April 17th, 2009, Friday, 09:47
You can start your summer diet by enjoying these low-calorie foods that are high in fiber, calcium and essential nutrients. High-fiber foods help in weight control as they promote a feeling of satiety.
Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants that help slow aging, protect against cancer and stroke, improve blood pressure and keep your heart healthy.
1. Tomatoes and peppers are a rich source of vitamins A and C. Studies found that consuming a diet rich in tomatoes helps reduce the risk of prostate and other tract cancer. This is because tomatoes and processed tomato products contain a nutrient called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives some fruits and vegetables their color.
Peppers also contain antioxidants, such as beta carotene, that helps boost the immune system and prevent the cell damage. Peppers are also high in vitamin C. Just a half cup of fresh peppers have more than 230% of your daily vitamin C requirement and has only 20 calories.
2. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber. Berries can help prevent urinary tract infections and lower cholesterol. Blueberries also help improve memory.
3. Beans or legumes such as: peas, lentils, black beans, butter beans, lima beans are very rich in nutrients, fiber, iron and protein. These foods have little or no fat and also can help you feel full longer. Most beans are a great source of folate that may help keep your heart healthy and strong and essential for expectant moms. Studies show that folate helps reduce certain birth defects in a growing baby.
4. You can also benefit from mangoes, as they contain more fiber than most of the fruits, are low in calories, fat and sodium, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in beta carotene. Mangoes are also a great source of vitamins A and C. They contain antioxidants that help boost your immune system and repair the cell damage that can lead to disease, such as cancer. Mangoes are also loaded with potassium that helps regulate blood pressure and heartbeat.
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Tags: best summer diet foods, fruits and vegetables, good health, high-fiber foods, low-calorie foods
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April 15th, 2009, Wednesday, 11:06
Nutritionists recommend a list of top 10 easy-to-eat foods that contain multiple nutrients and promote wellness and weight control. A diet that includes all these foods, along with other nutritious foods and regular exercise can help you stay healthy.
1. Low fat or fat-free yogurt is richer in calcium than some other dairy products and is also high in protein and potassium. You need to look for plain yogurt fortified with vitamin D and you can add your own fruit to control calories and sweetness. If you don’t like yogurt, go for skim milk that contains only 83 calories per cup and you can also add it to your coffee. Dairy products contain every nutrient you need for complete nutrition.
2. Eggs are nutritious, economical and rich in protein; they also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Studies have shown that eating eggs at breakfast may help you eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without affecting cholesterol levels.
3. Nuts are rich in protein, fiber and contain antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. They can help lower cholesterol levels and promote weight loss. All nuts are healthful but you need to enjoy them in small portions.
4. Kiwis are a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and contain vitamin A and vitamin E as well, being one of the most nutritious fruits, full of antioxidants. Due to their high fiber content, kiwis can also have a mild laxative.
5. Quinoa is rich in protein, fiber and iron, being one of the best whole grains you can eat. Quinoa is a good source of zinc, vitamin E and selenium that help promote weight control and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. In addition to quinoa, try barley, oats, buckwheat, whole wheat, wild rice, and millet.
6. Beans are a great source of fiber, low-fat protein, carbohydrates, magnesium and potassium, they help lower cholesterol level, fill you up and help rid your body of waste.
7. Salmon is a super food due to its omega-3 fatty acid content that helps protect heart health. It’s recommended eating fatty fish like salmon twice weekly. Salmon is a good source of iron, protein, and is low in calories and saturated fat.
8. Broccoli is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, bone-building vitamin K, is also a good source of fiber that helps control your weight and fills you up. You can eat broccoli raw, lightly steamed, stir-fried, roasted, or grilled. You can also add it to other foods, like soups, salads, grains and egg dishes.
9. Sweet potatoes are a delicious member of the dark orange vegetable family rich in vitamin A. In addition to sweet potatoes, try other dark orange vegetables like: pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and orange bell peppers.
10. Berries are a rich source of antioxidants, low in calories, and high in water and fiber to fill you up and help control blood sugar.
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Tags: easy-to-eat foods, multiple nutrients, multitasking super foods, nutritious foods
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April 13th, 2009, Monday, 09:22
Here are seven essential nutrients every adult needs for a healthy diet.
Calcium
Calcium plays a great role in blood clotting and muscle function, it maintains a normal heart rhythm and gives strength to your skeleton throughout life. You can get the calcium you need by having three servings of dairy products each day. Calcium is best absorbed in the presence of lactose, natural milk sugar.
Fiber
Fiber is an essential nutrient for overall health. Foods rich in fiber help lower the risk of developing chronic conditions. It also keeps bowel movements regular and prevents intestinal woes. In order to increase fiber intake, you need to choose whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables and include whole grains at every meal.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a significant role in developing a good health. It contributes to bone strength, promotes immunity and normalizes muscle, nerve and heart function. In order to satisfy your magnesium needs, you need to consume three servings of law-fat dairy products each day, choose whole grains, quinoa and cracked wheat are particularly rich in magnesium; eat legumes, like black beans, white beans and soy as a protein source a few times a week instead of meat.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a complex nutrient which is found in fatty foods like nuts, seeds and oils. It helps combat free radicals, the unstable oxygen molecules. In order to get more Vitamin E, you need to use sunflower and safflower oil instead of corn or vegetable oils, add sunflower seeds or almonds to salads, steamed vegetables and cooked whole grains and enjoy a nut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for a healthy immune system. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that prevents cellular damage and plays a great role in the production of collagen. You need some Vitamin C every day and you can get it from fruits and vegetables, such as raw sweet red pepper, kiwi, strawberries, cooked broccoli.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids
Vitamin A plays a significant role for a good health and is an essential nutrient for a normal vision, tissue growth and proper immune function. Vitamin A comes in two forms: as retinol (preformed and ready for the body to use) and carotenoids, the raw materials the body converts to vitamin A. In order to get more carotenoids, you need to consume more carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, broccoli, sweet red pepper.
Potassium
Potassium plays a great role in normal muscle contraction, transmission of nerve impulses and fluid balance and is essential for bone strength and energy production.
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Tags: calcium, essential nutrients, good health, healthy diet, overall health, vitamins
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April 10th, 2009, Friday, 08:48
Low-fat dairy products offer many health benefits. As you reduce the fat in dairy products, you cut calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, while protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals remain high.
Here are some reasons why you should include low-fat dairy foods in your diet:
1. Calcium and Protein – are two things we all need and can be found in some dairy products, like: low-fat milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat cheese.
2. Vitamin D – is an important vitamin which helps promote healthy bones and can decrease the risk of certain cancers and lower blood pressure. The low-fat milk is a great source of vitamin D.
3. Bone density – getting calcium from food, rather than supplements increases the bone mass; diets supplemented with cheese, calcium, or calcium plus vitamin D increase the bone thickness and density.
4. Blood pressure – consuming the most low-fat dairy (mostly skim and low-fat milk) lowers the risk of developing blood pressure, thanks to the calcium and protein found in low-fat dairy products.
5. Weight – calcium found in dairy products plays a great role in body-weight regulation.
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Tags: body-weight regulation, calcium, health benefits, low-fat dairy products, protein
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April 8th, 2009, Wednesday, 08:48
We sometimes believe that a specific food is healthier than it really is, and most of the time that’s not true. In order to find out how healthy a food is, you have to read the label, pay attention to all the ingredients and the portion sizes.
Here is a description of six foods that every woman needs to stay healthy and strong:
1. Low-fat yogurt
As a health food, yogurts, like any fermented dairy product, including kefir- contain healthy “probiotics” – bacteria that can protect you in many ways. Yogurt may reduce the risk of breast cancer; it can help decrease the risk of stomach ulcers and vaginal infections and can also reduce problems associated with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory digestive tract disorders. Yogurt contains bone-healthy calcium that every woman needs at any age; one cup of yogurt has about 448 mg of calcium. It is also important to skip the fruit-on-the-bottom or other flavored varieties as they contain too much sugar.
2. Fatty fish — like salmon, sardines, and mackerel
Fatty fish plays a very important role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body and it also helps protect us from heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, joint pain, and a number of illnesses linked to inflammation, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Beans
Low in fat, beans play a great role in stabilizing female hormones and are a good source of protein and fiber and may have protective effects against heart disease and breast cancer. Beans are considered to be one of the healthiest foods a woman can eat. Beans can help lower cholesterol and they also contain something called protease inhibitors, which may help protect against breast cancer and help slow the division of cancer cells, thus preventing tumor formation.
4. Tomatoes (or watermelon, red grapefruit, red navel oranges)
All these fruits have great health benefits for women and men. Researches show that lycopene, a nutrient contained in these fruits, has protective effects against prostate cancer and may protect against breast cancer and it’s also a powerful antioxidant that can help a woman fight heart disease. These fruits may also keep you looking younger longer by protecting against UV damage from the sun.
5. Vitamin D fortified low fat milk or orange juice
Vitamin D helps decrease the risk of osteoporosis and may reduce the risk of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and tumors of the breast, colon, and ovary. While Vitamin D is found in salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, experts say fortified foods, such as milk, are the best source.
6. Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries)
These fruits may protect your body with powerful anti-cancer nutrients known as anthocyans, which are believed to play a role in cell repair and may reduce the risk of several cancers, including those in the breast and gastrointestinal tract.
These fruits are rich in vitamin C and folic acid, which is essential for all women in their childbearing years and they also offer powerful anti-oxidant protection, which not only protects the heart but also may protect against skin aging, from the inside out. Cranberries may help decrease the risk of urinary tract infections in women, while the nutrient, lutein found in all the berries, can help protect vision.
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Tags: beans, berries, fatty fish, foods every woman needs, healthy food, low-fat yogurt, tomatoes, vitamin D
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