Health
Featured Articles:
Vegetable Nutrition For a Healthy Life
by: Shelley Green
Fruit and vegetables are brimming with fiber, plus a whole range of
vitamins and minerals, and because they're low in calories, they
make an important and healthy addition to any diet. Here is some
information for you about vegetable nutrition. "Eat your fruits and
vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a
healthy diet, and for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and
vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control
blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid
a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard
against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of
vision loss."5 A Day" is a national health program in the USA and
also in the UK to explain why you need vegetable nutrition as well
as fruit and to encourage you to eat more servings of fruit and
vegetables every day. People all over the world are becoming more
and more aware of how important fruit nutrition and vegetable
nutrition is to stay healthy.
In general, yellow and dark green vegetables are excellent sources
of vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium, iron,
magnesium, vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. The greener the
leaf, the richer the nutrients will be. Here are some suggestions to
think about color to pack nutritional power in your diet: · White:
Eat cauliflower more often than potatoes, onions and mushrooms.·
Green: Add more dark lettuces, such as romaine and red leaf lettuce,
spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts to replace iceberg lettuce
and green beans. · Yellow-orange: Substitute more carrots, winter
squashes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges and grapefruit for
corn or bananas. · Red: Select tomatoes, red peppers and
strawberries in favor of apples. If you are trying to watch your
weight, an idea is to make sure you are not eating too many calories
if you are adding these foods to your diet. increasing the amounts
of fruits and vegetables you eat can promote weight control, but
only if they replace higher fat foods like ice cream, meat and chips
to help you consume fewer calories. But if fruits and vegetables are
simply added to what you already eat, total calories won't
significantly drop and weight loss should not be expected. The most
important thing to do is to vary the fruit and vegetables that you
eat from day to day. This is to give your body a variety but to also
keep you interested in your food. There are always great new
recipes, ideas and ways to make your food look and taste great!
About The Author
Shelley Green is the owner of http://www.vegetable-delivery.com, a
site that specializes in vegetable delivery including organic
vegetables, organic fruit, fruit and vegetable boxes, and also other
recommended sites.
Healthy Weight Loss: Size Does matter
by: Nathalie Fiset
Most people look into the mirror and probably think that they could
use to lose a little more weight. A little flab here and there could
be eliminated and those extra pounds from that party should be lost
ASAP. But how much should you lose?
Losing weight is not just a matter of making the fat and flab
disappear when you want to. You're a human being, not just some clay
statue to be scraped and molded. However, this is no excuse for not
losing weight the healthy way. And as they say, there's no time like
the present to begin.
For obese people or those whose weight is 20% more than the standard
weight for their height and bone structure, it is imperative to
start now. Even a decrease in 5-10% of one's current weight is said
to lower the risks of heart ailments, respiratory diseases, high
blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and even cancer in obese people.
Obesity nowadays is not just a fashion or social faux pas anymore.
It is just not good for the body. There's such a thing as
malnourishment and big bone structure, too. Fat may be the main
culprit behind obesity but it also involves an excess in the body
weight regardless of the components.
According to the Body Mass Index, men should be within the range of
25- 29.9 while women should have numbers from 18.5- 24.9. Anyone
above 30 should think twice before reaching out for that second
serving.
Food diets and all sorts of other diets involving ingesting herbal
pills or tonics have become quite popular nowadays. However, most of
them are not clinically proven or nutritionally balanced. Safe to
say, the only real way to lose those extra pounds is to leave the
old life of eat- what- you- want and turn to a healthy lifestyle.
Changes in one's diet should not be abrupt, as this may make matters
worse. As they always say, when in doubt about these kinds of
things, consult your doctor or nutritionist. The diet is perhaps the
most difficult thing to change but only if you make it that way.
There are two rules when choosing a menu: first, control your
calories through portions and quality; and second, don't eat what
you can't stomach for long.
The rationale for these two rules is that healthy weight loss is a
gradual process involving everything about you- physically,
mentally, psychologically, etc. If you don't like the taste of
certain "recommended" foodstuffs, don't force yourself. In the end,
you'll just grow sick of it and give up altogether. Most dieters
don't get it during their first try so don't be afraid to mix and
match. Here are a couple of tips that may help:
Substitute low- fat varieties for your favorites or staples- the
market is saturated with these products. Instead of whole milk, for
example, use low fat milk or cream.
Have a diverse range of foods included in your menu. When you're
raising a family too, involve them in your health program as to
avoid tempting apparitions of brownies inside the refrigerator. Meat
eaters should also know their veggies. Rewarding yourself is fine,
just don't overdo it; better yet, eat "guiltless" goodies. After
all, you're trying to be healthy.
Another way to remove those excess salts and fats from the meal is
to remove the sources of additives when cooking. It wouldn't hurt to
experiment with herbs instead of the usual salt, sugar and butter
routine. Who knows, you could be the next master chef on the block.
If possible, condition your body to eat a certain amount at a
specific time. It would be better to scatter eating portions around
the clock over eating at one full go. Savor the little servings that
you have instead of thinking about how full or hungry you are. This
way, the intervals will allow the body to register that you have
enough blood sugar in your system already. It will prevent feelings
of deprivation and splurging.
Size and quantity does matter. That's why you want to lose weight,
right? But being healthy does not equal to being thin. It's useless
to eat a dozen low- calorie crackers at one sitting since those
calories will only pile up. However, some foods especially those
rich in fiber provide more bulk for their size, thus satisfying
hunger cravings. These include fruits and vegetables.
Eating healthful food alone will not guarantee much weight loss. It
takes a combination of physical exertion to utilize the nutrients
and calories you have at hand. The body will adapt so there should
be an effort to combat the efficient energy scheme your body will
implement once the drop in calories start. The answer? Exercise.
If your reasoning goes along the lines of not having the time or
energy left to exercise, you are not serious about being healthy.
Forget about strenuous sports if you don't like them, exercise can
be as simple as walking around while shopping, polishing floors or
climbing the stairs. Strenuous exercise without proper supervision
will only be stressful and result to over-eating. Simple aerobics
can do wonders for the figure and the psyche. The endorphins
released will make you happy and when you're happy, it's easier to
stick with the program and avoid backtracking into the couch potato
life before.
Losing weight is as hard as a block of granite. When done
consistently and correctly, that block can be turned into the
healthiest and sexiest sculpture around. Just don't forget that when
you take care of your body, your body will take care of you.
About The Author
Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist.
For more information go to: http://www.reachyouridealweight.com
http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com
Natural Health Remedies - Debugging the Myths
by: Yvonne Garcia
The modern world is endlessly being turned by newly discovered
treatments and medicines and sometimes seems to have forgotten the
natural health remedies. The world of medication is being dominated
by large pharmaceutical and research companies which have literally
obliterated the other types of medicinal treatments over last few
centuries. However, natural health remedies are currently
experiencing a resurgence as the world takes a look back at its
roots.
Natural remedies are often referred to as "alternative" medicine,
alternative to the modern Western mode of medications that is.
However, if we go a few hundred years back, these remedies are
actually the mainstream remedies. Of course, one cannot argue that
modern ways of treating ailments are effective, thus, the total
disappearance of natural health medications and remedies seem
inevitable. But it is also a fact that there are natural remedies
that really works, and more and more people are starting to realize
that.
There are many reasons why people are going back into using natural
health remedies. The natural ways of treating certain ailments can
come as a first aid treatment, whenever modern medicines are not
available. First of all, natural health remedies are becoming more
popular because of the expensive cost of Western medicines. The
oligopolies that consist of the big pharmaceutical companies have
jacked up the prices of medicines, leaving many people to resort to
other alternatives. Secondly, more and more people are becoming
aware and wary of the side effects of some medicines. Bodies react
differently to medicines.
Some people just don't believe in the power of natural remedies,
thinking that these are lame attempts to address a certain ailment.
That's unfortunate because the empirical evidence shows that natural
remedies and natural medicine works.
Debugging the Myth about Natural Health Products
The concept of health promotion has evolved because of the changing
definition of health and an awareness that wellness exists at many
levels of functioning. The definition of health as the mere absence
of disease is no longer accepted.
Today, health is viewed as a dynamic, ever-changing condition that
enables a person to function at an optimum potential at any given
time.
The ideal health status is one in which people are successful in
achieving their full potential regardless of any limitations they
might have.
Wellness, as a reflection of health, involves a conscious and
deliberate attempt to maximize one's health. Wellness does not just
happen; it requires planning and conscious commitment and is the
result of adopting lifestyle behaviors for attaining one's highest
potential for well-being.
Wellness is not the same for every person. The person with chronic
illness or disability may still be able to achieve a desirable level
of wellness. The key to wellness is to function at the highest
potential within the limitations over which there is no control and
to obtain the most natural health products that will help supplement
the much-needed boost in an individual's total well being.
A significant amount of information has shown that people, by virtue
of what they eat or drink, influence their own health. Today, many
of the major causes of illnesses are chronic diseases closely
related to the kind of food that they eat.
Hence, health experts highly recommend the intake of natural health
product to ensure optimum health promotion.
Since the 1950's, many health promotion models have been constructed
to identify health-protecting behaviors and to help explain why
people need to consume natural health products everyday.
Natural health products are among the highly recommended products by
the health experts in promoting wellness without the harmful side
effects.
According to the Natural Health Products Regulations, the items
classified as natural health products include homeopathic medicines,
minerals, vitamins, probiotics, herbal medicines, different kinds of
products such as essential fatty acids, and traditional medicines.
In essence, natural health products are considered safe and
effective. The government does not require prescriptions because
they are not prescription drugs.
Considered as OTCs or over-the-counter medications, natural health
products can be administered alone and the option to consume the
products can be a matter of personal choice.
About The Author
Yvonne Garcia is the author of various websites including Holistic
Health & Wellness Directory at =>
http://www.health-wellness-info.com which she began back in 2001.
She adds resources that she has either utilized herself or is sure
of their validity.
Healthy Weight Loss - The Truth about Dieting
by: Christine Sutherland
Very few people realize that nearly 100% of people who lose weight
through a diet program put that weight back on even more quickly
than before. Read on to discover why our health departments are now
saying that even healthy diets should be avoided.
In the first month of a diet the weight you lose is mostly water and
muscle weight. As soon as you go off the diet, those are replaced
with more fat! In addition, almost no-one can stick to a diet
because it is so out of kilter with the person's familiar eating
patterns. The very act of dieting both lowers metabolic processing,
and increases food cravings. No wonder that three years after going
on a diet, over 95% have put that weight back on or are even
heavier!
Nevertheless there is no doubt we have a serious weight problem. In
Australia the latest National Nutrition Survey showed that we have
45% of women and 65% of men overweight. Over the last 20 years our
obesity rate has doubled to 17% of men and 19% of women. According
to the National Health & Medical Research Council paper “Acting on
Australia’s Weight” our children are 2-3 times more likely to be
obese, as their rates have also doubled since the 1980’s.
The costs of overweight are enormous: over $700 million dollars of
the public purse, and over $500 million spent attending diet or
weight loss clinics. Our hospitals are clogged with people who have
diseases which are a consequence of overweight: heart disease,
metabolic disorders, diabetes, oedema, osteoarthritis, gallbladder
disease, cancers of the endometrium, biliary system disease and
respiratory problems. The cost in loss of life is even worse. Every
year in Australia we lose many thousands of people to the effects of
overweight. We also lose thousands of young women every year dying
from dieting diseases such as anorexia and bulimia.
So not only does dieting not work, it's dangerous, and we can no
longer afford to tolerate a culture of dieting.
The following are a list of health problems caused by dieting, all
of which are thoroughly backed by worldwide consensus research:
1. Diets have been linked with fatal eating disorders, particularly
amongst children, and particularly amongst children of mothers who
have dieted.
2. Weight loss dieting can cause health problems and can even lead
to gall bladder disease and emergency surgery if the decrease is too
rapid.
3. Dieting has been linked with lowered libido. Diets can wreck a
wonderful sex life and a great relationship!
4. Diets usually cost money, money that could have been spent on
lovely new clothes or family treats. If diets worked, this would be
a wise investment, but the problem is, the weight loss effects are
merely temporary and the damage done by dieting persists!
5. Diets often don’t provide correct nutrition, leading to problems
with concentration and memory and also decreased well-being, lowered
immune system and more illness.
6. Food deprivation causes food cravings that become so intense that
sooner or later everyone busts out of their diet! At this point the
myth of willpower is shown to be the awful lie that it truly is.
So why diet? It doesn’t work. It causes problems. And there’s a much
better way!
What is this better way? Certainly we now know that healthy weight
loss does not involve any special eating regime or exercise regime.
Instead the best weight loss programs will ensure that a thorough
study is made of how the person behaves and the lifestyle choices
they make when they are NOT trying to lose weight. This is the
realistic baseline that we're starting from.
Often we find that if the person is fairly active and not overeating
too severely, that it is something very small that is nevertheless
making a very big difference in weight. It could be that they're
eating or drinking something on a regular basis that they had no
idea contained so many empty calories. The café latté is a perfect
example, as some of these can add up to as much as half one's daily
calorie needs! One of these each day could easily add 0.5 kg per
week in excess weight. Many people are surprised to learn that it
only takes an excess of just 250 calories a day for most people to
accumulate an extra 11 kilos of fat every year!
Or it could be that the person has reduced their physical activity
level by giving up some sport or activity that they enjoyed and need
to give themselves permission, even as adults, to get out there and
play and engage with life again. This should not on any account be
confused with an exercise regime. This really is about PLAYING and
genuine pleasure is the key.
So this is why we should focus on healthy weight loss practices
only, and really look at what choices people are making, and why
they are making them, before we even begin to construct a plan, not
by imposing it on someone, but by working together as a team to
build an informed, customized, workable and permanent solution.
Finally, the compulsive and addictive components of weight loss have
been so poorly understood that they've been ignored totally, leaving
the poor overweight person out of control with cravings. Until now
there has not really been a satisfactory answer to cravings, but by
using modern deconditioning methods, people can now learn to
literally switch off these cravings, quickly and permanently. I hope
after reading this article that you would never again consider
dieting, and instead look at the real reasons for your weight
issues, and real solutions for healthy weight loss! Thank you for
reading.
About The Author
Christine Sutherland is the owner of http://www.weightchoice.com.au
, an information-packed resource for people who want healthy weight
loss from real, permanent solutions. You can view more interesting
articles, videos and audios on the WeightChoice web site.
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Health Food
by: Kadence Buchanan
Does your kid often eat junk food? Chances are, the answer to that
one is a resounding yes because, as all parents know, children
everywhere in the world absolutely love junk food such as
hamburgers, pizza, candy, soda and salty foods like potato chips and
french fries. Like most parents, you probably want to wean your
child away from junk food (or at least lessen his intake of it) and
reinforce his diet with healthy food such as grains, vegetables,
fruits and nutrient-rich foods such as meat, beans, fish and nuts.
Here are some tips to help you achieve just that. The basic strategy
is to make eating healthy food fun for the kids. You probably can
even think of more ways to use this strategy when feeding your
child.
(1) The Sneak Attack.
Sneak in those fruits and vegetables with a type of food that your
child really enjoys. One example would be making muffins out of
bananas or apples. If your kids like pizza, you can sneak in a wide
variety of vegetables in there that your youngsters probably won’t
even notice. Another tack is to arrange the food in creative ways
that will appear funny and play-like to your childe. For instance,
you can arrange the food creatively on a plate or make food stand at
attention like people.
(2) Funny Name Game.
Kids below the age of four always fall for this one. It’s called the
funny name game and involves giving healthy foods like fruits and
vegetables funny names and conjuring up interesting stories
involving the food. Obviously, many of these stories will conclude
with the food being gobbled up by the giant child or having the food
run for cover to avoid an alien attack by ducking into a big cave
that also happens to be your kid’s mouth.
(3) The Taste Test.
The main reason kids don’t like vegetables is that they can’t stand
the taste. Hence, if you can add things kids love like peanut butter
to celery or some ranch dressing to broccoli, your kids may go for
those veggies.
The main thing is to be creative about feeding your food. I’m sure
you can look into your kitchen and discover your own way to make
eating healthy food a fun experience.
About The Author
Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://letstalkaboutfood.com/ -
In addition, Kadence also writes articles for
http://fitnessandourworld.com/ and http://aboutoursociety.com/.