Do Energy Drinks Really Give You Energy Or Just Fat

Do Energy Drinks Really Give You Energy Or Just Fat

I receive a ton of questions about all of these new "energy" drinks that have hit the market over the last few years. They seem to be all the rage, especially with the youth, and they promise you the world with outrageous claims of all of the super energy that you are going to have, and how you'll be crushing the competition in your sport, and so on.

So a couple questions arise:

Are these "energy" drinks really any good for you?
Do they actually increase your energy?
Do they really have some sort of magical energy formula?
Will they help you lose weight?

First of all, let's look at what most of these energy drinks are usually made of. Most of them are simply carbonated water loaded with gut-fattening high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, the amino acid taurine, and a few random B-vitamins thrown in for show to trick you into thinking there's something healthy about these concoctions.

Let's start with the high fructose corn syrup. Well, here we've got empty calories that will go straight to your belly fat, and that are actually even WORSE for you than plain old refined sugar.

Ok, so you say that they have low-sugar or sugar-free varieties as an alternative to the HFCS-laden energy drinks. Yes, but now you have the problem of the harmful chemicals in the artificial sweeteners.

Another problem with artificial sweeteners is that there are some researchers that believe artificial sweetener use leads people to inadvertently consume more calories and gain more weight in the long run. I won't go into the details on that because that would fill up an entire discussion by itself. Just trust me that artificial sweeteners and artificial chemicals in food in general, are all bad news for your body!

What about the caffeine? Well, first of all, caffeine in itself doesn't provide "energy". Technically, the only substances that actually provide energy are calories (from carbs, protein, and fat).

However, caffeine can be an aid for livening or waking some people up, by means of stimulating the central nervous system. Keep in mind though, if you're a regular coffee drinker, you're probably addicted to caffeine and probably wouldn't receive too much benefit from the caffeine in an energy drink anyway.

Besides, instead of caffeine added to some carbonated drink, I'd rather get my caffeine from a natural source like green, white, or oolong teas, which actually provide healthful antioxidants too!

Now what about that so called magical blend of taurine and B-vitamins that they load into these energy drinks? Well, big deal...you can get taurine in almost any protein source. And the vast majority of those B-vitamins are simply coming right out into the toilet in your pee. Vitamins are best obtained naturally from real food sources, not artificially added to some carbonated drink. Your body just doesn't use fake sources of vitamins as readily as natural sources from real food.

So as you can see, in my opinion, I give all of these energy drinks a big time THUMBS DOWN! You're better off mixing up your own homemade energy drink with some iced unsweetened green, white, and oolong teas, a little bit of 100% pure berry or pomegranate juice, and maybe a touch of a non-denatured whey protein.

Well, I hope this article cleared up some of the confusion about these energy drinks that are being so heavily marketed these days, and will help you make more informed decisions for your health.

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Do Not Forget About Calcium When You Are Dieting

Do Not Forget About Calcium When You Are Dieting

Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid bone loss, say Rutgers University researchers.

Studies showed a weight loss diet of 1.5 pounds a week for 6 weeks cuts absorption of calcium. In 57 postmenopausal dieters it was discovered that those women who took 1,800 mg of calcium a day absorbed 78 percent more calcium than those who took only 1,000 mg a day. To prevent bone loss, women dieting after menopause should get 1,700 mg of calcium a day, the experts say.

For people on low-fat, high fiber diets calcium requirements are also higher. Studies show that 19 percent less calcium is absorbed. It is theorized that the healthier diet moves food faster through the gastrointestinal tract.

While it is common knowledge that calcium is necessary for bone-growth research shows that calcium also fights fat absorption. Studies reveal that calcium blocks fat storage in fat cells. A minimum of 1,000 mg. of calcium daily improves total cholesterol and good HDL, but lowers bad LDL.

Despite the publicity of the importance of calcium for healthy bones research shows that consumption has gone down over the past 30 years.

Experts recommend 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily for people under 50, and 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D for those over 50. The safe upper limit for calcium intake has been set at 2,500 mg a day. Experts think going above that on a daily basis may invite kidney stone formation.

Once started, never stop taking calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. USDA researchers found that after a 3- year study over one-third of participants stopped taking the supplements. Within one year women lost all bone-density gains and men lost their gains in two years.

For those who are lactose intolerant calcium and vitamin D supplementation is even more important because it will be difficult to get the daily requirement through diet alone.

For those allergic to cow's milk. Drink enough soy milk to give you 500 mg of calcium per glass as compared to 300 mg in cows milk. Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE, showed that 25 percent less calcium is absorbed from soy milk as cows milk.

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Things You Should Know About Good Nutrition

Things You Should Know About Good Nutrition

With the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery. The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing. Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition. 

Proper Hydration
Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn't take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don't want your urine to be completely colorless.

Eating Healthy
In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

Vitamin Supplementation
As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

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High Fiber Diets Will They Do All That They Claim

High Fiber Diets Will They Do All That They Claim

Can high-fiber diets really do all they claim to do? Studies have looked at the relationship between high-fiber diets and many diseases, including colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels.
Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut. Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.

In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract.

Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources.Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.
Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.

Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful.It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.
Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories.

Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time. Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber.

The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.
The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.
Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated.

It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body. For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods.

This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.

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For Overall Health Do Not Forget About Dietary Fiber

For Overall Health Do Not Forget About Dietary Fiber

Most people understand the importance of dietary fiber in their diet. Much has been said about its importance in heart health, diabetes, cancer prevention, and even weight control.

What is less well understood is how different types of fiber effect the body. Some provide fecal bulk, some are absorbed more quickly into the blood stream than others, and thus raise blood sugar levels more quickly, and yet others provide benefits to the heart.

Thus, despite the apparent simplicity, fiber is a complex topic. And whilst all types of fiber are important, if you are looking at preventing or managing specific conditions, its not enough to just look at the total dietary fiber as written on food packaging.

Dietary fiber is broadly classified into soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is fermented in the colon, and plays a role in slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. It also encourages the growth of the 'friendly' bacteria that help break down bile, and are involved in the creation of B vitamins like folic acid, niacin, and pyridoxine.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, acts a bit like an intestinal broom. It provides bulk to the stools, and makes sure they pass through easily and quickly. This is the type of fiber that keeps you 'regular', not insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber does provide a feeling of fullness, however. This makes it great for weight loss and controlling hunger. It also keeps blood sugar levels more stable, although research into the rate at which carbohydrates enter the bloodstream have found there to be some significant differences within the foods that make up the fiber group. Dietary fiber can thus be rated by its Glycemic Index, which effectively ranks fiber foods with each other on a relative scale.

The idea is to try and include more low gylcemic index foods. Foods with a high glycemic index cause blood sugar levels to spike, providing too much energy to the blood in the form of carbohydrates, which in turn sets off the body's sugar controlling hormone - insulin. You thus get a 'high' followed by a sudden drop. This in turn leads the body to want more carbohydrates to balance itself again, leading to cravings and overeating, as well as tiredness and moodiness.

Low glycemic index foods include lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, fruit loaf, salmon sushi, barley, milk, low fat custard, soy milk, yoghurt (not diet yoghurt), apples, strawberries, grapes, spaghetti, peas, carrots, fructose, strawberry jam, and chocolate milk.

Moderate glycemic index foods include pea soup, rye bread, porridge, muesli, ice cream, bananas, pineapple, kiwi fruit, new potatoes, beetroot, white sugar, honey, and mars bars.

High glycemic index foods include broad beans, bagels, white bread, brown rice, watermelon, udon noodles, desiree, pontiac and sebago potatoes, and glucose.

We need both soluble and insoluble fiber, however. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in a group of 6000 French men and women, those with the highest levels of soluble and insoluble fiber in their diet had a lower risk of being overweight, a lower risk of having blood pressure problems, cholesterol problems, and they had better levels of triacylglycerols and homocysteine. The last two are measure3 of heart health.

Fiber from cereals was linked to lower body fat, lower blood pressure, and lower levels of homocysteine. Those with a higher intake of vegetables, also a source of fiber, had lower blood pressure and lower homocysteine levels. Fiber from fresh fruit was associated with a lower waist to hip ratio (good news for dieters!), and lower blood pressure. And fiber from dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds) was also linked to a lower waist to hip ratio, lower body fat, and a better fasting glucose concentration. Fasting glucose relates to having a steady level of glucose between meals. If it dips too low, we crave things, often sweets.

Fiber has another interesting benefit. In people with type 2 diabetes, it has been found to lower the levels of 'bad' cholesterol, and increase the levels of 'good' cholesterol. It has already been established that fiber supplements will lower the levels of bad cholesterol in people, whether they have diabetes or not. But this new study found that fiber supplements also decreased the reabsorption of cholesterol from meals.

To get this benefit, it is important to time taking the fiber supplement in synch with meals. The study participants took a fiber supplement drink before mealtimes, and this ensured that the fiber was in the intestines when the meal was being eaten. The people in the study participated for 90 days and their average age was 59 years old.

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In This Fast Food World Can You Still Eat Healthy

In This Fast Food World Can You Still Eat Healthy

People’s lives have become so busy and rushing around, that we no longer eat the way we should. In some places, there is a McDonald’s on every major corner, if not some other fast food restaurant. Watching TV, you see a commercial for some kind of food place almost every time commercials are on, urging you to eat there because it’s good and you can get it fast and cheap. With so many distractions and obligations, families have these days, how do you eat healthy in a fast food world? It’s not an easy thing to do but is possible with planning and knowing what to look for. This isn’t to say fast food can’t be consumed occasionally, but it should be less often than people are doing it now. Not to mention that our food is so processed that it takes five minutes to cook and has high carbohydrates among other things that are not digested quickly. This is leading to obesity in the population.

The Truth About Whole Grain

Because food is so processed these days to make it faster to cook, as well as more convenient for the way our lives have become, it is actually not as good for you as it once was. Recently the food administration even changed the food pyramid to coincide with how we eat these days and food is made. They are suggesting more whole grains than ever before, as well as vegetables. This may sound like what has been told to children for years, but even whole grains are deceiving on packaging these days. With all the new diets out there for low carb, no carb, low fat, no fat, etc., foods are coming out that say whole grain but are just as processed as its white counterpart. They are made with enriched wheat. This process takes out all the nutrients and other things that take time to digest for a healthy life. Reading the ingredient is a good way to find the real whole grain product. They are now more expensive than the over processed product because manufacturers could make the enriched version cheaper and faster. To eat healthy you have to read the labels of everything you consume.

Healthy Choices at Fast Food Eateries

The truth is that you really can’t eat healthy at any fast food restaurant. They aren’t designed for those trying or needing to watch what they put in their mouth. But you can make better decisions. Don’t’ eat the bread if you can stand not too. It’s along the lines of the South Beach Diet but that’s where lots of your weight gaining properties are. Don’t get anything fried, this includes French fries, onion rings, or even fried chicken. Get a diet pop, tea, or water. Avoid the desert and the salad, both have sugar in them and I don’t just mean in the toppings. Watch “Super Size Me” for a real eye opener. The show is on McDonald’s but you can bet that all fast food restaurants are basically the same. Limit how often you eat fast food to once per week, if that fast. Get a wrap at Subway instead of a toasted sub. Less bread and just as filling with all the fixings you want. When you get pizza, get vegetables on it so you aren’t just eating bread, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Remember just how bad fast food is for you, your waistline, and your cholesterol. Even if you are fifteen, you should be thinking about how it will affect you later in life. Starting early will make it easier on your body as you age.

Eating at Home

The best thing to do is find a way to cook meals most nights of the week. This can take planning and team work. Have at least one non-meat dish every week. It doesn’t have to be fish or seafood either. Don’t use fast cooking rich to go with your meals. Those are again loaded with carbohydrates, which take your body longer to break down and will make you hungry sooner than you should be. Plan weekly meals so that you can cook casseroles and other easy to reheat dishes early in the week for days you will not have time to cook. Utilize your crock-pot and get a recipe book for it. You can make just about anything in a crock pot these days and have a good meal when you get home. Have salad a few times a week with dinner, but watch how much dressing you put on it. Have desert, but make it Jell-O. Indulge once in a while to though and it won’t feel like you are depriving yourself of anything.

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Looking For A Diet To Help You GAIN Weight

Looking For A Diet To Help You GAIN Weight

Bodybuilders usually have one or two immediate goals: They want to lose bodyfat and get ripped, or they want to pack on muscle size. The Holy Grail would be to accomplish both, but that’s hardly realistic, since it involves going in two opposing directions at the same time. The most you can hope for is to maintain your muscle while you’re losing fat. Building muscular bulk is an entirely different process from cutting up.

In years past the diet portion of acquiring muscle could best be described as haphazard. You simply ate anything that wasn’t nailed down. That, of course, resulted in not just lean mass gains but also a hefty increase in bodyfat. The next step involved reducing calories or carbs or both until you lost the excess fat. Under ideal conditions you also kept most of the muscle gained during your bulking-up phase.

For a classic example of the comparatively primitive bulk-up/cut-down process take a look at Bruce Randall, who began his bulking phase while he was in the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1950s. He consumed prodigious amounts of food (courtesy of Uncle Sam) including dozens of eggs, quarts of whole milk and plenty of bread. That diet led Randall to a body-weight of more than 400 pounds, but he wasn’t just another fat, sloppy guy. He lifted actively during his entire hulking period, doing some extraordinary lifts, such as good mornings with 900 pounds.

I recall being told a story about the time Randall visited a New York gym for a workout during those days. He opted to do incline presses but for some reason decided to move the bench, which he did. Only after he moved the bench from one end of the gym to the other did Randall realize that the bench had been bolted to the floor. He was so powerful that he ripped the bench from its moorings without realizing it.

Randall later began training for bodybuilding competitions and, through a stringent diet and training program, dropped his weight from 405 to 187. He then increased it to 227 and won the ‘59 NABBA Mr. Universe title in London. His trophy was presented to him at the contest by buxom film star Jayne Mansfield.

A more recent example of a successful hulking program was that of two-time Mr. Universe and star of the “Incredible Hulk” TV series, Lou Ferrigno. When Lou started back in Brooklyn he was skinny, though a enthusiastic young bodybuilder. After a few years of training Ferrigno weighing nearly 300 pounds. What had he done to achieve such phenomenal mass gains?

“Plenty of milk and food,” he said.

And therein lies the key to success in gaining muscular size. You simply have to eat more. These days the object is not to gain just any type of weight, but to ensure that what you gain is mainly muscle. The problem is, you must still increase your calories. There’s simply no way around that, regardless of what you hear or read.

That last statement must be qualified to a certain extent. Using certain anabolic drugs, including anabolic steroids, growth hormone and insulin, among others, can indeed increase muscle size, but even with their assistance, you still need to eat and train properly to build quality muscle. In fact, emerging research shows that you can manipulate your body’s anabolic hormones by making certain adjustments in your diet and supplement regimen. That way you fine-tune your gains so they’re mostly lean mass rather than a combination of muscle and too much fat.

One common question about gaining muscle is, How much can I realistically expect to gain? The amount of lean mass gains varies among individuals due to such factors as genetics, body structure and training intensity. Those who are blessed with a combination of naturally high androgen, or testosterone, levels and a high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers will make the most rapid initial gains, but even those who have less of a genetic head start will nonetheless make impressive gains by eating properly and training hard. A bodybuilding axiom holds that you make your best ever gains when you first begin training, simply because your body isn’t used to it and responds rapidly to the added stress of exercise. As you progress to the advanced level, adding muscle each year becomes increasingly difficult regardless of genetics.

Mass-With-Class Weight-Gain Diet
Meal 1
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
4 scrambled eggs
2 slices whole-grain toast with butter (no margarine; avoid transfats)

Meal 2
8-ounce hamburger
1 large baked potato
Tossed salad with dressing
1 cup milk
Fresh fruit

Meal 3
Weight-gain drink or meal replacement with a banana mixed in nonfat milk

Meal 4
8 ounces cottage cheese with fruit
1 cup yogurt

Meal 5
6 ounces tuna
1 piece fruit
1 slice whole-grain bread

Meal 6
8 ounces chicken
2 cups brown rice
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup broccoli or other vegetable
Tossed salad
Fresh fruit
1 cup milk with added protein powder

What to Eat for Mass

Regardless of genetic predispositions, you’ll need a positive energy balance to increase your muscular bulk. That simply means you must
eat more food than you burn. The effect is so potent that eating an unusual amount of food alone can add lean mass even without exercise, although that isn’t a recommended procedure. Studies involving human subjects who overate but didn’t exercise showed some surprising changes in body composition. The subjects all showed significant increases in lean mass.

The gains were the result of the body’s adjustments to the unaccustomed levels of food. The body compensated by increasing the levels of anabolic hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone, insulin and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which led to the subjects’ building more muscle, a.k.a. lean mass.

Eating all those calories also blunted the levels of the primary catabolic hormone in the body, cortisol. High levels of cortisol promote the catabolism, or breakdown, of muscle. Cortisol is secreted mainly under high-stress conditions; hence its designation as a stress hormone. But the stress conditions that promote cortisol release more often involve an energy-deficit condition, such as a lack of sufficient calories or carbs. So overeating itself is an anabolic process.

The point here is not to suggest that you must overeat to gain muscle size but that you do have to up your calories because it promotes the secretion of anabolic hormones that will work in tandem with exercise to produce lean mass gains.

A vital consideration in any hulking plan is protein. While it’s true that providing additional calories in the form of carbohydrates alone has a protein-sparing action in muscle, maintaining a high level of amino acids from food-protein sources promotes a positive nitrogen balance that sets the stage for muscular gains through increased muscle protein synthesis reactions in muscle. Some call the process the ‘anabolic-drive effect.”

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Omega 3 Oils The Oils Your Body Needs

Omega 3 Oils The Oils Your Body Needs

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.
Researchers in Denmark in the 1970's found that the Inuit people in Greenland, showed a much lower rate of cardiovascular problems than the people of Denmark. The answers that were found in this research showed that even though the Intuit people had a high consumption of fats, they were actually fats from fish, Seals, Whales and other sea foods, in fact they were Omega 3 fatty acids.

After that discovery, many studies were set up all over the world and they have shown that the original research was correct, in that Omega 3 oils did help to prevent Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes, together with the fact that they did help tremendously in improving overall health.

The following is a few of the diseases that can be helped or prevented with Omega 3 oils.
Heart Disease and Strokes, Auto immune Diseases, Breast, Colon and Prostate cancer,High Blood Pressure and Arthritis, (especially Rheumatoid).

Research in the past has also shown that a high intake of fish can help in the prevention of age related memory loss, consequently lowering the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease, in fact it has shown that a large number of people have enjoyed an improvement in the quality of their lives, through taking Omega 3 Oils.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Omega 3 Oils now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

It has been found that children who eat the oily types of fish on a regular basis, have a lower risk of developing Asthma, whilst children that do not have an intake of Omega 3 oils, are more likely to have behavioral problems and learning disorders. This could be a lead to problems like dyslexia, depression, eczema, violence, allergies, and arthritis.

The old story that "Fish is Brain food" is very true as the human brain is mainly made up of fat and that fat is the type that requires omega 3 as nutrition, it is especially needed for pregnant mothers and for the development of the baby and its brain. Fish oil has been shown to lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels, which of course is beneficial to all.

Omega 3 oils can do a lot for your skin, it will improve the texture and help prevent age wrinkling and that is by consuming the oil, you don't have to rub it in to your skin, it really works from within your body. Omega 3 oils are very close to being a miracle as far as the human body is concerned, they are natural, and like Glyconutrients, the sugars that heal, they are essential for good health.

Everyone needs Omega 3 oils, normal adults need them to maintain health and prevent disease, older people need it even more to help their immune system fight off disease, and the important part that the oils play in helping to prevent the age related problems and diseases that develop as you get older, it might even improve longevity, but if it doesn't, it will definitely improve the quality.

Is there really any information about Omega 3 Oils that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

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Eating Right For A Longer And Healthier Life

Eating Right For A Longer And Healthier Life

Eating is an essential part of life. We cannot sustain life for long without eating, so it is important that we take the time to learn how to eat well in order to have the best life possible. Our views of eating and the eating practices we adopt will affect our lives and our health in significant ways in the months and years ahead. Eating well can literally change everything.

Eating can be both a blessing and a curse. Many people struggle with eating because they cannot keep it in balance. They end up eating too little or too much and do not live healthy lives because of it. We all know the dangers of eating too little. Probably everyone has at least one friend that struggles with an eating disorder of some kind. That friend just cannot seem to get a grip on their eating patterns and they are unhealthy because of it. They think about or talk about food almost constantly.

Other people struggle with eating too much. Eating more food than we need to live is something that the majority of people, at least in the West, struggle with. Eating is associated with most kinds of social activities and events and therefore people learn to eat for reasons other than to satisfy hunger or prolong their health. Eating becomes a way to experience pleasure or to numb the pains of life.

The bottom line is that whether people struggle with eating too little or with indulging on food too much, they are not using food in ways that are healthy and life-promoting. Eating, while it is definitely meant to bring people pleasure and satisfation, is primarily to be a means of sustaining a healthy life. Our problems begin anytime eating is neglected or indulged in beyond what is necessary.

Take a look at your eating patterns. You may be surprised to see that you have established unhealthy eating habits over the years. Perhaps your schedule for each day is centered around when you can have meals or a snack. If so, there is a high chance that food has become a bit too high of a priority. Anytime that your thoughts are consumed with food, whether with restraining yourself from it or with consuming more of it, you are thinking of eating and of food in unhealthy ways.

Giving eating a rightful place in our lives without allowing it to become consuming is the key. Make an effort to keep your perspective about eating balanced and healthy. Your life will be better and longer because of it.

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Getting Your Kids To Have Healthy Eating Habits

It is quite natural for any child to dislike new kind of food right away. It may take 10 or more tries getting a child to accept a new food. It is essential for parents to behave patiently if you want your child to eat right and healthy. For overall growth and development, parents should offer kids foods from each of the food group.

Some ways to develop your child's healthy approach towards eating

- Cut down on the amount of fat in your family's diet. Include low fat dairy products, lean meat, fat free cereals or breads.

- Avoid restricting sweets or desserts. Fat, salt, sugar have a moderate place in our diet. Don't curb them completely. Just teach your child to take small portions of it.

- Make or keep wide variety of healthy foods ready at home to be eaten as snacks. Do allow occasional indulgence of chips, colas and cookies.

- Eating slowly helps to detect hunger and fullness better. Encourage your child to eat slowly.

- Eating meals together with family helps children. Meal time with family can be pleasant with free flowing, light hearted conversations about the day, etc.

- Activities like shopping for food and preparing meals are fun time for children. Both, parents and children learn about each other's food preferences and enjoy the time spent together.

- Eating meals and watching TV at same time makes it difficult to pay attention to the hunger and may lead to overeating.

- Sending children to bed without eating food may give them the impression that they will have to go hungry. So they may try to eat whenever they get a chance. Avoid using food as punishment.

- If your kid is having lunch at school, find out more about the lunch program. If you pack your child's food include variety of foods. While dining out, pick healthier items.

- If you as parents eat healthy nutritious food, your child tends to learn and pick up similar eating habits. Set a good example by eating variety of nutritious foods and snacks. Teaching your child healthy eating practices early in life will help develop an approach to eating food with right attitude.

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Juice Fasting And The Detox Diet

Juice Fasting And The Detox Diet

Due to the highly processed foods that we consume and the polluted air that we breathe, our body accumulates toxins. The body does its best to eliminate the toxins, but ends up being stressed due to the overload. Symptoms such as chronic headaches, skin allergies, premature ageing, etc. start to manifest.

What can we do to help our ailing body? Try juice fasting, as a safe way to detox! Many studies have been done on the beneficial effects of juice fasting. We can increase our lifespan, treat bio chemical imbalances, reduce our cholesterol levels, treat allergies, acne, etc.

In juice fasting, by giving the body a rest from food and digestion, the immune system can focus on elimination of toxins, with the aid of the organs of elimination (liver, pancreas, gall bladder, kidneys, intestines, skin, etc.).

During a prolonged fast (3 plus days), the body will start to burn off and digest its own tissues by process of autolysis in a discriminate manner. It will first decompose and burn those cells and tissues, which are diseased, damaged, aged or dead (tumors, morbid cells, abscesses, excess fat deposits, etc.). The stomach shrinks and becomes less acidic. Then, certain detox symptoms are experienced eg. acne breakouts, fatigue, headaches, as the body eliminates its toxins. These symptoms should ease and we will feel a renewed sense of health and well-being!

You can juice almost any fruit and vegetables that you can eat raw. Vegetables that are good for juicing include tomatoes, cucumbers, celery and carrots.

Fruit vegetable combinations taste delicious. For example, apple and carrot juice makes a nice blend. Another nice combination is apple, celery and tomato.

For vegetable and fruit skins, peel them off especially if you suspect that they have been sprayed. If you can use organic fruits, this will be much better. Rinse off in filtered or distilled water.

How to Juice for Juice Fasting? It is recommended to dilute your juice 50/50 with water, especially if you are using fruits and the juice is too sweet. Use distilled water, if possible, for dilution.

Also, remember that you can’t buy freshly prepared juice from a supermarket or any juice that comes from a packet, despite what the label on the packet says. Any juice in a carton, can or bottle has been heat treated for preservation.

Juice has to be prepared fresh! The longer the juice stays out, the less fresh raw food enzymes it will contain. This means that you either find a store that prepares it right before you drink it or you use a juicer yourself.

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Make Sure You Plan Out Your Healthy Dinners

Make Sure You Plan Out Your Healthy Dinners

Dinner is probably the healthiest meal for most of us. We often overlook breakfast and eat lunch on the run, but for dinner, most of us take more time in preparing and planning how to eat a balanced, healthy dinner.

But there’s also a lot of pressure on dinner. It’s the last meal of the day and if you are lacking important nutrients in your diet that day, you have an opportunity to make up those nutrients in your evening meal. But you don’t want your meal too heavy or you might not sleep well. Conversely, eating too little will not only likely leave you lacking in nutrients, but could also leave you ravenous for breakfast 12 hours later.

So how do you make sure dinner is a balanced, nutrient-packed meal? Plan, and plan some more. Although we are more likely to spent time preparing dinner versus other daily meals, it’s also a meal that can easily get derailed. You plan to grill chicken breasts and vegetables, but then belatedly remember your son has a baseball game or it’s open house at school. So it’s chicken nuggets all around.

Planning keeps you in synch with your schedule. If you plan a week’s worth of meals, you can think about the various obstacles you might find that week in actually bringing your plans to fruition. You can plan a quick pasta salad on open house night, and healthy, veggie-packed sandwiches on baseball night. This keeps you out of the fast food lane.

What are some other tips for planning healthy dinners?

*Don’t cook separate meals for picky children. If you know that your salmon and sautéed spinach will also result in you making mini hot dogs and fries for the kids, you might rethink it, not having the time or energy to make two completely separate meals. Then you suffer, and they do as well. It’s important to expose your children to a variety of foods, so make the salmon and spinach. Be sure to offer applesauce, whole wheat bread and some fruit. Then everyone gets a healthy meal and your children just might surprise you by actually eating some of the “adult” meal.

*On weeknights, stay away from involved meals. Think of things that can be prepared in less than 45 minutes, though it’s ideal to keep your meal prep to 30 minutes whenever possible.

*Do as much prep as you can ahead of time. If you’re planning grilled chicken and vegetables for dinner, say, then you can clean and slice your vegetables in the morning before you head out for the day. Marinate the chicken. In the evening, all that’s left is tossing a quick bag salad and grilling your meat and vegetables. This saves on clean-up time as well.

*If you must eat out, apply the golden rules for restaurant eating: Stay away from white or heavy sauces, order oil and vinegar to dress your salad, and eat only half the entrée, pack the rest and enjoy it for lunch the next day.

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Things You Should Know About Dairy When Dieting

Things You Should Know About Dairy When Dieting

Adequate calcium intake has long been recommended for stronger bones. But lately, calcium has been scoring headlines for its possible link with weight loss. While I hope this news will be a boon to dieters, I'm afraid it could also boomerang.

Why? It panders to the fantasy that eating certain foods will make you lose weight. Wrong. Eating fewer calories than you burn will make you lose weight. And while studies suggest that high-calcium diets, especially high dairy diets, could enhance weight loss for those people already following a low-calorie regime, I'm worried that the last part of this story will be ignored by those who want to believe that ice cream, milkshakes and mozzarella are actually diet foods.

Dieters who disregard the fat and calorie content of their calcium sources may find their bodies looking more bovine than buff. So before you overdo it, make sure you understand calcium's role in weight loss.

Here's the skinny: A low-calcium diet increases blood levels of calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol stimulates calcium influx into your fat cells, which, in turn, activates lipogenic or fat creating gene expression, thereby generating excess fat. In other words, if you're calcium deficient, your body is more disposed to creating fat cells than when you're getting adequate calcium.

Most of the recent research has focused on either dairy or supplementation, not fruits and vegetables, as a source of calcium. Furthermore, studies have looked at only one parameter - weight loss - without taking into account what other risk factors might be in play.

For example, we ought to be mindful of what else we might be getting from the calcium sources we choose, such as artery-clogging saturated fat and hidden sugars, as well as the dioxins found in full-fat foods, which pose a particular risk to women and girls.

The good news is that there are plenty of healthy ways to get your recommended 1,000 milligrams to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. For example, one cup of cooked spinach, one cup of nonfat plain yogurt, one cup of cooked black-eyed peas, a kiwi and a handful of blackberries add up to 1,046 milligrams of calcium for only 450 calories - far fewer than if you tried to meet the same requirement from full-fat dairy sources.

Keep in mind, too, that high-protein diets may cause loss of calcium, leading to osteoporosis and kidney stones. On the other hand, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables tends to inhibit urinary excretion of calcium.

So, be smart about how you incorporate calcium-rich foods into your weight-loss regime. Read labels, avoid saturated fat and added sugars, keep track of calories, and make sure your body retains the calcium you consume by including plenty of healthy, low-calorie, high-fiber fruits and vegetables. And don't fall for high-fat foods being marketed as diet wonders. Otherwise, the only thing you'll lose is further ground in the battle of the bulge.

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Cutting Out Carbs Without The Atkins Diet

Cutting Out Carbs Without The Atkins Diet

A few years ago, health fanatics were touting the benefits of cutting carbohydrates. That meant breakfast without cereal, Asian cuisine without rice and burgers without buns. Pasta? Forget it.

Now whole grains and fruits - especially organic - are at the top of the list. That said, people still want to lose weight; they are just looking for new ways to do so.

Some dieters abandoned Atkins and other low-carb diets because they ended up eating the same things over and over. Others could not stay on it because they had to severely limit their favorite foods.

But many couldn't stay on their low-carb diets for another reason: They crave sugar. Sugar and high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, white bread and pastas made from white flour, are habit-forming because they evoke cravings and create cyclic demand on glucose and insulin production in the body. This demand creates both physical and psychological addictions.

So as people have abandoned low-carb foods that typically do not trigger food addiction responses, they are back into the cycle and susceptible to gaining back their weight.

Innovative Technologies Corporation of America developed a tea called Carb Crusher that, when consumed with a sensible diet and exercise program, can assist in the reduction of the body's absorption of calories and carbohydrates in the digestive and hepatic (liver) systems.

The key ingredient in Carb Crusher is GCA, an extract made from unroasted green coffee beans. Specifically, GCA reduces the amount of carbohydrates that get absorbed by inhibiting the active transport of sugar into the body. Even when you're not eating, GCA is still working to inhibit sugar being released from the body's glycogen stores (found in the liver and muscles). This forces the body to initiate the burning of fat sooner as an energy source. And since there is no added caffeine or stimulants, you can drink Carb Crusher on an empty stomach or at night.

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Fruits And Vegetables Really Make For A Healthy Body

Fruits And Vegetables Really Make For A Healthy Body

While it is common to see scientific studies on how health can be improved by using certain, particular supplements of vitamins and minerals it is not the same for the real McCoy.

How true? Ask yourself and do a goggle search (or a PUB Med or any advanced search of scientific articles) about how many times you see a study--any study--on a particular fruit or vegetable that comes out proving some health improvement. Not a group, but a particular fruit or vegetable. And proof of health, not disease (this is an important distinction).

We are talking about real science here not just made up stuff from some science nut or health nut. And we are talking about real fruits and vegetables like a particular apple or broccoli as opposed to a group of fruits or vegetables. In other words we are talking about something very concrete and not at all abstract--this is where real scientific study comes in very handy: such study is not abstract or it is not science. And, importantly, if I can prove it and you cannot, it is not scientifically provable. Period.

How many? Which vegetable? Which fruit?

There are plenty of promoters of eating fresh fruits and vegetables and many of them provide solid credentials like the Harvard, Tufts, Eat 5 a day, and so on (for a really good goggle search try vegetables and health or fruits and health).

For example, the Harvard site cites the latest dietary guidelines that, "call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on one's caloric intake. For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day." The citation for this is The USDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is a helpful abstraction but not a particular guide to particular fruits and vegetables and how they can promote your health.

But most of what these prestigious institutions promote is air--no scientific studies demonstrating the health effects of a single fruit or vegetable could be found on the Harvard site, not one. True, it's nice air, but air nevertheless.

Now we are not talking about the genuine research on fruits and vegetables like this one listed in Pub Med, "Electron beam and gamma irradiation effectively reduce Listeria monocytogenes populations on chopped romaine lettuce", (J Food Prot. 2006 Mar;69(3):570-4, for those who need to know) . This kind of research is not after the health promoting effects of eating, in this case, romaine lettuce. And it does not pretend to be anything other than what it is.

Of course sites promoting the health benefits of eating of fruits and vegetables could be hiding the scientific studies and don't want to bother their visitors with all those numbers and scientific names for turnips or plums. Or farmers who grow the really good stuff and how to buy them.

I remember a study concerning folate and green leafy vegetables and some kids on an island in the South Pacific. The study, a genuine scientific study, had to be halted because the scientists found that the children in the study could not get enough folate for their diets from the fresh vegetables because the vegetables themselves were deficient. So the study stopped because, ethically, depriving the children's diet of this essential ingredient could hurt them--especially when the science proved the children would be deficient on a natural diet. So much for the health promoting benefits of this entire group of vegetables--and I have not seen another study to refute this single isolated, particular controlled scientific study on green leafy vegetable and exactly how they promote health in humans.

So how do you know if the fruits or vegetables you eat can really promote better health? Simple answer is you don't. But then again, if you stopped eating fruits and vegetables what would happen? Could be all those diseases they write about in Pub Med and cited by the Tufts nutritionists and become the cover story about our fat nation for Time Magazine: eat your fruits and veggies and stay healthy or until we know, for sure, something different.

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Are You Thinking About Becoming A Vegetarian

Are You Thinking About Becoming A Vegetarian

I have many friends in the past few years that have decided to become vegetarians. I saw friend after friend jump onto the bandwagon that being a vegetarian had become, and I'll admit that I almost jumped on the wagon myself without giving the choice much thought.

After nearly two months of research and some pretty serious self-evaluation, I decided to become a vegetarian. There is no part of me that is against people deciding that being a vegetarian is right for them. My only frustration is that too often people make that choice without taking even a moment to think about the reasons why or the consequences that being a vegetarian will have on their lives.

So, my advice to you is simple and probably obvious. You only have one life to live, one body to live in, and a few short years in which to experience all of life that you can. So do not make the decision to become a vegetarian lightly or without thought. I would hate to see anyone commit to such a decision out of ignorance and then deal with the consequences long afterward.

One of the best ways to make a good decision about becoming a vegetarian is to inform yourself. Talk to objective people who have decided both for and against choosing a vegetarian lifestyle for themselves. Go to your local library or to a health food store and find literature on the ins and outs of actual vegetarian living. Learn the reasons why people choose to become vegetarians and see if your reasons measure up. The internet is another amazing resource that can help you make a wise and informed decision for you, your health needs, and your lifestyle.

Know that if you do decide to become a vegetarian, it will affect your life in many ways. Obviously, it will affect the foods you choose to eat and prepare. Don't forget, however, how it will affect your ability to eat out at restaurants or to eat food that your friends and family prepare. Consider too, the costs of becoming a vegetarian. Depending on where you live and what kinds of foods are available, becoming a vegetarian can either save you or cost you a lot of money. So proceed with caution.

I have loved my experience of being a vegetarian. I felt like my reasons for changing my lifestyle were valid and I knew I could incorporate the things that being a vegetarian required quite easily into my lifestyle. You must make those same decisions for you.

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Eggs Are Not As Bad For You As People Think

Eggs Are Not As Bad For You As People Think

Crack open an egg and you find a wealth of nutrients. Because eggs contain a wide variety of nutrients compared to their calorie count (75 per Large egg), they're called nutrient dense. Eating nutrient-dense foods helps us satisfy our nutrient needs without excess calories. The nutrient density benefit of eggs is especially important for older adults and anyone who is overweight.

Eggs are best known as a high-quality protein source. The protein in eggs contains all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Eggs are also a good source of the B vitamin riboflavin and contain varying amounts of a number of other nutrients, including vitamins A, B12 , D and E and folate and the mineral iron. Scientists have only just begun to learn about the importance of some egg nutrients, such as choline, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Choline is now thought to be vital in the development of fetal brain and memory functions. A lack of sufficient choline during pregnancy can cause defective memory or lower memory capabilities that last throughout life. Choline is essential for normal functioning of all cells and assures the structural development and signaling functions of cell membranes. Some studies suggest that choline may also improve both verbal and visual memory capacity later in life. Research shows that choline may help prevent heart disease, fatty liver and neural tube defects, too. A single Large egg yolk is a significant source of choline, providing 125 mg, at least 25% of our daily needs.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two yellow-orange plant pigments called carotenoids that have been shown to help prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people 65 and older. Lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the eye lens and macular region of the retina. Scientists believe these carotenoids may protect the eye from damage due to oxidation. Studies have shown that generous intakes of these antioxidants are associated with up to 20% less cataract risk and up to 40% less AMD risk. One study also suggests that lutein may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Some foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, contain more lutein and zeaxanthin than egg yolks (150 to 250 mcg lutein and about 213 mcg zeaxanthin per Large egg yolk, depending on the hen's diet). But, because egg yolks contain fat, research indicates that the human body absorbs the lutein and zeaxanthin from egg yolks more easily than it absorbs the lutein and zeaxanthin from other sources.

Altogether, when you choose eggs as a high-quality protein source, you get a bonus of many other needed nutrients, from vitamin A through choline, lutein and zeaxanthin. But, beyond their good nutrition, eggs are also economical and quick and easy to prepare in a host of different ways. That's pretty much a miracle!

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Eating A Variety Of Different Vegetables Can Make All The Difference

Eating A Variety Of Different Vegetables Can Make All The Difference

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day.  When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.  For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables.  In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket.  With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day.  When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available.  Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colors.  This is for more than purely artistic reasons.  Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before.  For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes?  How about spinach or kale?  Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement.  Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills.  While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.  These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills.  Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally.  In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.   It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

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Beating Atherosclerosis With Good Nutrition

Beating Atherosclerosis With Good Nutrition

Imagine hundreds of cars zooming down an eight-lane highway. One lane disappears, and then another, until the same cars crawl bumper-to-bumper along a one-lane country road. That's sort of what happens when you have atherosclerosis. Your arteries, the highways for your blood, harden and narrow, and the same amount of blood has to make its way through a much tighter space. This traffic jam in your arteries leads to all sorts of trouble, including heart attack and stroke.

Atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol, fat, and other substances in your blood build up in the walls of your arteries. The process can begin when you're a child, but it may not become a problem until you're in your 50s or 60s. As this muck gathers in your arteries, it forms plaque. Plaque can clog or completely block arteries, cutting off blood flow to your heart or brain. That's when you have a heart attack or stroke.

Too much cholesterol and triglycerides - types of fat - in the blood, high blood pressure, and smoking cause the most damage to your arteries. Other risk factors for atherosclerosis include diabetes, a family history of the condition, stress, obesity, and an inactive lifestyle. Men, in general, are at greater risk, as are people who have an "apple" body shape - with the fat gathering at the belly rather than the hips and thighs.

You can fight atherosclerosis by making good food choices. Cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and whole-milk dairy products, and look for the following foods that lower cholesterol, bring down blood pressure, and keep your blood flowing smoothly.

Nutritional blockbusters that fight atherosclerosis

Fish. Reel in a big, fat fish and wriggle off the hook of atherosclerosis. Omega-3 fatty acids, the polyunsaturated kinds found in fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon, protect your arteries from damage.

First, omega-3 takes out triglycerides, the fats that build up on your artery walls. It also stops your blood's platelets from clumping together. That way, your blood remains smooth instead of sticky. Sticky blood can clot and block blood flow. Lastly, omega-3 might lower blood pressure.

No wonder so many studies show that eating fish can reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals a week.

You can find a form of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid in walnuts, which lower cholesterol. Other sources of omega-3 include flaxseed, wheat germ, and some green, leafy vegetables, like kale, spinach, and arugula.

Garlic. Anything fish can do garlic does, too. The sulfur compounds in this amazing herb not only lower cholesterol and triglycerides, but they also go after only the LDL or "bad" cholesterol and leave the HDL or "good" cholesterol alone.

Garlic can also lower blood pressure so your arteries don't take as much of a pounding. Thanks to a substance called ajoene, garlic keeps your blood from clumping and clotting. One study even showed garlic helps your aorta, the body's main artery, remain elastic as you age.

Experts recommend getting 4 grams of garlic - about one clove - into your diet each day.

Fiber. During the course of a day, you should eat about 25 to 35 grams of fiber. If you do, you'll boost your general health and give atherosclerosis quite a battle.

Certain types of soluble fiber, such as the kind in oats, barley, apples, and other fruits, shrink your cholesterol levels. It works by slowing down your food as it passes through your stomach and small intestine so your "good" cholesterol has more time to take cholesterol to your liver and out of your body. Eating more than 25 grams of fiber every day might also cut your risk of developing high blood pressure by 25 percent.

Fiber comes with an added bonus - it fills you up. After a fiber-rich meal, you feel full, so you're less likely to overeat and put on unwanted pounds. Because being overweight increases your risk of atherosclerosis and other heart problems, eating fiber could be part of an effective strategy to guard your arteries.

You'll find fiber in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Antioxidants. An unarmed intruder poses less of a threat than one with a weapon. By stopping free radicals from oxidizing LDL cholesterol, antioxidants remove much of the danger. Once oxidized, LDL cholesterol makes a beeline for your artery walls much faster. In fact, some scientists believe LDL cholesterol only harms you once it has been oxidized.

Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene are antioxidants. Peppers, oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, and broccoli give you vitamin C, while carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, mangoes, and collard greens are full of beta carotene. Sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.

While you munch on those fruits and vegetables, you'll get the added benefit of antioxidant substances called flavonoids. Resveratrol in grapes, anthocyanins in cranberry juice, and quercetin in onions, apples, and tea are some of the flavonoids that help your heart and arteries.

Monounsaturated fat. To keep your blood running smoothly, maybe you need an oil change. Olive oil, the main source of fat in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, has mostly monounsaturated fat. This type of fat slashes the "bad" cholesterol without harming the "good" cholesterol. It also prevents clotting, giving your arteries even more protection.

Like fiber, monounsaturated fat also fills you up so you're less likely to overeat.

Think about switching from soybean or corn oil to olive oil. After all, the Greeks - even while enjoying a rather high-fat diet - rarely develop atherosclerosis.

Besides olive oil, sources of monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts, and canola oil.

Ginger. Make your dinner a little bit tastier and your arteries a little bit healthier with this ancient spice. Ginger contains phytochemicals called gingerol and shogaol, which give it its antioxidant power.

Animal studies show ginger not only lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, it also prevents LDL oxidation. On top of that, ginger also keeps your blood from clotting by reducing the stickiness of your platelets.

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Children’s Vitamins Should Your Child Be Taking Them

Children’s Vitamins Should Your Child Be Taking Them

Many parents are concerned that their children do not consume the proper foods they need to stay strong and healthy. The truth is children can be picky eaters. Some children will go through stages where they will refuse to eat anything other than a favorite food, while other children will try new foods, but do not take to them.

Children’s vitamins are available to parents who want to ensure their children are receiving the necessary nutrients he or she needs to grow strong and healthy. Even parents who have children who eat well are supplementing their children’s diet with vitamins. The fact is the earth’s soil is rapidly being depleted of nutrients, and the rigors of food processing also leaves many foods deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Children’s vitamins are packaged in such a way that they are attractive to children. Most children’s vitamins come in colorful and fun shapes. Many manufacturers of children’s vitamins are packaging their vitamins in lollipop, gum ball and gummy bear varieties. Because these vitamins resemble candy, it is important that you keep them away from a child’s reach and that you monitor their intake. If you find your child has taken extra vitamins, you should consult their pediatrician or your local poison control center.

There are instances when a pediatrician will prescribe vitamins for a child. If a child has a vitamin deficiency, does not have access to fluoridated water, or has anemia or other illness or disease, vitamin supplements may be prescribed for a child. However, in general, many pediatricians believe that children do not need vitamin supplements if they are being fed properly. They feel that children can receive all the vitamins and minerals they need if they eat according to the Food Pyramid. Consult with your child’s pediatrician before starting them on a vitamin.

Vitamins are supplements and not replacements. Children’s vitamin supplements should never be looked upon as a replacement for healthy eating. Encourage your child to eat the foods they need, and do things to make nutrition fun and flavorful for them. For instance, letting children add grated cheese to their vegetables will make some children more interested in eating them. Allowing a child to drink calcium fortified orange juice over milk works well for a child who does not like milk. Let your child participate in making a vegetable pizza, or let them pick out fruit at a market and place it in their own special area at home. All of these tips can go a long way in helping a picky eaters overcome their fears so they consume the vitamins they need.

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Can Water Provide You With More Energy

Can Water Provide You With More Energy

What makes up 70-80% of our planet? Water. What makes up 70-80% of our body? That's right, water.

Water is the single most important nutrient you will give your body apart from oxygen. Water rejuvenates us and carries vital nutrients all round the body where it's needed. Water picks up all the leftovers, wastes and debris that the cells throw off into the lymph system and transport them out of the body via the channels of elimination.

So when you drink more water it has the double combination of feeding your body and clearing you of all the waste products that were built up in your system.

Your brain needs water, and plenty of it. Without water, your brain will operate worn out, tired and sluggish. Water is the ultimate gift to give yourself to think with clarity. In addition, water acts as a kind of healthy lubricant moistening tissues and joints.

When you drink, you want to avoid tap water. Tap water is more like a dazzling mix of chemicals. It contains fluoride, chlorine, and many others. The amount of chemicals in water will fill up books - it's more like a chemical soup. The evidence that fluoride is poisonous is so overwhelming that it's being pushed to be banned in many countries by action groups.

The thirst mechanism when having been turned off for a prolonged period is often mistaken for hunger. As you drink more water your thirst mechanism will return to its natural state. Not only will you begin to feel thirsty when you need water again, but your appetite will decrease.

This brings us to the next big thing you need to understand about water. If I asked you the difference between inorganic and organic minerals, chances are you couldn't tell me, right? Well let’s briefly explain the difference. It's a simple difference. Organic minerals come from plants; inorganic minerals come from rocks and volcanic sources. Organic minerals can be broken down by the body. Inorganic minerals are not used by the body and are stored until suitable water can come and carry them out. Organic minerals can be broken down by the body, while inorganic cannot. One is derived from natural plant life; one is derived from rocks,filings and small pieces of grit. Which one makes more sense to use?

It’s better to get your plant minerals through the food you eat rather than the inorganic form in water. Bottled water is often taken, tested and found to have bacteria and very often isn't rated much better than tap water.

Do you know the best water to use? The best water to use is the same water you use in your iron. The purest water in the world is distilled water. It's as pure as rainwater should be if our atmosphere wasn’t polluted.

If you haven't yet heard that 70% of the world's population is dehydrated - you will soon, as the UN push to get proper water supply to people in the third world.

The second best method of filtering is a type of filtering called "reverse osmosis". Unfortunately the standard bench top filter isn’t enough.

Most of the nasty contaminants in our water simply don't have a taste. Some people feel it's a case of out of sight out of mind. This may work for things people think, yet when it comes to your body, the life of your children, the health of those you care about and the line between getting cancer and surviving it's far short of acceptable.

The opportunity for energy, for vitality, for a quality of life is only known to a select few who choose to raise their standards and take action to apply what they know. New discoveries are being made all the time as new research comes out of the United States, out of Germany, and out of Australia and other countries. How does this apply to me you may ask? Well, these contaminants can kill you. Is this a reason to get upset? No, it’s simply an action signal to act smarter.

The best bit is when you’re drinking absolutely pure distilled water it is so much easier to drink. It's so easy to refreshingly flood your body with purity that will flush out chemicals, clear out the lymph system and contribute to expelling excess weight in the body. Distilled water is so easy to drink and be absorbed by your body without having to flush out the other nasties first that many people report who were struggling to drink half a litre of water a day, are now drinking 4 litres a day and up, with ease! If you can’t get distilled water, reverse osmosis filtered or table water is the next best option.

Many people in third world countries don't have access to a clean water supply. We in developed countries have currently almost unlimited access to clean water. My suggestion to you is to use it!

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You May Want TO Try Drinking Your Fruits and Veggies

You May Want TO Try Drinking Your Fruits and Veggies

Remember the scene at the dinner table when you were a child? Negotiating with your parents on how many bites of peas and carrots you had to take in order to leave the table was most likely a constant struggle.

Unfortunately, people don't always grow out of this negative attitude toward fruits and vegetables. Studies show that the average American consumer eats only three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. When compared to the recommended five to nine servings a day, it's apparent that many of us have a long way to go.

The effort is worth it, though. Studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences suggest that the nutritional goodness of fruits and vegetables, along with a diet that is low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, may decrease the risk of developing certain diseases.

To help their patients get the necessary nutrients, some doctors recommend "green drinks." These powdered drink mixes are a natural source of vitamins and minerals. To many people, however, the drinks also have a strong, unbearable taste and an unpalatable texture.

Would you stick with a nutritious drink if you had to hold your nose while consuming it?

To get the health benefits found in green drinks without the unappetizing taste and texture, I recommend Earth's Promise from Enzymatic Therapy. With a combination of 20 vitamin-rich ingredients, one glass of Earth's Promise provides the essential nutrients your body needs to enhance energy, support digestion and boost the immune system. It also is high in fiber. In fact, drinking one glass provides you with more fiber than you would get from eating a bowl of oatmeal.

Earth's Promise comes in three flavors - Strawberry-Kiwi, Elderberry and Peppermint-Tea - making it easier to support a healthy lifestyle. In addition, it is laboratory-tested for purity, safety and performance and meets the highest manufacturing standards.

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Changing Your Eating Habits Is The Beginning Of Good Health

Changing Your Eating Habits Is The Beginning Of Good Health

Because all of us have been brought up eating junk food, well most of us, it is not easy to change our eating habits. Your eating habits have developed since childhood based on what your mothers or fathers cooked and what your psychological make-up was during that time.

The foods you eat and crave help keep pass trauma and present anxiety in check. Food helps make you feel good when you start to feel bad. Eating is a natural defense mechanism that the brain-body uses to keep you from going crazy.

So, you see, it is very difficult to change our eating habits. When we do, we start to feel bad. We start to feel uncomfortable, we feel pain, we have withdrawal symptoms, and we may feel sick. Is it any wonder that any of us ever succeed in changing our eating habits?

I consider every thing that has been packaged to be junk food. There are a few exception and you need to read ingredient labels carefully. Very few food manufacturers and even restaurants prepare food with your health in mind. Of course, they want to satisfy you, but they don't use foods that are in your best interest.

Most people eat junk food 85% of the time and then eat good food the other 15%. It should be the reverse of this - eat good food 85% and junk food 15% of the time.
To have better health, here are some foods to stop eating. Eliminate these foods over the next two to three weeks. 

*    Milk (non-fat or no-fat also) - is a mucus and acid forming food. Milk creates mucus in the body and makes the lymph liquid (we will talk about lymph later) in your body acidic, which attracts parasites and other pathogens. (In the place of milk almond milk or goats milk)
Cancer thrives in a body that is acidic.

*    Bread - white bread is also acid and mucus forming. It is also more difficult to pass through the colon and gives rise to constipation.
Sugar the #1 food additive. Sugar is in most of all the products that you buy.

*    Sodas (regular or diet)- are extremely high in sugar or artificial sugar - 7 teaspoons per can.  Most people drink over 35 gallons per year. Sugar is a body poison and leads to many disease - diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and osteoarthritis and so on.

*    Sugar, also, depletes your B-vitamins and calcium and magnesium from your bones and teeth.

*    In addition, since sodas are in aluminum cans, aluminum can go into the soda because most sodas contain phosphoric acid. Aluminum has been associated with senility and Alzheimer disease.

*    Calcium is also leached from your body to neutralize the phosphoric acid. (Its healthier to drink juices of all kinds)

There is just no way around it. Sodas suck health right out of your body.

*    Regular salt (NaCl) - excessive salt intake is related to high blood pressure, edema, and imbalances in the minerals in your lymph liquid. Sodium, Na, in salt attracts water so the more sodium you eat that more water your body will hold. (Use sea salt, it has 25% less sodium, use low salt soy sauce, and herbs to flavor your food)

*    Most people eat too much salt - over 10,000 milligrams per day. We only need around 200-300 mg per day.

*    Excess salt is also in involved with kidney problems, cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer, and excess sensitive to stress.

*    Get your Sodium from eating vegetables that are high in sodium. When you get your salt from vegetables it is organic salt, which does not have the same effect in your body as inorganic salt from a shaker. You need a lot of organic salt or Na in your body. Your stomach is a Na organ. It needs organic salt, Na, to keep its lining from being eaten by the hydrochloric acid in your stomach - an ulcer.
*    Foods high in organic sodium are apples, apricots, asparagus, greens, red cabbage, carrots, celery, dulse, egg yolks, figs, fish, raisins, prunes, and lentils.

For the next two weeks try adding the following foods to your eating habits.

*    lecithin - is 30-40% choline, which is used throughout your body. This is why you want to include it in your diet.
*    choline is one of the main chemicals in our cell membrane.

*    It is used in our brains to create the neurotransmitter acytlcholine, which is required for thinking and memory. Consider lecithin brain food.

*    It is used by the liver, which helps to prevent a fatty liver. A fatty liver prevents you from losing weight around your belly.

*    it helps to break up fats into tiny goblets so that they are easily digestible and will reduce your cholesterol.

o    it helps to keep cholesterol from clinging to your artery walls.

*    flax seed oil - is an essential oil, omega 3. This means your body does not make it and it is necessary for you to eat it so that you can live without illness or pain.

*    it helps to detoxify the liver

*    it stimulates the production of bile. Remember that bile helps to breakdown fat so that the liver can better metabolize it.
*    stimulates the body to burn fat.

*    apple juice and apples - are high in vitamin A, in Potassium and have other minerals that strengthen the blood. They contain malic and tartaric acids, which keep the liver healthy and promote good digestion. Apples help you to lose weight by providing fiber and keeping you regular.

*    fiber - you need 30-35 grams of fiber every day. Most people only get up to 10-15 grams. Fiber is one foods that reduce your transient time in the colon. Fiber helps to keep your colon clean, reduce cholesterol, remove toxins from your body and eliminate constipation.

There you have it.  If you can accomplish these changes in one year, you will notice a big difference in the way you feel and the health that you have.

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Finding The Right Diet That Works For You

Finding The Right Diet That Works For You

Searching for a new diet that works? If you’re a habitual dieter, wouldn’t it be nice to stop changing diets? Is there a diet that actually works?

Everyone has a habit or a vice. Some people smoke. Some people bite their fingernails. Some people can’t resist having a piece of chocolate before bed time, and others snore when they sleep. Others are habitual dieters, always looking for a new diet that promises astonishing results.

How many new diet plans have you tried? Some people can tick off a list of new diet after diet that they have tried. They yo-yo back and forth. Atkins, weight watchers, the grapefruit diet, the soup diet, the salad diet, the low-fat diet… some people can’t even count every new diet they have tried.

Often, each new diet is punctuated by a day of binge eating. Sure, you lost weight on that latest low-carbohydrate new diet, but now you’re craving a baked potato, French fries, and a big piece of garlic bread. Wouldn’t it be great to find a new diet that allows you to eat all the foods you want while still losing weight?

The bottom line is that the best option isn’t actually a new diet. It’s a concept that has been around for ages, but people fail to overlook it with so many new diet choices on the market. If you talk to most doctors, however, they will agree that fad dieting is not the smartest choice to lose weight.

However bombarded we may be with new diet choices; there is one fact that can’t be ignored. We lose weight when we limit our caloric intake. This isn’t about grapefruit, carbohydrates, fat-free products, or even following a strict new diet plan. It’s about eating in moderation. You don’t have to go hungry, but you need to use willpower to make sure you don’t overeat. Limiting your calories means shedding those unwanted pounds.

What happens when you don’t have willpower? Face it; some of us just don’t have that extra willpower that we need to turn down a second serving of our favorite food. It’s hard to do, especially when your new diet has left you hungry.

Willpower can’t be bottled and sold, but there is a new diet concept that will give you the willpower you need to follow through with your weight loss goals. I’m not talking about appetite suppressants. Many of these products still leave you hungry and leave you feeling jittery or overheated.

If you missed the expose on 60 Minutes or Today show, then you probably haven’t heard about a new vegetable that could jumpstart your diet. This means no more signing on for a new diet every month because you’ll finally have found something that works safely and long term. I’m talking about Hoodia Gordonii. This cactus like plant was introduced to the market recently, but it has been around for centuries. Bushmen in Africa used it for warding off hunger during long expositions.

What does this mean for you today? It means you can limit your calories while not being at all hungry. You’ll feel as if you have already eaten. I know, it sounds almost too good to be true, but it actually works. The best news is that Hoodia is all natural, making it totally safe to incorporate this as a part of your daily diet. Stop stressing over food, the latest new diet, or losing that unwanted weight. Watch those pounds melt off safely and quickly.

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Why Not Have Cereal For Dinner

Why Not Have Cereal For Dinner

What’s for dinner tonight? I bet it’s not Raisin Bran or Grape Nuts, but why not? Research shows that whole-grain cereal is an excellent source of vitamins and fiber, and is low in calories and saturated fat. But in America, cereal is supposed to be eaten for breakfast. It’s not supposed to be eaten for dinner. We can’t do that. Says who? The advertisers, that’s who. What if Kelloggs launched a “dinner cereal?” and put a lot of marketing dollars behind the idea? Certainly this “dinner cereal” wouldn’t be different from any other cereal; it would just give us “permission” to steer away from the norm and do things a little differently. And I guarantee there’d be a lot less overweight people in the world.

About 7 years ago I put my theory to the test. I ate cereal for dinner 5 nights a week for about 4 months, and I can honestly say that my stomach was flatter than ever, I never felt full or bloated and I got used to it pretty quickly. In fact, I found myself driving home from work excited about what cereal I was going to have that night, and I looked forward to it. I felt great.

Our overweight problem is largely cultural. Big, dinnertime meals are part of what we do even though research shows that consuming our largest meal at night is a big reason for our bulging waist-lines. Not long ago I read an interesting study about the timing of our eating. The researchers compared the eating habits of some community in Scotland and compared them to ours. This community was in a farming region and the people, on average, consumed the same amount of calories per day that we do, but they did not have a weight problem. The reason: Breakfast was their big meal. About two thirds of their daily calories were consumed in the morning and they ate sensible lunches and dinners. In our culture, we consume two thirds of our calories after 5:00 P.M. The body’s metabolism slows down significantly after 6:00 P.M. and our bodies just aren’t burning all of those calories effectively.

Timing is everything. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

In our world, we do what seems normal, what everyone else is doing. A family sitting around the dinner table eating a bowl of Cheerios with sliced bananas sounds ludicrous. It just doesn’t fit into our cultural schema. But obviously something has got to change in our country or we’re just going to keep eating ourselves to death. Try the cereal plan for a few weeks and see if you lose weight. There is such a huge selection of good, healthy cereals out there so you don’t have to worry about getting board. Dare to be different.

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Breaking Down The Glycemic Index

Breaking Down The Glycemic Index

You may have heard about the glycemic index and wondered what it is all about. The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

Foods with a high glycemic index convert into sugar very quickly, with negative physical effects. Foods with a low glycemic index turn into sugar gradually, helping maintain your body's chemical balance. In general, foods with a low index are preferable.

Glycemic Load measures the amount of sugar a food actually releases in the body. Foods with a low glycemic load usually have a low glycemic index, yet still have a low glycemic load. Other foods have both a high index and a high load. You should avoid high load foods as a regular part of your meal plan.

When you choose carbohydrate foods, check both their glycemic index and glycemic load. Detailed tables with this information are widely available. Use the chart below to get started.

High Glycemic Index

# Fruits and Vegetables

    * Corn
    * Cranberry juice
    * Orange juice*
    * Raisin

# Starches

    * Bagel
    * Bread (white)
    * Refined cereal
    * Granola
    * Muffin
    * Pasta
    * Potato
    * Pretzel
    * Rice
    * Tortilla (flour)

Medium Glycemic Index

Fruits and Vegetables          Starches
Apricot*                  French Fries
Grape*                          Oatmeal
Pineapple*                  Pita Bread
Watermelon                  Waffle

Low Glycemic Index

Fruits and Vegetables

    * Apple*
    * Asparagus*
    * Broccoli*
    * Brussels sprout*
    * Cauliflower*
    * Celery*
    * Cherry*
    * Cucumber*
    * Grapefruit*
    * Green Bean*
    * Green pepper*
    * Kiwi*
    * Lettuce*
    * Onion*
    * Orange*
    * Peach*
    * Plum*
    * Spinach*
    * Strawberry*
    * Tomato*
    * Zucchini*

    * * Low glycemic load foods.

Simply eating more fruits and vegetables is not the answer - they must be the right fruits and vegetables. Starchy vegetables such as peas or lentils (200 to 250 calories per cup) are healthy, but they contain more calories than you may want. If you need to eat more to satisfy your hunger, add low glycemic load vegetables. For example, spinach and asparagus are better choices than higher calorie corn and peas. A cup of spinach topped with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce has only about 90 calories, but it gives you nutrients from two colour groups.

Why Not Brown and Beige?

When considering which foods to enjoy sparingly, also use colour as a guideline. Many brown and beige carbohydrates, like pasta, beans and potatoes, while healthy, also tend to be high in calories.

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Caffeine Addiction - Is A Problem To Be Solved Fast

We all have this pre-conceived notion that only coffee contains caffeine but that is not the case. Beverages like cokes and chocolate products contain caffeine. A hot cup of coffee with the morning sunshine sounds so tempting and revitalizing.

It has the ability to keep you awake and help burn that midnight oil in time of dire need. Coffee becomes a matter for social gathering. It helps you socialize by letting you bump into one of your colleagues in the office which otherwise wouldn’t have happened.

It is being considered as one of your friend as it has helped you sit up late at night and clear those grueling Math’s papers. With all the usefulness one can think of we also happen to know that coffee contains caffeine which is not good for your health.

Having coffee can help you remain alert but it is the aftermath you should be worried about the ill effects it has on your health. It is a stimulus which does wonders to your central nervous system by stressing the hormones in the blood stream and keeping you alert and awake whenever you have it.

This unnatural way of keeping your body alert takes a toll on your body. The normal way of functioning gets disrupted due to the intake of coffee or any other product which contains good amount of caffeine.

As caffeine gets into our system it makes us addicted. After knowing the ill effects of caffeine if you suddenly stop taking coffee, you will face caffeine withdrawal symptoms which can be anything from a headache, irritability, fatigue, constipation, lack of appetite, lack of concentration to even forgetfulness.

The withdrawal symptoms can be very harmful leading to stomach ulcers as the coffee can be acidic. This excess acid gets into your blood streams causing loss of calcium in urine. Caffeine which has been freely used in most of the beverages has led kids get addicted to it. The high content of sugar just makes it very popular among children which are the future generation with excess weight.

It is also the cause of abnormal fast, slow or irregular heartbeats. It is also known for increasing blood pressure which leads to constant stress and hypertension. There are increasing chances of heart disease; pancreas and bladder cancer which we all know can be very fatal.

The idea to quit caffeine should be very strong and not one to tampered with. The process should be slow and gradual. As we all know the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine is very bad. Avoid other caffeinated products which would just make matters worse. If you happen to drink 6 cups coffee a day cut it down. Try to have 2 cups green tea and 4 cups coffee and similarly as you go ahead you will completely stop till you got rid of caffeine from your life.

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Is The High Protein Diet a Good Choice

Is The High Protein Diet a Good Choice

Of course, when it comes to healthy eating, there are plenty of alternative diets that people want to claim are healthier than the traditional calorie counting method. They are usually motivated by a desire to sell a book or a food range, but some people swear by these methods.

The most famous diet lately has been the Atkins diet and its many copycats: the South Beach diet, GI, and the rest. These are basically high-protein diets that tell you carbohydrate (‘carbs’) are evil, and you should cut right down on them or even cut them out of your diet completely. While nutritionists are incredulous that anyone would seriously consider cutting an entire food group out of their diets, the books have sold in the millions.

The dirty little secret of protein diets is that they do help you lose weight, but only in the short term. They do this by causing you to give yourself a disease called ketosis, caused by lack of carbohydrate, that makes you lose weight, feel bad and have terrible breath. As soon as you go off the diet and back to your old ways, however, you will simply put all your weight back on again.

It is a similar situation with many other diets, including weight loss milkshakes, which rarely contain anything resembling a balanced meal. Instead, they flood your body with protein and little else, forcing it to burn fat – but again, the effect quickly wears off if you stop using the shakes.

A cynic might say that they’re not really trying to help you lose weight or eat healthily, so much as they are trying to keep you on their dodgy diets forever. If you want to eat healthily, stick to balance – no matter what anyone tells you, that’s never going to change.

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Buying Nutritional Supplements Online

Buying Nutritional Supplements Online

If you are looking to purchase nutritional supplements, look no further than the World Wide Web. There are millions of businesses based both in the “real” and virtual worlds that hock any type of natural extract or supplement imaginable. These nutritional supplements can be anything from naturally building muscle and tone to ensuring your body has the proper nutrients at all times. Online sellers of nutritional supplements are just as reliable as the traditional brick and mortar stores, and are often controlled by the same company.

Instead of searching all over town for those hard to find nutritional supplements, look no further than your computer. The World Wide Web has essentially shrunk the earth, allowing you to purchase anything and everything from any corner of the globe and have it delivered directly to your door. Many small towns do not have a health food store or nutritional supplements shop, so instead of driving near and far to purchase the items you seek, you can save time and money on gas and hop on the internet for all your shopping needs.

Quite often, these online sellers of nutritional supplements are a great deal less expensive than traditional brick and mortar stores. This difference in price is usually because of the rock bottom overhead it takes to run a virtual business. Instead of renting a storefront for your nutritional supplements store, paying employees to stock and man the register, purchase a variety of business related items, and paying utilities on the store, you can quickly and easily run a significant business out of your own home. This savings is directly passed down to the buyer, who reaps the rewards of convenient shopping at great prices.

If you are looking at a place to purchase nutritional supplement online, ask your friends, family members, or coworkers for a reference. Most individuals have done some sort of shopping on the World Wide Web and can point you in a general direction. Also, speak with your primary healthcare provider about an appropriate store in cyberspace to purchase your nutritional supplements. This is critical since your doctor should know of anything you are taking, whether all natural over the counter supplements or prescription medications. Once you have found a reputable dealer of nutritional supplements online, establish a relationship with the company and be sure to tell your friends. Word of mouth advertising is an excellent way to spread the word about a specific business.

Whenever you purchase anything online, especially nutritional supplements, only work with legitimate sellers. Remember the old adage, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is, and carefully look up the background information of any store before you buy your nutritional supplements. Also, once your products arrive, ensure they are still properly sealed and the containers are in perfect condition when they arrive. This inspection is important so that you can be sure none of the products were tampered with before they arrived on your doorstep. Once your nutritional supplements arrive, you can begin taking them and be on your way to proper health in no time.

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