May 18th, 2009, Monday, 06:46
Here are 5 foods that you should eat daily in order to stay fit and healthy:
One apple a day keeps the doctor away
Apples are great sources of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins C, A and calcium, pectin. Apples are a food recommended to be eaten in the morning. Eating one apple daily will help increase your energy and prevent cancer.
One clove of garlic
Eating garlic provides numerous health benefits. It helps cure digestive diseases, respiratory problems and infections, and lower the cholesterol level. Studies show that eating one clove of garlic daily decreases the risk of breast cancer by 78 % and that of liver cancer by 80%. Garlic has antidepressant properties, and is also a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your body from free radicals, fighting off aging.
The benefic effects of garlic are due to its component – allicin, which is a powerful antibiotic and antioxidant. To gain these benefits and activate the allicin you need to mash the garlic or cut it finely, but don’t swallow it whole.
Green tea
Green tea has multiple healthy effects on the human body. It is good at fighting infections, and it helps reestablish order in the bowels after an antibiotics cure by balancing the local bacterial flora. Drinking green tea is recommended for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, because it is a good anticoagulant and it also help lower the cholesterol level. Green tea is found to contain an anticancer substance and helps prevent cancer.
Red wine
It is recommended to drink one glass of natural red wine daily. It is best to drink the glass after dinner when the absorption is much slower. Red wine contains polyphenol and tannins that are powerful antioxidants which help lower the cholesterol level. Studies show that red wine helps prevent Alzheimer disease and the rheumatic inflammations of the joints.
Virgin olive oil
Virgin olive oil contains polyunsaturated fats that are extremely good and necessary for your body. Recent studies have found that using virgin olive oil helps treat and relieve chronic inflammatory diseases, like the majority of degenerative diseases.
Make sure you incorporate these healthy foods in your daily meals to improve your overall health.
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Tags: foods you should eat daily, healthy diet, healthy foods
Posted in Diet, Health, Nutrition | 1 Comment »
May 15th, 2009, Friday, 06:51
If you want to have a healthy brain, you need to feed your brain the right food. The foods you eat play a significant role in helping your brain perform at its full capacity.
Here you can find the best foods for your brain:
Fruits and vegetables. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables provide us with the necessary vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Fish. This food is known to make you smart. It is important to strike a balance between bad fats – omega 6, and good fats – omega 3 for the health of your body. The best thing you can do is feed your brain omega 3 fats that can be found in fatty fish like sardines, salmon and herring. As well you should limit the consumption of processed fats.
White chicken meat. For a proper functioning of your brain, eat white chicken meat, without the skin.
Nuts. Even if they are rich in calories, nuts contain good fats.
Limit the consumption of sugar and sodium. Take minerals and vitamins supplements to help your brain perform at its full capacity.
Every brain is 60% lipids, so you need fats to ensure its good functioning. So it is very important to know which are the good fats and which are the bad ones.
Fats that are good for your brain:
- the decosahexaenoic acid or DHA – the most powerful stimulant from the omega 3 type of fats, and can be found in fish, seafood or supplements.
- EPA which is another omega 3 fat that is good for your brain and can be found in fish as well.
- linoleic acid or LA that can be found in veggies, nuts and seeds.
Fats that are bad for your brain:
- saturated animal fats that is found in meat, milk, butter and cheese.
- hydrogenated vegetable oils found in margarine, mayonnaise, processed foods.
- trans fatty acids from margarine and fast food.
So watch your nutrition and include healthy foods into your daily meals for a good functioning of your brain and overall health.
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Tags: bad fats for your brain, good fats for your brain, nutrition for your brain, the best food for your brain
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May 13th, 2009, Wednesday, 07:23
A healthy and nourishing diet should contain a certain amount of whole grain cereals, as they a great source of vitamins and minerals and fill you up with energy all day long.
Whole grain cereals are very important because they are a great source of vitamins, especially B vitamins, minerals (iron, magnesium, copper, phosphor, zinc), proteins and bioactive substances. They are rich in dietary fibers, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats that are good for your health as they don’t contain any cholesterol.
Whole grain cereals provide many benefits for your health. The carbohydrates they contain give you energy all day long; the antioxidants prevent the damaging of your cells; food fibers are essential for a healthy and efficient digestive system; the B vitamins keep you healthy and full of vitality; zinc stimulates the growth of the body; iron is vital in the transport of oxygen throughout your body; copper keep your tissues and bones healthy.
Eating whole grain cereals reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 30 %. Whole grain cereals contain low amounts of saturated fats and are rich in unsaturated fats that are good for your health and help to keep your cholesterol level at a normal level.
A daily portion of whole grain cereals reduce the risk of getting diabetes by 34%. Eating whole grain cereals 3-4 times a week make your digestion smoother and stimulate the functioning of your colon, thus preventing the apparition of tumors and cancer that affect the digestive system.
Whole grain cereals help you lose weight as they give you a feeling of satiety.
Incorporate whole grain cereals into your daily diet for a healthy life and gain all these health benefits.
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Tags: healthy diet, healthy foods, healthy nutrition, whole grain cereals for a healthy life
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May 11th, 2009, Monday, 07:01
Eating dietary fiber rich foods provide multiple health benefits. They aid in better and smoother bowl movements, helping you get rid of bloating, and preventing the apparition of hemorrhoids.
Vegetables, fruits and cereals are great sources of dietary fibers. The cereal based foods that contain dietary fibers are: breakfast cereals, wholegrain cereals, wholegrain pastas, baked goods made with wholemeal flour.
Fruits are also rich in dietary fibers. You should eat dried fruits like raisins, plums, apricots, figs.
All vegetables contain food fibers to some degree but more notable are: broccoli, cabbage, beans, peas and others.
Dietary fibers give you the feeling of satiety, thus making you eat less. Food fibers contain almost no calories and they keep your stomach busy for a long time, helping to prevent the development of ulcer.
Studies show that a diet rich in food fibers helps your heart be healthier. Soluble dietary fibers lower the levels of blood sugar and cholesterol.
Food fibers are good for people who suffer from diabetes because they help control and reduce the level of blood sugar. Scientists in the cure and prevention of cancer field recommend that we eat at least 20 grams of fibers daily.
Incorporate more foods rich in dietary fibers in your daily diet to gain all these beneficial effects and improve your overall health.
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Tags: benefits of dietary fiber rich foods, diet rich in food fibers, dietary fiber rich foods, health benefits of dietary fibers
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May 8th, 2009, Friday, 07:00
Our overall health highly depends on the foods we eat. Food provides us with an adequate amount of nutrients that are essential for normal growth and proper functioning of our body. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop healthy eating habits for good health and well-being.
Healthy eating habits decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease, certain types of cancer and many other health problems, it also increases our energy levels and improves our physical and psychological health.
Your balanced diet should consist of adequate amounts of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fibers, it also should include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and low fat dairy products.
Here you can find several useful tips that can help you adopt healthy eating habits:
1. Eat a wide variety of foods that are rich in nutrients. Our daily meals should include whole-grain products, fresh vegetables and fruits, poultry, dairy products, fish, meat and other protein foods. Vegetables and fruits are great sources of vitamins and minerals and are low in fats, sodium and calories.
2. Don’t skip a breakfast. Include fruits and a glassful of milk or fresh fruit juice in your breakfast. Stay away from eating oily, high calorie snacks for breakfast.
3. Your lunch should be the largest meal of the day. Start every meal with a low-fat starter including soup, salad, broth or a glass of water. Your lunch should consist of enough amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Fruits and raw vegetables should also be included in your lunch. Your lunch should be followed by a fruit juice or fruit salad.
4. We all need some snacks in between two meals. Stay away from eating junk foods because they contain high calories and no nutrients. Instead, choose some healthy snacks such as vegetables, fruits, cottage cheese with applesauce, low fat yogurt, whole-wheat crackers or some trail mix. Replace dietary sugars with no-calorie sweeteners.
5. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day as it keeps your body hydrated and also helps to clean your body.
6. Eat an adequate quantity of food, as excess eating can cause many health problems, including obesity.
Follow the above listed helpful tips and develop healthy eating habits for a healthy and quality life.
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Tags: balanced diet, foods for a healthy life, healthy diet, healthy eating, healthy eating habits
Posted in Health, Nutrition, Wellness | 3 Comments »
