Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Eat a Healthy Balanced Diet
By Yuri Elkaim
To truly eat a healthy balanced diet, there are several key components that should be included.
These include a diet that is rich in natural fresh foods, seasonal foods, nutritious foods, clean foods, and variety and rotation.
Let's explore each one in more detail.
Natural Fresh Foods
The closer your food choices are to their origins, the better. Foods from the gardens and orchards of local farmers have more energy, vitality, and nutrients.
It is important to eat closer to the earth considering the absolute nonsense that the food industry has provided on the shelves of our grocery stores. Packaged and processed foods have no place in our bodies.
We have seen how our health has taken a turn for the worse over the past 50 years because these garbage foods.
Seasonal Foods
This is a little tougher to adopt for many people but if you can eat seasonally according to where you live, your body will thank you.
Some people even claim that our bodies digestive tracts are best suited to eat and digest the foods from where we were born.
Eating seasonally also means that you protect the environment by encouraging the consumption of local foods, instead of foods which travelled 1000s of miles across the world.
In general, at least for most northern hemisphere countries, spring is the time of flourishing and rejuvenation with the arrival of fresh and fruits and vegetables as the weather warms.
In the colder months of the fall and winter, root vegetables take a more pronounced role as our bodies look for richer and more warming foods to keep our energy up and bodies warm.
Nutritious Foods
Eating a nutritious diet primarily means that you are acquiring all the vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, and phytonutrients that your body needs to thrive.
Again, the fresher the foods are the, the more nutrient-dense they will be. Storing, processing, packaging, and altering foods will inevitably reduce their nutrient quality.
Clean Foods
This is a big one. Eating clean foods refers to eating foods that are chemical-free, not genetically engineered, and free of refining.
Thus, clean foods are whole foods that are mainly organic.
Foods that are laden with pesticides and other chemicals can leave a marked impact on your health. Maybe not at first, but with years of toxic accumulation in the body, these chemicals, which reside in the fat and nervous tissue, can lead to all sorts of degenerative conditions.
Variety and Rotation
In order to ensure that you receive a wide spectrum of nutrients it is important to eat a wide variety of foods. Eating the same foods day in and day out will give you some nutrition (assuming they're good to begin with) but they won't expose you to thousands of other helpful phytonutrients that our plant-based foods have to offer.
Furthermore, getting variety and rotation in your diet reduces the potential to become allergic or sensitive to a particular food, which comes about from repeatedly stimulating your body's immune system with same nutritional biochemistry.
If we eat the same consistently, our bodies can build up antibodies against the protein molecules in the given food. This can occur even with the healthiest foods.
Thus, it is helpful to rotate your diet so that you try to avoid eating the same foods on consecutive days. Some even endorse a 4-day rotation diet.
Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the raw food diet book Eating for Energy. Find out how his work has helped more than 22,000 people lose weight and live their healthiest life ever - visit http://www.healthybiz2000.com/GoTo/mp3trainer.htm
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Eating the right foods at the right times
Sugar, which is not processed immediately by the body as energy, is turned into insulin and stored as fat for later use. When you are trying to combine eating, being active and either weight loss or management, timing is everything. The way the body breaks down different types of food and when each of those substances are either used or stored, is an important aspect when it comes to managing weight.
When we consume food, our body converts carbohydrates into immediate blood sugar, also known as glucose, which is our main source of energy. Depending on our blood sugar level, we will feel energetic or extremely sluggish. Blood sugar levels also have an effect on how hungry we are and what we crave. Finally, blood sugar determines whether we burn fat or store it away for another time.
Insulin is a hormone, produced by our pancreas that moves blood sugar throughout our body where it is used as energy. When the body is overwhelmed with carbohydrate-rich foods, the pancreas produces insulin like crazy to tell the body to start cranking out the blood sugar for the body to use as energy and reducing the amount of blood sugar in the body. Insulin is actually meant to tell your body to use the energy to lower blood sugar.
Our body sees all of the signals that there is plenty of energy ready for use at the drop of a hat and backs off burning fat and starts to fill up the reserve stores. The biggest part to worry about is not the fact that our body stores fat, but when the blood sugar drops afterwards and forces us to crave more high-sugar foods that starts the cycle all over again while just trying to take in more sugar to balance the sudden dip.
Of course simple carbohydrates are the first to be converted to blood sugar by the body, but eventually everything ends up breaking down and getting stored as fat. The trick is to keep your blood sugar levels even instead of this roller coaster of blood sugar. Once your body gets used to having high blood sugar levels at all times, the insulin becomes non-existent to your body, leading to the onset of Type-2 diabetes.
Once your body no longer recognizes the insulin is there to help you reduce your blood sugar, you start storing everything as fat. When you are trying to lose weight or manage the weight you are currently at, having everything stored as fat completely defeats the purpose you are trying to accomplish. Eating the right foods at the right times during the day will help you maintain your insulin levels and keep you from bingeing on sweet treats.
A great way to figure out how your body is reacting to different foods, keep a journal of what you eat and how you are feeling shortly afterwards. Note when you feel the sugar “crash” during the day and also when you are craving certain foods. By keeping this journal and paying attention to what you are eating, you will be able to keep a better handle on your weight loss or management because you are tracking your blood sugar levels.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Inexpensive yet Healthy Foods
With the economy the way it is, people are looking for an inexpensive way to eat healthy. There are numerous options for eating healthy and more often than not, it is less expensive to fix a healthy meal at home rather than eat one out. When preparing that fantastic healthy meal at home, it helps to know what kinds of foods that are high quality for not-so-high prices.
Quinoa
For the group of people who must have pasta at least three times a day, quinoa is a great alternative without all of the carbs and for a fraction of the price. Finding quinoa in the bulk isle is a steal; it is easy to prepare, completely healthy and cheap as all get-out. Quinoa is more like a grain than pasta, but can double in some of the same ways that pasta does, plus it is a great addition to salads.
Oats
Oats are one of the most, if not THE most, versatile foods around. They taste like whatever you cook them with, they can be creamy or crunchy, baked, fried, sautéed; you name it, oats can probably do it. The bigger the container, the cheaper it will be. Oats are loaded with fiber and contain a decent amount of calories for the serving size.
Frozen Fruits and Veggies
Many people have the misconception that fresh fruits and vegetables are the best way to go. It turns out that many of the fresh produce you see in the store, is actually around a week old by the time you pick it up and give it a squeeze. Once picked, produce begins to lose its nutrients, so by the time it gets to the store, there aren’t much of the original nutrients left.
Frozen produce is typically flash-frozen 24-48 hours after picking, locking in the highest concentration of nutrients available. Since they come in packages, they tend to be cheaper by the pound than their plump partners and can store for longer periods of time. The next time you go to the store, take a look at the price of frozen spinach versus fresh spinach. Even if they are priced around the same mark, think about how long the fresh spinach has been sitting there
Brown Rice
Not only is brown rice healthy, with around 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and only 170 calories per serving, it is dirt-cheap. The great thing about rice is the servings are measured by dry volume, which means, when the rice is cooked, your serving size nearly doubles. Brown rice can be used in burritos, casseroles, fried rice and is even hearty enough to stand up in many stews.
Beans
No matter if you buy bean from the bulk isle or get them in a can, they are cheap and packed with protein. Out of the hundreds of varieties, there are countless numbers of ways to utilize beans in your cooking.
Eating healthy does not have to break the bank. Just look for nutritional food that is fresh and vibrant and you can’t go wrong. Another idea for healthy eating on a dime is to keep the meal simple. Keeping a meal simple is usually the best way to make sure all of the nutrients are there and it allows you to taste everything in the dish. Make a quick trip to the store, pick up a few of the healthy items listed above and see what you and your family can create.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Latest News about Cabbage
The Latest News about Cabbage: Cancer prevention tops all other areas of health research with regard to cab ...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Energy Eating
By Yuri Elkaim
If you are looking for ways to increase your energy levels, one of the most important considerations in what sorts of fuel you are putting into your system. Much like a high performance car, your body will run on lesser fuel sources - but don't expect it to run as well. Many people, when they feel an energy decrease coming on, will reach for sugary snacks and fatty fast foods. But if you're serious about your health, you know you can do better. Here are some food items that you should be eating and what you should be replacing them for.
Berries are a wonderful food for energy, particularly blueberries and acai berries. Besides the natural sugars they contain, there are a host of vitamins and anti-oxidants that are essential to your continued good health. If you want to find a place for more berries in your diet, try dropping the energy bars. These high-sugar bars might give you a temporary sugar high, but they'll leave you feeling empty in no time flat.
Nuts are another great snacking option. Filled with good fats and oils, these bite-sized wonders will help to fill you up, in both energy and in feeling well fed. If you want to add more nuts to your diet, simply replace the candy you eat. Instead of reaching for a little sugar treat, keep a bowl of almonds and walnuts handy for anytime snacking.
You might have heard bad press about the next item, avocados. People see this fleshy fruit and worry about the high fat content. But really, the fats contained in an avocado are the sorts you want more of in your diet. The contents of an avocado are rich and delicious, and make any salad seem like a real treat. If you want to eat more avocados, you might consider it as a replacement for your pre-processed salad dressing, which is filled with processed oils, fatty creams and extra sugars that will do absolutely nothing good for your energy levels.
Another great anytime treat are bananas. Full of potassium and nutrients, bananas are particularly good for after a hard workout, so that the potassium can help to repair your worn and worked muscle tissues. If you need to leave something out to make room for bananas, try leaving the ice cream at the store. Still want a cool, creamy treat? Freeze a whole banana overnight, then peel and blend. Serve immediately, and you'll be shocked by how similar it is to ice cream!
And lastly, but most importantly, is water. You might look at water and see nothing but an empty fluid, but keeping your body properly hydrated is essential to keeping you energized. A dehydrated athlete is one that is not performing at their peak. Simply switch out your usual energy drink or sports drinks, and add more water to your daily diet. You'll be surprised at how much better you feel when you don't feel thirsty.
These are just some of the food choices you can make to give yourself more energy. The best rule of thumb here is, the less processed and cooked, the better.
Yuri Elkaim is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and author of the raw food diet book Eating for Energy. Visit http://www.healthybiz2000.com/GoTo/mp3trainer.htm to get started with his FREE "Energy Secrets" e-course and discover what your diet has been missing.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The 4 Key Components of a Healthy Meal Plan
Most people admit to feeling a little overwhelmed when it comes to developing a healthy meal plan. In fact, I would guess that’s the biggest reason why most people fail when it comes to a diet of any kind. If it’s too complicated or too difficult, there’s no way you are going to stick with a plan for weight loss. And that’s where most diets lose you—there’s always a mile-long list of what you can eat and what’s forbidden. Or you have to count calories and carbs, which means you have to jot everything down in a book.
Let’s be realistic—none of that is going to happen long-term when you are busy and always on the go.
I like to break down my healthy meal planning into four blocks. If you incorporate each of these four blocks into your daily routine, at every meal and every snack, then you have mastered the Diet Solution Program. Sound too easy to be true? It’s no gimmick—just plain common sense that takes the guesswork out of eating right to lose weight. Here are the four components you should use with every meal:
Vegetables
As you were growing up, I bet your parents told you to “Eat your greens!” As with most of the things our parents tried to teach us, this healthy eating tip is absolutely true. You should incorporate a serving or two of veggies with every meal and every snack.
They will provide you with essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. They also contain fiber, which will help keep you regular and also helps to keep you feeling satiated between meals.
Remember that foods like corn and peas are actually not vegetables, but legumes and grains. Limit your intake of those, and opt for vegetables like lettuce, spinach, kale, celery, and peppers instead.
Healthy Fats
Did you know that organic coconut oil is actually a healthy fat?
You should absolutely eat fat with every meal, and I am including snacks in this as well. Healthy fats are MUFAs or PUFAs that give your body the kinds of essential fatty acids you need to thrive. Healthy fats can also help you feel satiated between meals, which is what helps you to stay on the straight and narrow with your healthy eating plan, resisting the urge to binge eat. Healthy fats include olive oil, organic butter, coconut oil, raw nuts, nut butters, and avocadoes.
Water
Water should be your go-to beverage of choice while making the healthy eating switch. In fact, you should be drinking water not just with every meal, but between meals as well. The old adage about drinking 8 glasses of water per day is outdated. Instead, you should be aiming for half your body weight in ounces of water per day—more than that if you work out.
Why so much water? Studies show that most Americans are slightly dehydrated. Dehydration can actually register in the brain as hunger rather than thirst. So by drinking enough water, you are keeping your body from feeling hungry, and that keeps you from eating more food than you should.
Protein
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a big believer in the power of protein. That’s why it’s an essential building block of a healthy diet and should be included in every meal, even snacks. Protein provides your body with essential amino acids you need for neural and cognitive processes. In addition, it has a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar, evening out those highs and lows that can cause you to eat everything in sight.
Not all proteins are created equal, though. I am a fan of whole organic eggs, all-natural cuts of meat, raw nuts, and nut butters. Stay away from fatty sources of protein, meats that contain nitrites or nitrates, and soy products. Those types of proteins can be detrimental to a healthy diet.
Building the perfect meal is easy when you follow the Diet Solution Program. Simply build these four nutritional blocks into every meal and snack, and you should begin seeing results in no time at all!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Can Delicious Snacks Actually Be Good For You?
Remember sneaking into the kitchen when you were young to steal a snack when mom was not looking? Well, those days might be over if ex-bodybuilding champion Carolyn Hansen gets her way. She has come up with a set of 100 snack recipes that will have mothers everywhere positively encouraging their children to dig in.
The reason? The ingredients. No sugar, flour, or butter to be found in these recipes - just raw healthy foods that Hansen likes to call living. No cooking either, which makes preparation a snap. All a mom need be proficient with in the kitchen to keep her kids satisfied is a blender. That's the conclusion Carolyn Hansen reaches in her book 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats.
At first glance you might be tempted to think that snacks prepared without sugar and butter might taste like the experimental designs that mom came up with in your youth when she ran low on those items and could not get to the store. If you share the same memories of those bold snack alternatives that I do you might be quick to dismiss the idea of a tasty snack that foregoes the ingredients that we know contribute to chronic disease in later life. Too much sugar and butter in the diet are prime causes of obesity, diabetes, and coronary disease.
Carolyn Hansen knew this when she went into her kitchen years ago to find alternatives to the snacks she found so difficult to remove from her diet. As a competing bodybuilder she was determined to find a way to keep herself from ruining her progress in the gym by binging on unhealthy snacks when her willpower wore down.
At first the going was difficult. It turns out that there are a lot of things to take into account when you begin throwing out the staple ingredients of recipes thousands of years old. There were a lot of missteps along the way. But Carolyn persevered, and in the end she came up with snacks that she could share with her bodybuilder friends. Snacks that you can share with your family and friends and know that you are contributing to the maintenance of their health, not only today but for years to come.
So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for snacks and treats that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen's book 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats, where she shows you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Getting Enough Protein on a Vegetarian Diet?
One of the most common questions that vegetarians get asked is, "How do you get enough protein?" It's an understandable question - our bodies do need protein. Proteins are what builds muscle, and the slow digestion of protein makes it an important factor in avoiding blood sugar swings.
The amino acids that make up proteins are essential for healthy skin, hair, nails, and certain body functions, such as hormone production and tissue repair. However, some experts say that we over-emphasize protein as a dietary necessity, and that most omnivorous people actually consume more protein than they need.
The concept of the "complete protein" has been challenged in recent years. In the past, nearly all the experts agreed that vegetarians needed to take care to combine proteins at their meals in order to get the proper amount of protein - beans with rice, for instance, or potatoes with milk.
These days, though, the emphasis tends to be more on variety rather than specific food combinations. It is said that "incomplete" proteins actually combine with existing amino acids in the body, and therefore need not be combined on the plate.
Then vegetarians, perhaps, do need to be more aware of meeting their protein needs than omnivores. There are multiple ways to do that, and here are some suggestions.
Food Combinations
Some experts still maintain that combining foods to make complete proteins is important. If you are in this camp, consider planning your meals around these complete protein food combinations:
* Potatoes and dairy
* Beans and brown rice
* Legumes and whole grain pasta
* Legumes and nuts
* Corn, beans and rice
Soy
Soy is a complete plant-based protein. Soy products like tofu and soy-based meat substitutes are complete proteins.
High-Protein Vegetables and Fruits
Some plants are naturally high in protein by themselves. Avocado is one such plant food, as are lentils and beans.
Menus
If you are new to vegetarianism or just want some new menu ideas, it's helpful to plan out some meals to make sure you are getting the balance and variety necessary for good health. Here are some menu ideas built around plant-based proteins.
1. Breakfast: Scrambled tofu, fresh orange, whole grain bread spread with tahini
2. Lunch: Corn tortilla with refried beans and flavored rice, apple
3. Dinner: Cooked kale, lentil soup, whole grain bread or muffin, nuts (on the side or sprinkled on the lentil soup)
These are just some ideas to help get you started. Make your weekly shopping list and menu accordingly, and you may soon find that a balanced diet comes naturally.
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