element is consuming the correct blend of foods without mixing wrong types of foods. It is important to avoid mixing of vegetables and fruits, sweet fruits and sour fruits, fat and fruits. The reason is that every food group is digested by a different enzyme. The mixing could relate to a swollen stomach and unpleasant heavy feeling and an urge to take a nap while you have just eaten and should feel a live and energetic.
I hope that by now you are convinced that consuming raw food could change your life for the better. But how should you start consuming raw food? Here are few quick tips on how should you start to change your diet:
Instead of taking foods out, start with adding raw foods to your diet.
Drink only natural squeezed juices. Especially green juice made from celery, cucumber, and green leafs. (Try cucumber, celery, green leafs, some ginger, and of lemon).
Start your lunch and dinner with a big salad. Add nuts and seeds.
Start eating nuts, almonds, and seeds as snacks. Or some fruit.
Start to remove slowly processed food. At start 20 percent raw and 80 percent not and slowly change the relation.
Please note that in time when you start consuming only raw food your body will start to clean all toxics and it could be accompanied by bad breath, gazes, etc. This is normal and a sign that your body is getting one step closer to a healthy clean state.
Please consult your doctor before performing any change to your diet to make sure your diet fits your medical condition.
Healthy Kids with Goji no comments
Raising and keeping your children healthy is not an undemanding job. Colds, flu and other contagious diseases more often increase with lightning speed and children tend to be the most vulnerable. Different from adults, young children may not have been exposed to many common germs. Their immune systems may not have had the chance to develop resistance to infection.
TV commercials try to sway kids to choose fast foods, high-fat snacks, high-sugar drinks and cereals. This type of diet cannot keep your children healthy. To the contrary, it actually curbs the immune system and amplifies the risk of disease. The accustomed modern diet is also largely responsible for the recent epidemic of childhood obesity. Youve seen the headlines saying that more than half of American adults are obese. Turns out the problem isnt confined to adults. More and more children are overweight, too. Fortunately, the trend doesnt have to continue.
Children who are overweight are likely to become overweight adults. They may develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and other illnesses that can follow them into adulthood. Overweight children can also suffer from stress, sadness and low self-esteem.
Eating well and being physically active are keys to your childs well-being. The fusion of a healthy diet and regular exercise will not only help to keep them well when theyre young, but will also develop their resistance to disease and screen them later in life.
Enforce regular sleep to your children. Irregular sleep diminishes activity of natural killer cells, a key immune function. Parents should help their children plan schedules that permit eight to ten hours of sleep per night.
Daytime relaxation can produce important health benefits to children of any age.. A period of quiet, focused relaxation each day relieves anxiety, improves nighttime sleep and stimulates immune function.
Benefits of Goji Juice
The Goji berry can only be found in the most remote regions of Western Asia and have been celebrated throughout time. There are countless Asian legends demonstrating the wonders of Goji and the overall health benefits enjoyed by those who incorporate it as part of a healthy lifestyle. One such legend recounts the amazing account of Li Qing Yuen, a Chinese man born in 1678. Li Qing Yuen consumed a daily helping of soup made from the nutrient packed Goji berries and reportedly lived to the astonishing age of 252 years! The legend of Li Qing Yuen and the Goji Berry remain an important part of Asian culture to this day.
In an important study, gojis master molecule polysaccharides were discovered to reduce body weight by enhancing the conversion of food into energy instead of fat. Goji has enjoyed long use throughout Asia in the natural treatment of insomnia. As a wholesome food, it has none of the dangers associated with sleeping pills.
One of the most beneficial uses of goji is its ability to strengthen the immune system to protect your child against disease. In traditional Asian medicine, the goji berry is renowned as an adaptogen, meaning that it has a rare ability to help your child to adapt to adverse conditions. In dozens of laboratory and clinical studies, goji has been shown to boost immune function. With daily use, it supports the bodys own processes to maintain peak health and prevent development of disease.
Goji berries contain up to 21 trace minerals (The main ones being zinc, iron, copper, calcium, germanium, selenium, and phosphorus). Goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids, including beta-carotene (more beta carotene than carrots), of all known foods or plants on earth! They contain 500 times the amount of vitamin C, by weight, of oranges making them second only to camu camu berries as the richest vitamin C source on earth. Goji berries also contain vitamins B1, B2, B6, and vitamin E.
Mature fruits contain about 11 mg of iron per 100 grams, beta-sisterol (an anti-inflammatory agent), linoleic acid (a fatty acid), sesquiterpenoids (cyperone, solavetivone), tetraterpenoids (zeaxanthin, physalin), and betaine (0.1%).
Goji berries contain 22 Polysaccharides, with 4 types of polysaccharides which fortify the immune system that are unique to the Goji, they cant be found anywhere else on the planet! These 4 Master Molecules create their own SPECTRAL SIGNATURE. One polysaccharide found in this fruit has been found to be a powerful secretagogue (a substance that stimulates the secretion of rejuvenative human growth hormone by the pituitary gland).
Goji berries have been traditionally regarded as a longevity, strength building, and sexual potency food of the highest order. In several study groups with elderly people, the results showed that all the patients spirit and optimism increased significantly, appetite improved in 95% of the patients, 95% of the patients slept better, and 35% of the patients partially recovered their sexual function.
One of the most beneficial uses of goji is its ability to strengthen the immune system to protect your child against disease. In traditional Asian medicine, the goji berry is renowned as an adaptogen, meaning that it has a rare ability to help your child to adapt to adverse conditions. In dozens of laboratory and clinical studies, goji has been shown to boost immune function. With daily use, it supports the bodys own processes to maintain peak health and prevent development of disease.
Healthy Bathrooms, Healthy Families no comments
If you think the bathroom is the busiest room in your house, you may be more right than you know. According to the experts at the health Web site WebMD, the average bathroom contains thousands of germs and viruses-ranging from E. coli bacteria to the rhinovirus linked to colds and flu.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to lock your family out of the bathroom, even when it’s unoccupied. Just follow a few tips:
Healthy Smiles
First off, store your toothbrush properly to ensure you keep it-and its user-as germ-free as possible. Be sure to keep it up on a countertop, away from the sink and toilet to prevent airborne contamination from splashing water. Also, don’t store toothbrushes together in close quarters (a toothbrush cup in a cabinet, for example). Doing so can increase the odds of germs spreading from brush to brush. Be sure to regularly change your toothbrush, too. For example, there is a toothbrush called Oral-B Pulsar that can make remembering easy. It looks like a normal toothbrush, but it uses a battery to power its pulsating bristles that clean deep between teeth. The battery dies after three or four months of use-roughly the same amount of time dentists say you should keep a toothbrush. When the battery goes, the toothbrush should go, too.
Raising The Bar
Experts also say there is some evidence that liquid soap may be more sanitary than bar soap. Bar soap can hold residue from soap dishes and bacteria from the person who used it last. Liquid soaps, such as Ivory Liquid Hand Cleanser, come in self-contained pumps that keep soap fresh and pure. Also, gentle liquid soaps are ideal for teaching kids proper hand washing techniques. Children should know to wash their hands for about 20 seconds (or as long as it takes them to sing their ABC’s) at least four times a day, and always after using the bathroom.
Throw In The Towel
Bathroom towels should be hung up to dry immediately after use and regularly washed in hot water with detergent. Tide liquid detergent, for example, can help prevent germs from building up and towels from smelling musty. You may also want to limit the amount of towel sharing that goes on in your house. Encourage each family member to use his or her own towel.
Brush Up On Health-Changing your toothbrush regularly could help protect you from germs.