Saturday, April 30, 2011

Why Eating Healthy Today Is So Hard

By Phil Tucker

We are taught from a young age that through science, education, and experience the human race is becoming wiser, more thoughtful and educated about the world and ourselves. We are led to believe that history has seen a gradual improvement in all that we touch, and that our lifestyles today are infinitely superior to all that came before us. However, despite that supposed reality we have seen the obesity and diabetes rates soar these past few decades. How is that possible? What is going on, and why is our national health decreasing despite our increase in knowledge? In today's article we are going to look at the modern challenges in good nutrition, and offer some tips in how to offset them.

First, modern food companies are no longer interested in serving us the most nutritious food possible. Instead, it has become clear that their primary objective and sole agenda lies with selling more products, as many products as possible. This has become dangerously easy for them with the discovery of how we are hard wired to crave salt, sugar, and fat. Substances that were previously hard to acquire have now become mass produced, resulting in a dangerous ease in eating products that our brains absolutely love.

The result is that rather than eat the relatively bland and boring vegetables that our mothers told us to consume, we now eat instead loads of candy, sugar, and fast food. These are loaded with salt, sugar and fat, and are engineered through hormones, pesticides, artificial sweeteners and preservatives to hit all our chemical buttons to light up our brains with pleasure. Nowhere in all this do the companies consider what is 'good' for us, but rather what they can get us to eat the most of.

What this means is that any visit to the supermarket is fraught with peril as our senses are bombarded with temptation and offers to plug our desires for fat and salt and sugar. When we were primitive hunter gatherers, such substances were rare and good for us in small doses. Now that we can create them at will, we are far more likely to abuse them, eating them happily instead of pursuing balanced diets that are rich with nutritious food.

When you enter the supermarket try and follow this simple rule of thumb: anything that is not advertised is probably natural and good for you. Avoid anything that is trying to make you buy it, and eat only what your grandmother would have served at her table.

Try the RevAbs or the P90X Workout today!

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Eat Blueberries to Reverse Brain Aging and Eat Nuts to Maintain a Healthy Brain

By Harold Franklin

Introduction

Your have likely heard about nutrient rich blueberries to help protect your health. A recent study reports that eating 1 cup of blueberries daily can reverse age related mental slow down.

Reversing brain aging with blueberries

A study reported in the Journal of Nutrition reports that eating 1 cup of delicious antioxidant filled blueberries daily can reverse age related mental slowdown. The effects can be observed after one month of eating them daily. They help you think faster on your feet. This effect seems to be related to the fact that blueberries are packed with antioxidants that improve brain-cell connections. The antioxidants in blueberries also fight free radicals that are detrimental to your health and are related to causing cancer.

Health benefits of nuts

Eating nuts is also helpful in maintaining a healthy brain. By eating 2 oz. of nuts per day can raise your levels of HDL. Folks with higher levels of HDL are statistically about half as likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to those with lower levels of HDL. Walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts are particularly good but nuts of all types have a lot of nutritional value packed into a tiny package. A healthy diet should include eating nuts daily as they are also good for your heart. Nuts are a good snack food. They are relative economical, easy to store and easy to take with you to when traveling or in your lunch.

Where You Can Find Blueberries?

Blueberries are available the year around in a variety of different forms. There are Fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries and dried ones. In all three forms they provide a great way to get the antioxidant benefits of the blueberries. Fresh blueberries are usually only available during the summer and may not always be available in your local supermarket. In addition they can be expensive. The other issue is that you should purchase organic blueberries to avoid pesticides and herbicides that may be on them. The easiest and most cost-effective way to solve this problem is to grow your own pesticide free blueberries. Blueberries can be easily grown providing your soil is modified to a pH of between 4.5 and 5.0. If this is not feasible you can grow them in containers. Grow enough so you can freeze them and have them year around. The good news is that the antioxidant levels remain as high in frozen blueberries as in fresh ones.

Summary

Eat a cup of blueberries daily and about 2 oz of nuts daily to help maintain you mental health.

Harold as a public health service officer. He has served on national and international committees on public health issues. He has a farm with over 30 varieties of blueberry plants, (Blueberry croft farm and nursery) The farm is a reputable source for quality blueberry plants. Go to - http://www.blueberrycroft.com/ to purchase your blueberry plants. Get free S/H on orders of $65+.

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Sunday, April 24, 2011

6 Great Superfoods

By Matthew Hartwig

Superfoods are foods that contain so many nutrients and in such high concentrations, that even small amounts will satisfy your body's need for fuel, energy and nutrients. Every healthy diet should include as many superfoods as possible, and this list offers five great tasting and super healthy superfoods! Superfoods can lower cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer and even improve your sex life!

Blueberries: Blueberries are a great tasting and ultra healthy superfood. Blueberries contain huge amounts of antioxidants, making them one of the best superfoods for reducing the risk of cancer. This berry also includes high level of phytonutrients, vitamin c and are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Be sure to include loads of blueberries in your diet, as this superfood really is worth its weight!

Omega 3 rich Fish: Certain kinds of fish contain particularly high levels of omega 3s which are well know for lowering heart disease risk and helping with arthritis. More research is being conducted on this superfood and preliminary studies suggest that omega 3s might help with memory loss, Alzheimer's and even reduce depression. This is one superfood you just shouldn't do without!

Tea: Not many people realize that tea is actually a superfood. But the antioxidants in black and green tea are so high that some researchers have concluded that tea can be beneficial in preventing cancer and lower cholesterol in men. These antioxidants appear to be exclusive to tea, so get drinking!

Dark Chocolate: Yep, you heard it. Dark Chocolate is not just good for you, it's really good for you. In moderation, of course! Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and is increasingly becoming known for its ability to contribute to lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate can be low in fat and sugar, making it a super healthy, super delicious, superfood!

Kiwis: This super food is one of the most nutritionally dense fruits. It is full of antioxidants and is a good source of vitamin c, potassium, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin E. Kiwi is one of the only fruits, and only superfood, to provide high concentrations of vitamin E. Kiwis are wonderful tasting and can be enjoyed in salads, side dishes or even desserts.

Nuts: Nuts of all sorts are great for us! These superfoods keep us healthy and our appetites satiated. Although nuts are high in fat, it is generally the good kind of fat that our bodies need. Nuts are good sources of protein, fiber and in small doses can even help to promote weight loss!

Superfood is increasingly becoming a buzzword in the diet world. But in this case, it's because there are just so many delicious foods that really are great for you. Whatever meal you are thinking of cooking up, you can likely find a way to incorporate some superfood and you really should. The health benefits are miraculous and the selection is quite substantial!

I am avid fitness buff and health nut. I enjoy sharing what I've learned about healthy living, and love learning from my readers! Check out my website for more healthy living and fitness tips at: http://www.FitnessHeaven.net

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Sunday, April 17, 2011

How to Achieve the Perfect Bikini Body for Summer

By Dave Townley

It may be a freezing ice cold winter, and the last thing on our mind is preparing for the summer season, but in reality now is the time to start thinking and making preparations to achieve a great bikini body ready for summer. This is not just a matter of us shedding those excess pounds, it is making our body as lean, toned and trim as possible to look really good and feel confident in a bikini.

The five most effective steps we can start now are:

1) Eat healthy

Firstly we should ditch the junk food, not only are they high in calories, but also high in fat, sugar and sodium, which have so many detrimental effects on our bodies, both internally and externally. A poor diet provides our body with very little energy, can promote water retention, and also create hormonal and chemical imbalance. It can also raise our bloods sugar levels, slow down our metabolism and due to the poor nutritional value of the food we eat, we will find that we are constantly hungry. To achieve a new sleek physique, we have to give up the junk food for optimum results.

To get a toned bikini body, we need to eat healthy nutritious foods. We should choose natural, fresh unprocessed foods wherever possible. Fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish or vegetarian protein options such as beans or tofu and healthy fat sourced from oily fish, olive oil and avocados are ideal for a healthy diet. Before we eat anything we should ask ourselves if the food has grown naturally in its present form. As we know many foods have been created in factories or laboratories. They have been chopped, reformed and processed so much that they are often not recognisable as the form it was initially. Has the food been dyed, bleached, fried or been disguised in a fatty additive filled sauce? If this is the case, we should avoid it and eat some real nutritious wholesome food instead.

2) Drink plenty of water

The more water we drink, the easier it will be to shed those excess pounds. Drinking more water has many benefits to our bodily functions. It helps our vital organs such as the kidneys, which flush out toxins, and the liver which metabolises stored fat within the body. Water also helps keep our skin stay fresh, supple and hydrated. Our aim should be to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day, although in warm weather or if we workout daily, we can safely increase consumption as required.

3) Cardiovascular workouts

To achieve a great bikini body by summer, we have to commit to a daily cardio exercise regime. Cardio workouts are the best form of exercise to help boost our metabolism so that we burn more calories as well as fat. To begin with, we should try and workout for 30minutes per day, gradually increasing both the time and intensity as our strength increases. The best examples of good cardio workouts are brisk walking, running or jogging, cycling, aerobics, swimming, and elliptical cross trainer machines. Basically any brisk activity which makes our heart and lungs work harder are ideal cardio exercises, even salsa dancing can boost the heart rate.

4) Resistance training

Toning our body to make it look at its best in a bikini is vital and resistance training is an excellent way to tone our muscles for the best possible results. There are so many ways to shape and tone our body which include weight training for example. The best way to start and get expert help and advice would be for us to join a local gym or health club. Another option is to invest in some good DVDs, there are many good inexpensive ones to choose from which can help novices and the more experienced of us get in shape. Resistance training for a few sessions each week over several weeks can tone and reshape us for that perfect bikini body.

5) Keep motivated

We have to maintain our determination and motivation no matter what, and even if summer seems so far away, we have to remain focused on our goal. We need to keep focused on achieving that perfect bikini body now, no time to waste. Why not take a photo of how we look in a bikini at the moment and leave it in a position where we can see it daily to give us the inspiration to follow through with our ambition for a sexy new look? We should try and daily renew and enforce our commitment and motivation for a new enhanced lifestyle and a new sleek, toned sexy physique

There's no reason you should be embarrassed about your weight problem. to get the information you need to effectively start your dieting regime. If you're ready to read more about how tips to burn stomach fat can help you with your weight loss, visit our burn calories page and download the free 7 Dieting Mistakes Report. Join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now." Excercise

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Friday, April 15, 2011

Food Nutrition and Breakfast - What Is the Connection?

By Brian Goodwin

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should contain the right amount of food nutrition to keep you going for the rest of the day. It is also the meal that is most often skipped by children as well as adults in the pretext of going to school, office etc. But a healthy and nutritious breakfast is very important to keep your body fit and healthy and provide you with the energy levels required for being active the whole day.

There are many overweight people who skip breakfast thinking it is a good way to lose weight. But skipping a meal, especially breakfast, will only make you pile up calories and have the reverse effect. Though any kind of breakfast is fine, it is best not to consume doughnuts, pancakes or pastries on a daily basis as these contain high levels of sugar and is also high in calories.

A food nutrition specialist will tell you that the ideal breakfast must contain grains in the form of bread or cereals, fruits, protein in the form of eggs, meat and nuts and dairy products like milk or cheese. These are low in calories but provide wholesome nutrition that is required to stay fit and healthy. A nutritious breakfast will help the digestive system to work normally after a night's rest and produce the right environment to digest the later meals of the day. When you skip breakfast, the acid levels of the stomach go up which can result in bloating, irritation, gas and discomfort and in the long run can lead to the development of ulcers.

Some nutritious and healthy breakfast ideas recommended by food nutrition experts include omelets, boiled eggs, French toast, dry toast with low fat butter, jam or marmalade, cornflakes and low fat milk, oats with nuts and fruits, cheese slices and a slice of fruit. If you are in a hurry and cannot find the time to have an elaborate and sit down breakfast, prepare a power smoothie with fruits, nuts, milk or yoghurt. This can be carried in a bottle and consumed on the way too which is great for saving time. Fruit smoothies are also a great idea as a mid day snack for you as well as your children instead of munching on high calorie chips and fast food.

If your children are not interested in taking the typical breakfast or eggs and toast, then try new recipes which is not only fun and interesting but also contain the right food nutrition to keep them energetic throughout the day. Leftover meat or chicken pieces are great for the next morning breakfast; you can use this to make a healthy pizza with fresh veggies and chicken pieces but go easy on the cheese. You can also make grilled sandwiches using fresh vegetables and smother it with low fat homemade mayo which is healthy as well as enjoyed by children.

Remember, the key point is not to skip breakfast but to consume the right food nutrition which will keep you fit, robust and healthy.

Do you want get more out of life?
Nutritionist Brisbane can help you with your diet and nutrition and get you feeling healthy and young again.
Whether you are looking for Nutritionists or Dietician Brisbane they will have it covered.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Decoding the Additives on Your Food Labels: What Are You Eating?

By Lynn Dorman, Ph.D.

On a trip through a supermarket these words [or letters] were found on food labels [and this is just a small sampling in a few food aisles]

  • BHT [butylated hydroxytoluene]
  • BHA [butylated hydroxyanisole]
  • sodium propionate
  • benzoate
  • potassium lactate
  • potassium nitrite
  • cellulose gum
  • guar gum
  • xanthan gum
  • locust bean gum
  • carrageenan
  • disodium inosinate
  • disodium guanate
  • acesulfame potassium
  • sucralose
  • tripotassium phosphate
  • sodium aluminosilicate
  • dipotassium phosphate

I've put in the "real" names for the first two as I've never seen them spelled out on labels.

And what are all these "substances" we get in our foods? I looked them up online - but repeating all that information is not necessary as it can be easily done when you have time and it IS a lot of information! I suggest strongly that you do this!

Please go through your foods at home, look up what's in them and browse the Internet for a full description!

These substances are in our foods as preservatives, antioxidants, color fixatives, thickening agents, sweeteners, binders and anti-caking additives.

Antioxidants? That sounds good doesn't it? We read how antioxidants help us stay younger looking. Well these antioxidants keep the other ingredients from aging [or spoiling] and one, BHT, is also found in embalming fluid, jet fuel, cosmetics and drugs!

And yes, the USA government allows for certain levels of all the above [and many others] to be in our foods; it calls them "generally recognized as safe."

There are mixed studies about the effects of additives in our diets - especially ones in the food we feed our children. The ever-increasing autoimmune diseases we have, as well as the increase in autism, and in what is called ADD [and other childhood issues] are often said to be linked to the non-food stuffs that are put in our foods.

If you look at canned organic foods, the labels do not contain all or even most of the above list. Why? Aren't they both canned and preserved? Aren't they on the same shelves in the same kinds of stores? The answer to this is a different kind of article about food and money - but that's for another time.

Do you want to eat chemicals? Or do you want to eat food?

And we have made of ourselves living cesspools, and driven doctors to invent names for Our diseases. Plato


Maybe it's time to stop being cesspools and go back to eating real food. Food is what our bodies were designed to ingest and use to do what bodies are supposed to do.

From Lynn Dorman, Ph.D. who, along with other Developmental Psychologists, has been concerned about the health and development of all people and we have argued against additives and colorants since back when it was considered "odd" and "kooky" to do so. Sadly, a lot of the negatives said back then about some additives have been found to be true.

Please make intelligent decisions about what you feed yourself and your family!

Be safe - feed you and your children real food - and as little of the additives as possible.

I invite you to beING healthy where I have material on nutrition and food-based supplements because at 70+ that's still who I am and what I am still passionate about!

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Saturday, April 09, 2011

What Happens If You Consume Too Many Carbohydrates?

By Phil Tucker

Everywhere you look people in the United States are eating carbs. Whether its huge heaping bowls of pasta or massive dishes of rice, whether its sandwiches or mashed potatoes, carbs are a favorite across the nation, enjoyed everywhere by one and all. However, what does such a massive intake of carbs do to our bodies? Despite what the Department of Health tells us to eat, encouraging us to chow down on so many grains that they make up over fifty percent of our diet, what is the consequence of eating so much carbs?

First let's take a look at what happens when you eat carbs. Your body takes the carbs and pushes them through your digestive system, turning them into glucose which is our body's primary source of fuel. This glucose sweeps through our blood, feeding all the cells that need energy, and what is left over is then stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver. Any excess carbs that result after this storage will then be turned into fat via a process called 'de novo lipogenesis' (DNL).

However, short term studies have shown that DNL does not happen much or contribute much to fat stores for average, healthy people. Instead, as long as your muscles and liver aren't tapped out for storage space for glycogen, you should be fine, storing that instead. However, DNL can take place if your glycogen stores are indeed filled, and that is what happens under the following circumstances.

Say you are an inactive individual who does not exercise or move around much. Instead you spend most of your time lying on the couch or in bed or at your desk. Your body therefor does not burn off your glycogen reserves, resulting in their being filled up. Then say that you eat a lot of carbs on top of this inactive lifestyle, then DNL will indeed convert the excess glucose into fat and add to your fat reserves.

That is why eating an excess of carbs, especially starchy carbs is a bad idea if you do not exercise regularly. This problem is only exacerbated by eating fat alongside your heavy doses of carbs, because then not only do your carbs get turned into fat through DNL, your dietary fat goes right into your fat stores instead of being burned because you have so much glucose and glycogen at your disposal. What is your take away from all this? That eating carbs supplies you with energy, but also prevents you from burning fat as best you can.

Try the RevAbs or the P90X Workout today!

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Wednesday, April 06, 2011

The Nutritional Value of Four Common Fruits

By Lv Hongyu

1. Mango

Mango has a high nutritional value. Every 100 grams of fresh mango contains 56 mg of vitamin C and 11% of sugar. In addition, it is also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2 and some minerals, protein, carotene, folic acid and so on. Since the Song Dynasty in China, mango has been proved to have a lot of medical effectiveness. It can treat thirst, amenorrhea, difficult urination, and so on. Modern clinical research has found out that, mango leaves contain certian chemical component, which can inhibit the influenza virus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and so on. What's more, eating mango can also prevent nausea and vomiting and cure chronic laryngitis.

2. Apricot

Apricot contains the most abundant vitamin B17 among all the fruits, while vitamin B17 is a very effective anti-cancer chemical substance. It only kill cancer cells, and will not bring any damage or toxicity on normal healthy cells. Fiji--an island in South Pacific, is regarded as the unique "cancer-free country" in the world. This country is rich in apricot, and people all like to eat. According to the survey, in this country, no people have been died of cancer, and all the residents enjoy a long life. As a result, this country has been known as a "longevity country". According to scientific analysis, often eating apricot may be one of the main reasons why the residents in Fiji Island can be free from cancer and enjoy a long life.

3. Persimmon

Persimmon contains a lot of carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, glucose and fructose, and this is the reason why persimmon tastes so sweet. What's more, persimmon contains a small amount of fat, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C and so on. In addition, persimmon is rich in pectin, which is a water-soluble dietary fiber. It has a good laxative effect, which plays an important role in eliminating constipation and maintaining the growth of normal flora in the intestinal tract.

4. Watermelon

Watermelon can eliminate summer heat and quench thirst, so it is a favorite fruit in the hot summer. Watermelon contains a variety of nutrients and chemical substances, such as protein, sugar, crude fiber, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, nicotinic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and so on. In addition, watermelon juice also contains alanine and glutamate, malic acid and so on, all of which are necessary components for the composition of the bones and blood of human body.

Lv Hongyu is the freelance writer for e-commerce website in the chemistry. LookChem.com is just a place for you to Look for Chemicals! Our LookChem provide the most convenient conditions for the international buyers and let these leads benefit all the business person.

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