Sunday, December 27, 2009

How to healthy Lose Weight Fast

Do you want to lose some weight as quickly as possible? There are many different ways to lose weight fast, and choosing a healthy weight loss regimen can be very rewarding. These short simple steps will show you how to lose weight relatively fast.
Instructions Step 1
Get your attitude in check. A positive outlook is a great start to shedding the amount of weight you want to lose. Keep this in mind throughout the process.

Step 2
Look into gyms in the area if you haven't already and select one that looks like a place you'd like to work out. Most gyms offer a free trial membership so you can see if that gym is the place for you.

Step 3
Begin a regiment of intense cardio at least twice a week for at least 45 minutes as well as a weight training program three times a week. This is a very important step as exercise is the key to weight loss.
Step 4
Research different diet options. There are a variety of options online as well as in magazines and commercials. The Special K Challenge is a popular diet option, as well as the Atkins program.
Step 5
Select a diet based on your needs and specifications. It's important to pick a diet you are sure you can live with, because if you hate the diet it will be all to easy to quit. Programs like Jenny Craig are relatively stringent in their requirements. Some programs are also expensive and require you to buy specialized foods. The South Beach diet program is a relatively inexpensive program that is very popular.

Step 6
Stick with your diet and workout regiment. It takes time for weight loss to become visible and apparent. Good luck.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

How to Lose Stomach Weight Fast

Maybe you just had a baby or you've been trying to lose stomach weight for years. Whatever the case, it takes will power and determination to lose weight fast, especially in the stomach area. Here's how to lose stomach weight fast:


Instructions:
Step 1
Eliminate all white flour products from your diet and eat vegetables instead (preferably green leafy vegetables). Broccoli has protein and many health benefits so you can start with that, but don't forget the hundreds of other green leafy vegetables that are out on the market as well. Doing just the one step will help you lose stomach weight fast.

Step 2
Eliminate sugar from your eating plan. Chocolate, candies, cookies, etc are super fun while you're eating them, but they completely sabotage any healthy diet and make your stomach fat. Sugar also makes you tired. If you eliminate all simple sugars from your diet, you'll soon be amazed at how much stomach weight you'll lose.

Step 3
Be sure to eat five small meals a day. This takes some getting used to, but trust me, when you replace white flour products with vegetables and stop eating simple sugars, you will want that small healthy meal every 3-4 hours. Be sure to eat a source of protein at EVERY meal (eggs, meats, nuts, etc) since protein is the one thing that will keep you full until the next meal. If you think of your plate in thirds, one third will be protein, one third vegetables and one third complex carbohydrates (sweet potato, whole grain wild rice, etc). Eat things that look like they just came from the farm or field - the more natural it is, the healthier it is for you and the faster you will lose the stomach weight fast.

Step 4
Drink a lot of water to help increase your stomach fat weight loss. You should drink at least 3 tall glasses of water a day. Those sugar drinks, coffees and sodas are going to get you NOWHERE - you will not lose weight fast while consuming those products. They sabotage your healthy diet just like cookies, cakes and candies. Eliminate the sugar drinks and drink water, milk and not from concentrate orange juice instead. V8's are great too if you can stand the salt.

Step 5
Start exercising if you haven't already. Do cardio 4-5 times a week for 30-60 minute intervals. Do abdominal exercises too, but you need to realize that losing stomach weight fast has more to do with your diet than doing hundreds of crunches in the gym (and if you're doing hundreds of crunches, you're doing them wrong! - you should be exhausted at 12 reps per set). Weight training will help you burn fat fast too, so don't be afraid to pick up the weights.

Step 6
Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. The more rested you are, the better your body performs.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

How to Lose weight fast on the go

Instructions:
Step 1
If you want to Lose Weight while living an on the go lifestyle there are a few steps to follow. First you want to walk when possible you do not need to jog just walk. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Jump on the trampoline with the kids. Try to get a least a little bit of physical activity.

Step 2
You will need to eat a lot of cereal including oatmeal, tuna on wheat with a little mayonnaise, fish, grains, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables. This is the plain oatmeal add some honey and cinnamon for taste. Use skim milk with your cereal. You can eat small amounts of the cereal high in sugar. But mostly cherrios. You will need to cut out most starches. Try to limit these. Snack on fresh fruit and veggies or granola bars. Eat fish at dinner baked or salads with low fat dressing.

Step 3
You can still eat at fast food restaurants just eat a little healthier.
Eat a grilled chicken salad with low fat dressing and drink water or a diet soda. Or eat a sandwich on wheat with lots of vegetables and turkey with low fat dressing or none at all. You can enjoy some of those high fat foods occasionally just not daily. Limit yourself to one every two weeks. Watch the pounds begin to shed.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

How to lose weight fast

Drink a glass of water mixed with a little honey after get up in the morning. It not only replenishes liquids your body requires and takes good care of your throat, but also nourishes the intestines and stomach and prevents constipation. Then, drink a cup of yogurt (about 200ml), and have a piece of whole-wheat bread or a bowl of oatmeal.

Be attention: the yogurt which too cold may cause the diarrhea and stomach ache; strawberry yogurt is the best choice for losing the weight.
At 10:00 A.M., just have some fruit or a handful of dried fruit.
At noon, drink a bowl of soup, and have little porridge or two cookies. After that drink a cup of yogurt (about 200 ml), and have 100 gram of meat( including chicken, beef and mutton) or internal organs all that can complement iron that your body need. Then have some vegetables, and if there are no cooked ones, tomatoes and lettuces are ok. After the meal, a cup of Oolong is helpful for digestion.
At 16:00 P.M., drink a cup of yogurt if you feel hungry.
Before the supper, drink a glass of water or a bowl of soup first. And then, have some vegetables. At last drink a cup of yogurt just like at noon. .
Be attention:

1. Do not drink yogurt immediately if you are very hungry.
2. If you will have a sleepless night after drinking Oolong you can choose to chrysanthemum tea.
3. The vegetables are necessary because they can supply sufficient cellulose and vitamin C and then discharge excess body fat from the body.
Summary: right combination to lose weight lastingly
Yogurt: 800ml. grain: 50g, meat or fish:100g, vegetables: 400g, fruits:100g

It’s safe and healthy to control calorie between 1000 to 1200 in cal, protein between 65 to 70 in gram, and water more than 3000ml. you can have more fruits if drink the sugar-free yogurt .( carbohydrate of sugar-free yogurt is too little to rebound in losing-weight).It’s helpful for improving physical strength to have something with multi-nourishment after the breakfast.
In general, insisting on the method we mention above for one mouth, you can lose by 5 Jin in weight. It’s more perfect that if you do some exercise we introduced at the same time. Join us, if you like yogurt.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

How to Stop Drinking Soda and Lose Weight

Drinking large amounts of soda such as Coke, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew have been known to cause health problems. These health problems may include muscle fatigue, hypokalemia, gum disease, and sleep disturbances to name a few. Another problem with drinking soda is when you drink soda you are not drinking water. Our bodies need water to maintain homeostasis. The major difficulty in quitting drinking soda is caffeine addiction. When you drastically reduce your consumption of caffeine, you suffer from withdrawals most noticeably headaches.

Step1.When you first stop drinking soda water alone will not make for a good substitute because your taste buds are use to the sweetness of soda. A good alternative would be something as Crystal Light in does not contain any caffeine and consists of mostly water.

Step2
.To help with headaches take ibuprofen. One of the ingredients in ibuprofen is caffeine, which is what your body is craving. If you are already taking aspirin daily for blood pressure or have, any medical conditions talk to your doctor before taking ibuprofen.

Step3
.Start drinking different substitutes for soda to find one that you can live with. After a week you will not be chemically dependent to caffeine you will just mentally want the taste of soda. Just remember that in the end you will be healthier for not drinking soda.

The 6 Most Unhealthy Foods

The 6 Most Unhealthy Foods You Should Avoid at All Costs
Some people swear by the mantra "everything in moderation," but the truth is, some foods, no matter how good they taste, are better off left alone.

If you need a little motivation to stay away from these most unhealthy foods, consider that four of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are related to diet (diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke). And if you're looking to improve yours, cutting back on these six foods is a great place to start.

1. Soda.
An average can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, artificial food colors and sulphites. Diet sodas have the even-more-unhealthy artificial sweeteners. A major part of the problem is that sodas have become a staple in many people's diets. A study in the journal Pediatrics found that 56 percent to 85 percent of children consume at least one soft drink a day, and 20 percent of adolescent males drink four or more sodas a day.

"Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they are -- liquid candy -- and do everything they can to return those beverages to their former role as an occasional treat," says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a U.S. consumer group. In fact, CSPI has recently petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for cigarette-style warnings on soft drinks to warn people of their potential health risks (weight gain, diabetes, tooth decay and more).

2. Potato chips and French fries.
These popular snack foods contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen and neurotoxin that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures. "I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said Clark University research professor Dale Hattis.

When CSPI conducted tests on some popular brands of French fries and chips, they found that the acrylamide in a large order of fast food fries was at least 300 times the amount allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a glass of water.

"There has long been reason for Americans to eat less greasy French fries and snack chips," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Acrylamide is yet another reason to eat less of those foods."

But that's not all. These foods also contain trans fats, the artery-clogging fat that's been linked to raising bad cholesterol (and lowering the good kind), and increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

3. Doughnuts.
Tasty, yes. But break a doughnut down and you'll find nothing more than refined sugar and flour, artificial flavors and partially hydrogenated oil that's loaded with trans fats. They have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

"When it comes to health, the only thing good about them is the hole," said Carla Wolper, nutritionist at the New York Obesity Research Center.

4. Coffee Cake and Other Baked Goods.
This category actually includes all varieties of baked goods, including packaged cake and biscuit mixes. What makes these foods so bad is that they almost always contain high amounts of trans fats and a host of other unsavory additives including corn syrup, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors. In fact, commercial baked goods typically contain more trans fats than any other food because not only are they often made with hydrogenated oils, they're fried in them too.

If you're not ready to give up your morning treat just yet, opt for baked goods from your local bakery (which is less likely to use hydrogenated oil for a long shelf-life and is likely to use butter instead of margarine, which typically contains trans fat) or make them yourself.

5. Luncheon Meats/Hot Dogs.
Processed meats like these (and others including sausages, bacon, pepperoni and other processed meats) contain a carcinogenic precursor ingredient known as sodium nitrite (sodium nitrate is closely related).

"Sodium nitrite is a dangerous, cancer-causing ingredient that has no place in the human food supply," says nutritionist Mike Adams, author of the Grocery Warning Manual.

And, according to a University of Hawaii study that followed nearly 200,000 people for seven years, people who consumed the most processed meats (hot dogs and sausage) showed a 67 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer over those who consumed little or no meat products.

Here's some good news: you can find various varieties of nitrite/nitrate-free meats in any health food store.

6. Canned Soup.
Here we're talking about the traditional, canned soups you find in your grocery store. This may come as a surprise, but most canned (and packaged) soups have high levels of trans fats, sodium and artificial preservatives like MSG. Just one cup of canned soup can have almost 1,000 milligrams of salt (and most people eat more than one cup), which is tons considering dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 2,400 milligrams for the entire day.

There are healthy options out there, particularly natural, organic brands, but be sure to read the label. The alternative is, of course, to make your own homemade variety.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Food Guide Pyramid


The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It’s not a rigid prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that’s right for you. The Food Guide Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount or improve your weight.

The Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes foods from the five major food groups shown in the three lower sections of The Food Guide Pyramid. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients you need. Foods in one group can’t replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another - for good health, you need them all.

Tips for Guaranteed Healthy and Fast Loss Weight


Almost everybody, at some point in their of life, has experienced weight-related problems. Most of us, women and men alike, are not content with what we see. We feel that unless we are wafer thin like the models and celebrities we see on television and magazines, we will never be attractive and beautiful.

On the other hand, there are an increasing number of obese individuals across the world. Becoming overweight has become a trend in both the West and East hemispheres. The increasing popularity of processed and fast foods have exacerbated the obesity situation.

There are many diseases related to being overweight, such as hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, coronary heart disease, to name a few. Thus, you need to find ways to incorporate weight loss activities and good eating habits to our daily routine.

Before you start any type of diet, however, you need to go to a physician first. The doctor will tell you if your weight loss plan is appropriate for your health condition. Furthermore, the physician will also assist you in determining if you really need to lose weight and how much weight you need to shed. Many people develop eating disorders because they do not visit a doctor before drastically changing their eating habits and starting a diet plan.

If you want to lose weight fast, healthy and permanently, you need to follow the tips below.

* Maintain a balanced dietThe reason why many people are overweight is partly due to an unbalanced diet. If you eat too much from one food group, you won’t be able to get the vitamins and nutrients that your body need.A balanced diet is composed of protein, dairy food, a little bit of fat from healthy oil, fruit and vegetables, and good carbohydrates — at least 5 portions every day. Many professionals suggest a diet that is composed of mostly carbohydrate, moderate protein intake, and a little bit of fat.However, there are many diets espousing a huge amount of protein intake and a dramatic decrease in carbohydrates. Before you apply such diets to your daily routine, you need to talk with a physician first. This high-protein diet may not be ideal for some people, such as those with kidney disease.
* Increase servings of fruit and vegetablesFruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals that our body need. Such food supplies us with vitamin A that is good for our eyes, vitamin C that boosts our immune system, beta-carotene that helps protects our body from the damage of free radicals, and nutrients.Most fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and low calorie, so they also help clean our colon and make us feel fuller. Canned fruits and vegetables are acceptable; however, there is no substitute for the real thing.
* Stay away from junk food and sugar-loaded drinksTry eliminating junk food and soda from your diet for a week or two, and you will surely feel and see the difference. Maybe the reason why it is called junk food is due to its poor nutritional value. Try looking at a junk food’s label, not only is it full of saturated fat, but also usually high in salt or sugar, or both.Aside from water, most of the things you drink are also loaded with calories. Soda and sweetened fruit juices are mainly sugar. Thus, no matter how little you eat, but if you still drink lots of soda and sweetened beverages, you will still continue to gain weight.
* Don’t skip breakfastEven if you are in a hurry or late for work or school, you need to grab a bite. It would be better if your breakfast is healthy - probably an apple, oatmeal and a glass of nonfat milk.If you miss breakfast, you most probably will feel hungrier the rest of the day. In order for our body function properly, we need energy from the food we eat. If you skip breakfast, or a meal or two, your body’s metabolism will slow down to compensate for the lack of energy supply.More often than not, people who skip meals, particularly the first meal of the day, will binge later in the day. So, even if you skipped breakfast, you will have a tendency to eat a lot during lunch or dinner.
* Start exercisingMany of us spend an extended number of hours in our offices. We get stuck sitting down in front of the computer for more than eight hours. When we get home, we spend another hour or two to check e-mails and chat with friends. Thus, we don’t expend most of the calories from the food we eat and those excess calories go straight to our belly, arms and thighs.If you want to increase your metabolism, you must start exercising. Brisk walking is a good way to start your exercise routine. If you do not have time to go to the gym, you need to find ways to increase your activities. Try sports activities that you will enjoy - boxing, badminton, or spelunking. There are many to fat burning activities to choose from.

The tips above will not let you lose 10 pounds overnight. However, in the long run, such changes will help you become healthier and fitter. The weight loss you will experience will be more permanent.

Mayo Clinic Diet Plan

The Mayo Clinic Plan is a diet program based on the clinic’s healthy weight pyramid. The Mayo Clinic is considered by most top dietitians and health experts as one of the most credible health resources. They have partnered their program with E-Diets to bring their version of weight loss to the on line world.

Food Guidelines
The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid heavily emphasizes vegetables and fruit - and says these foods may be eaten in unlimited quantities. Grains, an example of another carbohydrate, play a far lesser role on the pyramid. Consuming ample amounts of vegetables will not only provide a nutritionally rich diet; but will also lead to the desire to eat less sugary and fatty foods. The Mayo Clinic’s diet program is one of the most healthful and natural diets you will ever find.

Sample Meal Plan
The following is a 1200 calorie meal plan based on the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

Breakfast

1 banana

1 cub of bran cereal

1 cup fat free milk

Herbal tea


Lunch

Tuna sandwich made with ½ cup water packed tuna, chopped celery, leaf lettuce, 1 tablespoon of low calorie mayonnaise, and 2 whole grain toast slices

2 cubs of raw baby carrots

1 Apple

Water

Dinner

Cod with lemon and capers

¾ cup steamed green beans

½ cub sliced beets

Salad made with Boston, butterhead or leaf lettuce, ½ cup of cherry tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil.

Sparkling water with lemon.

Healthy Diets

Healthy Diets Make Healthy People
It seems every time we turn around there’s a new diet showing up that’s going to make us skinny like those models we see on TV. Trouble is too skinny is no more healthy than weighing too much. Healthy diets make healthy people and these 6 ways to shed those extra pounds will have you eating healthy.

1. Loose The Mindset
If you really want to loose those pounds forever you need to change the way you think. You need to retrain your brain about how it thinks when it comes to exercise and healthy diets. Stop thinking short term and start planning into the future.

You have to build habits that are going to be with you for the long haul and that means you have to loose your current mindset about healthy diets. Good habits take time to build but once you do watching your weight will be a thing of the past.

You will never loose weight permanently by dieting. You can only permanently loose weight with healthy diets that are regular meals consisting of good nutrition and good eating habits.

2Mind Over Muscle.
Never give up your muscle mass no matter what you mind is telling you. In fact to permanently loose weight you need healthy diets and healthy exercise. Body builders fully understand this association which is why they don’t have any fat. Of course that doesn’t mean we want you to look like a body builder.

Muscles burn calories faster when you are exercising which is why weight training is so important if you want to loose weight permanently. Your weight will also go up as your muscles develop because muscles weigh more than fat so you’ll weigh more and look thinner.

3. Reduce Slowly
This might be the most important tip of all - do not drastically reduce your calorie intake because when you do your body panics and thinks it’s being starved so it begins to store everything as fat. Instead what you need to is reduce your calories slowly. So reduce your calories by about 500 and increase your activity dramatically with both aerobic activity and weights.

4. Burn Baby Burn
It’s much more important to increase activity than to decrease calories. When you increase activities you burn those calories and the secret is you must always burn more than you eat. Don’t be in a hurry - combine increased activity with healthy diets for healthy weight loss that will last forever.

5. Figure It Out
You need to determine what the minimal calories are that you can take in before your starvation mode kicks in. Then you need to make sure you do not drop your calorie intake below that point. Your healthy diets should make up your calorie intake.

6. Eat A Little A Lot
Eating many small meals throughout the day is much better than eating three huge meals. Snack all day long on healthy foods. This way you never kick in your starvation response and you burn up the calories quickly eating your healthy diets.

Green Tea Weight Loss

Green tea weight loss has been the talk of the town recently. Here are the reasons why green tea is touted as the natural way to lose weight.

1. Green tea speeds up your metabolism.A study has found that green tea extract helped increase energy expenditure, or enhancement in the body’s metabolism process. The increase of a person’s metabolic rate then causes a greater number of calories to be burned and body fat to be lowered, rendering green tea weight loss programs effective.

2. Green tea regulates glucose and slows down fat absorption
.By acting as a glucose regulator, green tea prevents high insulin spikes, which leads to fat storage. Green tea also helps by slowing down the action of amylase, a certain digestive enzyme. The catechins in green tea also help to suppress the passage of glucose into fat cells. The effectiveness of green tea weight loss programs are then made possible through glucose regulation and the repression of fat absorption.

3. Green tea weight loss programs can help cut down calories.


4. Green tea may help decrease the desire for food.


Animal studies done by scientists revealed that green tea can help lose up to 21 percent of body weight in rats. Researchers suggested that the reaction may have been caused by the way green tea regulates blood sugar.

Healthy Foods for a Healthy People

Most of us do like to eat well. Even though we may not always pick the best of foods, we do see and hear about healthy foods from many different sources. Sometimes, however, the information can be confusing, and if we don’t have a good education in what to look for in choosing healthy foods, we can often become misled.

Since the trend is going towards healthy eating, many companies have created a twist in their product lines to include foods that are so called healthier. However, many of their products are just glorified junk foods. They still contain white sugar, corn syrup, white flour, preservatives, milk and whey proteins, and are overly refined so you still don’t get the foods that promote good health. Instead of getting high nutrition, you may end up with just more high calories – something you don’t want or need.

Education is key here, however, one thing to first consider is where you shop. Shop where healthy foods are sold, and where you won’t be tempted to purchase unhealthy foods. Also, don’t shop with coupons. You will rarely find coupons promoting healthy foods. Most generally, the foods that are cheaply made, engineered to taste good, and are heavily advertised that are on the coupons. So consider the following information so you can make great healthy food choices.

• Foods in their natural state are obviously more nutritious because they have the natural fiber, vitamins, minerals, and proteins, untouched. Plus they don’t have the added sweeteners, enhancers, colors, additives, fats, etc. added. We need to remember why we eat! We eat for the nourishment of our bodies, and if the foods do not provide good nourishment, then they most likely are causing adverse affects on the body – congesting, polluting, and creating health problems and disease. We need foods that are high in vitamins and minerals to feed our cells; fiber for cleansing; proteins for building and repair; natural carbohydrates to give us energy; and good sources of fats to help our brain and organs function properly. Foods should accomplish two things: nourishment and cleansing, and even though water is our best cleanser, foods cleanse too. If foods do not nourish and cleanse, in reality they are not real foods – just fillers and fluff! So that answers why many people are actually over weight!

• White flour is a common ingredient in many of our foods today. However, white flour is void of the fiber, oil, and the vitamins and minerals that naturally occur in the whole wheat kernel. If white flour can be used as a glue, then what might it be doing to our intestines (creating all kinds of digestive and bowel disorders)? Even though many are now choosing whole grain breads, better than that is the whole grains themselves. Whole grains in all their varieties (brown rice, barley, oats, millet, quinoa, kamut, wheat, spelt, amaranth, etc.) are great for breakfast cereals, added to whole-meal salads for lunch, main dishes for dinner, and even desserts. We need more fiber and roughage and the whole grains are perfectly designed to give exactly what our bodies need. Just sprout them, or cook them up a few at a time, and keep them refrigerated to use on a moment’s notice in a variety of ways.

• Sweeteners are a real consideration today. Our biggest problems with health and weight is the addiction of sugar, and that’s exactly why it is purposely put into most processed foods – to create an addiction to it. Sugar can actually be considered a drug because it is void of all vitamins and minerals, and thus can only cause a chemical reaction in the body. It can not nourish or create positive benefits to the body in any way. Better than eating candies, pastries, and desserts, is choosing to eat good sources of raw natural fruits themselves. Often times that’s what our body is really hungering for. When we do choose to eat something sweet other than fruits, choose sweeteners such as raw honey, raw dates, stevia, brown rice syrup, other natural sweeteners, and fructose on occasion. These sweeteners provide vitamins and minerals and work with the body, not against.

• Our meat market today is producing unhealthy animals not fit for human consumption. Main stream market animals are fed hormones to help them grow faster and produce more quickly, antibiotics to keep them producing without infections in their crowded circumstances, and even their own bi-products even though cattle and poultry are herbivores by nature. If that is not enough, their slaughter houses have soaking solutions for water retention, which also contains the fecal matter, dirt, blood, etc. that is all absorbed into the meat. The fat and connective tissues in the meat make it the hardest food to digest – which does heat the body and can be used to our advantage at times. However, we have been blessed with wonderful legumes – beans in all their varieties: black beans, pinto beans, soy beans, red beans, navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, and much more. Just keep in mind that most of the world relies on legumes as their main staples, so these shouldn’t seem uncommon to us. They are full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, as well as a good balance of carbs. And they have very little fat (especially compared to meat with the same amount of protein), and no connective tissue so they digest easier. We would greatly benefit from eating a variety of legumes on a daily basis and cutting out unhealthy meats.

• Many of us have been raised drinking milk. Again, our milk market is like the meat market and the milk products from such unhealthy animals are not fit for human consumption. Think about it! Would you take supplements of hormones and antibiotics on a daily basis? Well you are getting a good dose of them if you consume main stream market milk products. It is often brought out that our children reach puberty earlier, our feet are growing longer, our height is increasing, and the average weight is increasing, partly due to the hormones we consume through our meats and milk products. If that is not enough, please note that much of the milk produced is Grade B – which allows up to 5% blood and pus from infected cow utters. No, they won’t allow that to be sold for drinking milk, but they do use it for making cheese and other milk products. Milk is not the best source of calcium as we have been brain washed to think. Because of the pasteurization process, the calcium in the milk is indigestible. Our best sources of calcium come from leafy greens, raw nuts and seeds, whole grains and beans. What we really need to be drinking is water – good pure water. It is our best natural cleanser and we really don’t need any other drink. Water has that good clean flavor of its own that says it’s pure and exactly what our bodies need. Nothing can compare to the importance of water!

• Raw fruits and vegetables are one of our most important foods. They are water- rich for great cleansing, they provide many essential vitamins and minerals and the perfect amount of fiber. Plus, they give us natural digestive enzymes to not only help aid digestion, but for cellular respiration and reproduction. When we don’t get these natural enzymes, our cells do not reproduce properly. For best digestion, fruits are best eaten first thing in the morning and for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks. They do not digest well with other foods and don’t make great desserts. Vegetables are great for any meal and prepared in a variety of ways. Though raw is always better, if we do not chew sufficiently and properly, then we may actually be assimilating more nutrients from cooked vegetables that have been somewhat broken down in the cooking process. Organically grown produce is not always that much higher in nutrients if it is picked too early or too mature when eaten, however, remember that they are grown without the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals which is an advantage.

If you are hooked on fast foods and convenience foods, this kind of a diet might seem somewhat of a change. However, the change is simpler than you may think. Just focus on good wholesome nourishing and cleansing foods, and omit those which don’t. Read labels, learn the art of preparing healthy recipes, and enjoy a whole new world of great foods. Then you will have increased energy with a clean, more functional system!

7 Healthy Tips For Your Kids Lunchbox

Next time you pack your child's lunchbox, take a look inside. How many different options of foods have you given your little one and what is the ratio of healthy food to junk food? It is so important to include a variety of healthy foods and snacks for your child to eat whilst they are at school. But sometimes it can be difficult to come up with new ideas for the lunchbox.

So to help, here are 7 healthy tips for your kid's lunchbox:

1. Keep it healthy - Fill the lunchbox with a variety of healthy foods. Be sure to include plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and try using a variety of different breads such as wraps or rolls using wholemeal or multigrain bread. Add protein fillers such as meats or fish and include dairy products.

2. Make it fun - place pieces of fruit in clear zip up bags and write a note or joke to your child on the front. This will make them excited about opening their lunchbox to see what note is left each day. Cut sandwiches in different shapes (quarters, circles, smiley faces).

3. Make it colourful
- ensure there are plenty of fruit and vegetables in their lunchbox so it is colourful and healthy: - such as a ham and tomato sandwich, a fruit salad, vegetable sticks (carrot, cucumber), homemade muffin, cheese and crackers, juice, water.

4. Easy to eat - Cut up pieces of fruit for your child so it is easy for them to eat. Such as watermelon (cut into cubes), apples (quarters), kiwi fruit (circles), orange (quarters or peel the skin in a circle motion forming a long snake like ring that sits on the orange until your child is ready to eat it. Then they pull off the skin to eat the orange and the skin is in a snake ring - makes it fun for kids!)

5. Dunk & Dip! Cut up some cucumber, carrots or celery into small sticks and include cherry tomato. Then place all the vegetables into a container. In the middle of the container add a dip such as hommos or cheese. Make it fun for the kids, so they can dunk their food into the dip.

6. More than just cheese and crackers
- When packing cheese and crackers as a snack option, opt for a cheese that you can cut yourself instead of pre-packaged. This way it gives you the freedom to choose a healthy cheese option and also to include add ons. Use a container from home and cut up some cheese and include cherry tomatoes, cucumber (cut into circles) and include crackers. That way the kids are getting more then just cheese and crackers.

7. Leave the junk out!
- if you do not put junk food into your child's lunchbox high chances are they won't eat it! So leave out the junk and replace it with healthy foods such as fruit, vegetable sticks, yogurt, cheese or healthy muesli bars.

Healthy Foods For Skin Care

The popularity of skin anti-aging care and the cosmetics industry is proof positive that people around the world are looking for a way to have more beautiful, healthy skin. The amount of money spent each year is a testimony to our increased focus on anti aging and healthier, younger-looking skin.

Simply put, our diets can and will dictate to a great degree the health of our skin. Natural oils found in fish and nuts together with antioxidants help improve elasticity of aging skin as well as fight free-radical skin damage caused by oxidization. Your diet should include the following five healthy foods. Your skin will show results in amazing ways, and you will find skin antiaging care to be enhanced by what you eat and the use of natural skin care products.

Drink Your Water
The number one thing to add is WATER, WATER and WATER. It keeps the body hydrated and the skin working as it should. The body stays clean and productive when a constant supply of water is provided. Water makes the skin elastic and soft to stop cracking and flaking. The correct balance of fluids helps keep the pores open and clean and the skin shining.

Hydration is necessary for proper cell development and circulation. Improved circulation allows delivery of nutrients, minerals and vitamins needed for healthy skin. Skin antiaging care hinges on hydration and moisture...without it, we're fighting an uphill battle. Dry, rough or tired skin is often the result of environmental exposure or lack of hydration and moisture. Using a skin care body lotion for external moisturization and eating fruits and vegetables high in fluid content are excellent options.

It is recommended to avoid drinks high in caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic and often causes you to lose more fluids than you consume. Also, alcohol has the same effect. The trick and objective is to retain fluids. Using skin care products containing hyaluronic acid helps as well. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occuring substance in the body and aids cells to "retain" moisture. Commonly used for facial skin care, it helps plump tissue and improve water retention.

Antioxidants Skin Care Products

Antioxidants skin care products and natural antioxidants such as green tea will help to remove and flush the oils and dirt naturally from the body and thus produce healthy skin. Green Tea also provides the skin with an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling. By drinking green tea on a regular basis, the body can rid itself of the toxins that can build-up in the pores and cause blemishes and infection. You can also use it to clean the skin itself as it makes a wonderful astringent.

Antioxidants fight free-radical damage. Free-radicals are produced normally as part of natural oxidization. Accelerated oxidization can occur as we age, are over-exposed to the sun or drink lots of alcohol or caffeine. Free-radicals attack skin cell membranes and destroy cells. Using antioxidants skin care products as part of an antiaging skin care regimen can lead to a more youthful appearance and reduce the signs of aging.

Skin Oils For Health
Skin oils such as Olive oil is one of the few oils that are good for the body. It provides stretchy, strong skin tone - improving elastin and collagen development. Switching to olive oil in recipes will give your tissue and cells a "good fat" and radiance. Walnuts are also a form of oil but in an Omega -3 category as with fish. This oil will make the face look fuller and healthier. Flax seed is also a great choice.

Berries For Boost
Berries are another great source of antioxidants as is green tea. The types needed include cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. They will also give the skin a boost in complexion and a chemical that will give the cells a protective covering to stop damage. Not to mention, they taste great.

Eat Your Vegetables

When you were little, you were told to eat your vegetables and with good reason. The leafy green vegetables help to reduce acne and to help repair damage to the skin. The vitamins and minerals in the vegetables are also positive to the dermal layers of tissue. Carrots, spinach, and broccoli are the ones with higher nutrients.

The Important of Healthy Foods

Food is the fuel that our bodies use for energy. The three main sources of fuel are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The body changes them into glucose for energy or stores them as fat. A car uses gas for energy-we use glucose! Eating a balance of healthy foods that contain carbohydrate, protein, and fat every day will help your blood glucose stay in balance and keep your weight where you want it to be.
Today most people are to accept as a fact that "to be healthy" a well-balanced diet is required. They want what's best for their live. Healthy foods are an important issue because healthy eating is important to good health. There are lots of reasons to eat healthy foods, here are just a few:

* For energy and vitality to live
* To grow at a healthy rate
* To help keep blood sugar or glucose levels in balance-not too high or too low
* For weight control
* To control of blood fats and prevention of heart disease
* To keep the body working properly
* To help the body avoid other health problems caused by diabetes

Good nutrition is an important part of healthy foods. Many causes of disease are related to poor nutrition, including heart disease, diabetes, overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Poor nutrition can also impact day-to-day life by affecting concentration and work performance. For children, a poor diet can have a significant effect on proper growth and development.

People who want to follow a healthier eating plan should try to:

* Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten as part of an everyday diet.
* Buy fresh produce in season for the best prices.
* Select canned fruits and vegetables as a convenient way to include more produce in the diet. Look for fruits canned in light syrup or natural juices.
* For vegetables, choose "No Salt Added" versions if sodium intake is a concern.
* Choose frozen fruits and vegetables, which are available year round and are rich in important nutrients.
* Choose whole grain products when possible. Look for "Whole Wheat Flour" or "Whole Wheat" as the first ingredient on the nutrition facts label.
* Include up to three servings of fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1-2%) milk and milk products each day.
* Select lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts as quality protein sources.
* Focus on choosing food items low in saturated fats, trans-fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
* Use proper serving sizes for all foods to prevent excess calorie consumption. Information on the correct serving sizes for each food group is available at The Food Guide Pyramid.

Many factors can affect the nutritional health of both individuals and communities, including an individual's knowledge about healthy nutrition, cultural practices related to food choices, and having access to information about an adequate and healthy diet.

Natural Health Foods

Natural health foods will make you live a more healthier life no question about it. If you put junk in your body the chances are you won't look like Mr. Universe. Foods that are natural consist of raw fruits and vegetables that contain no fertilizers or pesticides when grown. It is no secret how to become healthy, eat healthy foods its that simple but yet people want to search for the "next big thing" when it comes to diets.

When it comes to organic and natural foods you must make the transition slowly, eating too much natural foods too quickly can result in sickness. I know because I started eating a more natural diet and the first few days I didn't feel well. It was like my body didn't know how to respond to the healthy foods my body was absorbing. But after the initial "sickness" I was beginning to feel much better and had more energy I had in a very long time.

It may not be your favorite drink but raw milk is considered one of the best natural drinks you can take. What I also enjoy is sushi which can become addicting and you want more of it, but too much might make you sick. Instead of eating a bag chips for a snack try eating a piece of organic fruit or vegetable and you will see the improvements in your health in no time. Not once have I regretted ever taking natural healthy foods and I don't think I ever will.

Healthy Foods For Diabetics

When it comes to developing a diet that is healthy and beneficial for an individual living with diabetes, the best choice that a person can make is to select foods that are highly nutritious, yet low in sugar.This however, does not mean that diabetics have to sacrifice taste or flavor in their diet, since today, they can choose from a variety of foods that are both tasty and healthy. Convenience also need not be sacrificed, since most grocery stores now carry microwave and frozen foods that are actually quite healthy.Products made by Healthy Choice and Weight Watchers are low in salt and sugar, and still very healthy. The pre-portioned meals also eliminate overeating.

Besides a very well stocked healthy frozen food section, most supermarkets now offer relatively extensive sugar-free sections.Everything from candy and ice cream, to cookies and energy bars can be found in the sugar-free section. This is yet another way that diabetics can control the amount of sugar they eat.

Although diabetics should also include several servings of fruits as part of their diet, they should be careful to note that some fruits contain high amounts of sugar. Fruits are highly nutritious, but care should be exercised when including them in any diabetic healthy cooking diet.

What indicator can a diabetic use to determine the benefits associated with a certain piece of fruit?
The color of certain fruits and vegetables can actually offer quite a bit of information about its nutritional content. The best plan for any diabetic healthy cooking diet is to make it colorful by including a different colored fruit with every meal of the day.

At the end of the day, a diabetic should focus on developing a nutritionally balanced diet, which should include vegetables, fruit, lean meats, dairy, and whole grains.

In terms of vegetables, experts recommend several servings of carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli, all of which contribute something extremely beneficial to the diet of a diabetic. Diabetics should be careful to avoid vegetables like cucumbers and iceberg lettuce, since they are difficult to digest and low in nutritional value, respectively.

Adding yogurt to a diet can also be beneficial, since yogurt contains calcium. However like other foods, diabetics should be careful to select a yogurt that is low in sugar. To avoid this, some diabetics purchase plain yogurt and add berries and fruit to it for flavor.

A diabetic diet does not have to be tasteless. With a little effort at the supermarket, as well as a little nutritional creativity, even the most restrictive diabetic diet can be made flavorful.

5 Tips Healthy Foods For Weight Loss

The food you're eating is very important if you want to get rid of extra fat.
Many think that reducing your food intake will help you lose weight, but this is actually not true, and can even put your health at risk. Of course it can be possible to lose a couple of pounds at first by reducing your food intake, but in the long term you will just probably add more weight to your body, then when you started.

So instead of trying to starve yourself, arm yourself with the most powerful weapon towards fighting overweight.

Food.
Because food could either make you thin or fat.
There are many different types of foods and dishes you could choose between to lose weight successfully.
This is also why you could enjoy perfectly ordinary food, while still losing unwanted pounds.

Below are a couple of food tips you could use if you want to lose fat successfully.

1. Fish, Chicken & Turkey Breast.
Fish such as salmon and tuna are great for weight loss, and in general fish is good choice to use if you want to get rid of ugly fat. Lean chicken and turkey breast are also much better choices then for example red meat which you should avoid.




2. Fruits & Vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are great in order to surpress you hunger, and to help you reduce your fat. Fruits and vegetables could successfully be used as snacks between your meals as well if you would get hungry, instead of cookies and goodies. Also try to not remove the skins of fruits and vegetables since most of the nutrients are concentrated under the skin.

3. Eat More Chili.
Chilli helps you speed up your body's metabolism, even the milder varieties. This is also why you could use more chili in your cooking in order to help increase your body's fat burning metabolism.





4. Have alfalfa or mung beans.
You could add alfalfa or mung beans to your salad in order to get extra iron.






5. Stuff capsicum & zucchini.

Another tip is to stuff vegetables such as capsicum and zucchini with flavored fillings or chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy foods and contain a low amount of fat.

Also remember to drink plenty during the day. It's important to keep rehydrated if you want to lose weight successfully. Try to drink 6 - 8 glasses of water or more per day.

By selecting foods that can help you lose weight, you don't have to starve yourself, and you could still lose those extra pounds while not putting your body in danger. This way you could also become a healthier, happier and thinner person in the future!

Healthy Foods For Busy People

Rule #1 for Busy People- Don't allow yourself to get starving. Once you reach that state of "I'm starving," you are going to eat anything and everything in sight. How do you avoid getting starving? Snack on healthy foods throughout the day. Here's a few tips:

* Keep healthy snacks on your desk such as dried fruit, dry cheerios, unsalted nuts, and even cut-up bagel

* Once you feel that hunger coming on, simply have a handful of your favorite healthy snack and WhAla! You won't be starving anymore- and can easily get back to work.

Rule #2 for Busy People- Stay hydrated. It's very easy to confuse being hungry with being thirsty. Try this: next time you feel hungry, have an 8-12oz glass of water. How do you feel? Perhaps you feel less hungry?

Don't wait until you are thirsty. By that time, you are already dehydrated. Rather, keep your body "lubricated" all day by taking a few more trips to the water fountain and trying to keep bottled water near your desk.

Rule #3 for Busy People- Know the numbers when dining out. Simply by understanding what you are eating, you can cut back on overall calories, yet still consume the same amount of food. Simply by passing on the high-fat salad dressing, you can save hundreds of calories. Ordering a burger? Skip the fries and enjoy saving a few hundred calories, a few hundred mg of sodium, and a whole lot of fat grams!

Rule #4 for Busy People- Use commonsense. If you are going to be confined to the office all day with no chance of going out for lunch, be sure to bring a healthy lunch. Otherwise, you will be heading to the snack machine to indulge on a 500 calorie, high-fat snack that your body doesn't need one bit.

Healthy Foods For Kids

Training your kids to eat healthy is indeed a challenge for most parents, as they are often influenced by TV commercials about fast foods and other influences that may become more appealing to them.

Putting more vegetables and fruits in their diet will truly make a difference in their growth and in their eating habits. Training them to eat healthy at an early age will also lead them to lesser health problems in their adulthood.

If you want to start with healthy foods for kids, you can select vegetables and add them into their everyday diet. You can also serve them in variety of ways to make them appealing. Fruits and vegetables add a variety of colors and textures to recipes and meals, so you may want to take advantage of that too.

Starting out with the healthy foods for kids, vegetables and fruits, chicken without the skin, wheaties and whole grain, skim milk, frozen yogurt or non-fat ice cream are some healthy foods that you can serve your kids. You can also make your own recipes and make sure you include the healthy ingredients on it.

Breakfast is important not only for adults but for children as well. You can serve them breakfast that is high in fiber, and most likely, you will get this from vegetables as well as in whole grain bread. Cereals and low-fat cheese and skim milk are also good choices for breakfast. You can also give them the fresh fruit rather than canned fruit juices to get the most nutrients out of it and less the artificial coloring.

A healthy sandwich for lunch is also good for the kids. You can use whole grain bread or whole grain crackers. For your tuna salad, you can also cut and mix vegetables like carrot, celery and green peppers. You can also use fat-free mayonnaise together with chunks of chicken and don't forget to add the carrots, raisins or almonds for your chicken salad. Peanut butter and jelly are also good choices for sandwiches, or you can serve them with your celery sticks. You can always make healthier sandwiches by adding more vegetables in it and serve it with fresh fruit.

At times, you may need a lot of patience to make your kids love vegetables, so make sure also that you are letting them see that you are also eating them. You can also put a bowl of veggies and fruits like grapes or carrot and celery sticks nearby when they are playing so they will be more exposed to these kinds of food.

Organic fruits and vegetables are also healthier choices for your kids. Aside from being free from pesticides, they also have higher nutrient contents and antioxidants. Keep in mind too that if you want healthy foods for kids, refrain from bringing them to fast foods, of course this part may be quite difficult with all the colorful TV ads, but there is always a way to explain. You can also be creative. If they just love those chicken nuggets at the fast food, you can make your own at home less the fat and too much salt. You can grill chicken breast, cut it into smaller bite sizes and make a healthy dipping sauce.

You can actually make your own healthy foods for kids at home like making a healthier pizza and getting those carrot and celery sticks instead of those salty French fries.