Thursday, February 27, 2014

Food Confusion

If you weren't confused about food before, well you're going to become totally confused now. A chemical that has been in hundreds food for years, is now causing a concern according to activists. The chemical Azodicarbonamide is found in foods that are made from flour such as breads, bagels, etc., and is banned in Australia and some European countries.


The FDA approves the use of ADA in foods. This report and the FDA's approval should both be taken with a grain of salt. After all the FDA is changing the already confusing Food Labels, and it can go either way. A 20 oz. of soda becomes a serving just to show you the calories in an entire bottle? My guess is someone who drank a six-pack will continue to consume a six-pack!


All they did is cut out the Servings per container, because most people can't do the math, apparently according to their actions. I do like the Vitamin D label because I live in a cold northern state that lacks sunshine in the winter.


We can all sing the praises of kale. Well we might want to cut down on what may be a miraculous superfood. Kale may interact with certain medications. It can also cause blood clots because it is high in Vitamin K. Hypothyroidism and kidney stones may also be caused by too much kale. The best way to handle it is to cut back on kale to 3 times a week. 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Start To The Day

There is a reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day, since we need energy to fuel our bodies to start our day. We should get into the habit of putting food in our belly within an hour of waking. Breakfast ideas can be simple and healthy.


Breakfast has many benefits that will help us start our day. Since the last meal we ate could have been over 8-10 hours ago, skipping breakfast cause a variety of problems from fatigue, lightheadedness, memory loss, low energy, etc.


If you need ideas on breakfast's healthy foods go here, here, and here.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Foods For The Heart

Heart healthy foods should be incorporated in our daily meals to help our most important muscle function smoothly. The Ornish Diet was ranked as one of the best heart-healthy nutrition of 2012. It ranked high heart health and other health benefits. Perhaps it's because the foods that benefit the heart, also benefit other health issues.


The overall heart health resource can be found at the American Heart Association site. There is also a guide that goes with your heart to help prevent heart disease through your nutrition and habits.


Feed your heart what it needs and it will do a fantastic job at boosting your overall health.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Superfoods Part 10

No you haven't missed Superfoods 1-9, the 10 is just a parody to say that the topic is vast and ever growing. We are still discovering Superfoods in diverse regions of the world, so this topic is ever ongoing. Lets just say that this is a Superfood primer or introduction.




The thing that Superfoods do among other things is build our immunity, fight diseases, fight cancer, help maintain weight, and the list goes on. So much is written about Superfoods. Some have their favorites, and some target weight loss.  On this list I learned a few new ones. We are so bombarded by Superfoods that some have doubts about the claims. Well I know that they have improved my overall well being, so I have no doubt that the benefits outweigh the doubts. I failed to see the title "Doctor" in the author of the article, so that pretty much debunks his claims.


The main benefit in most Superfoods can be determined by its bright color. The color is what tells the Superfood's Superpowers!



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

In Search Of Self

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, we are all individuals and must find what works for us so that we can maintain a healthy body, mind,  and also your weight. Not everything is going to work for you and through trial and error one needs to establish a healthy median that you can stick to.


When it comes to nutrition, I tend to not stick to a particular trend such as the, a-hem, diet plans that are out there. Instead I tend to experiment with various diets, and actually sort of go with the flow. I believe that just as you need to shock your body by changing your exercise routine when you reach a plateau, you need to add a variety of foods and actually eat different foods at different times.


I like to experiment, and the one way to gain energy and maintain weight is to have a meatless day at least once a week. Meat is a food that takes longer for us to digest, and by not eating any type of meat at least once a week can make for easier digestion and increased energy.


There are numerous benefits to a variety of diets, and some need to be researched more. The thing is that sticking to one in particular may be hard to do or eventually get boring resulting in eating foods that do the opposite of what we intend to do. I have come up with this idea to experiment with various nutrition lifestyles for either a day, week, or possibly a month. For example, the meatless days are on a weekly basis. My record is 4 days in a week that I went totally meatless.One of my favorite meatless meal plan is the G BOMBS!


I still have to have meats in my diet. The bulk of my meats are poultry, fish and bison or grass fed cow meat. The latter is the least consumed of the meats. I rarely eat pork. I do occasionally enjoy beef liver which is loaded with nutrients that do the body good. I limit it to a couple of times a month because it is high in cholesterol.


I have started a plan where for at least one day a week I will go wheat free. That's going to be hard because whole wheat bread and pasta are a staple. I'll let you know how it goes!


Another important thing about getting the most from your nutrition is knowing how often you should eat. I tend to eat every three hours, with three bigger meals throughout the day or from 6 am to 6 pm. It works for me. The key is variety, especially with fruits and vegetables and legumes, to name a few.


When it comes to cooking, I like to experiment and sometimes I create tastes that may not be appealing to some, but I like them and I cook them for their healing properties. For example, if I cook a piece of chicken, I spice it up with ginger, curry, cayenne, black pepper, hot sauce and lemon juice. Let it marinade for a few hours or overnight.


The bottom line is that I believe for nutrition to work for your healthy lifestyle, you have to experiment and find a happy median you can live with. Splurging in an occasional candy bar is OK as long as it doesn't become a routine. I believe we need that occasional junk food to actually keep us on track. The important thing is to eat more healthier and to find a way to enjoy the foods that are beneficial.


Obviously there is more to talk about when it comes to healthy eating, and February is dedicated to health nutrition.


I am currently at an ideal weight and next month I get my physical. The past years have resulted in outstanding numbers for me for my overall health.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Health Journal 8

We all know how important oral hygiene is in a healthy lifestyle. Dental hygiene is a healthy practice that can prevent major problems including heart disease. You might want to avoid the mouthwash regiment because it can actually raise your blood pressure. A study that found that mouthwashes were beneficial included the ingredient chlorhexidine, which is not available in OTC mouthwashes in the USA.




Winter isn't over yet, and you can build a strong immune system through your nutrition. Yes, the magic powers of foods is coming to life. What can't foods prevent?


Since February is Women's Heart Health Month, maybe we should eat for a healthy heart.


Foods can even help one manage their diabetes.


When does good healthy nutrition go bad? Well we don't really talk about it, but gas comes to mind. Now you can know the food culprits and how to rectify the problem.


I am not a cereal consumer and don't really recommend or endorse them. If you are trying to lose weight and crave the traditional morning cereal, get the best ones!


Foods communicate with us through their colors. They signal their health benefits to our overall well-being. And their colors communicate their benefits to us. It might be to your advantage to learn the health benefits of the rainbow!













Sunday, February 2, 2014

Reconsidering Wheat

We went from enriched, bleached and unbleached wheat flour to WHOLE Wheat. It was healthier since it was high in fiber and became a staple for me. Now we hear that whole wheat contains gluten and is modified and not as healthy as we thought. Imagine my excitement when I went from eating the white wheat to eating whole wheat and losing and maintaining my weight. Now to find that this may not be as healthy as I thought, well I am not going to give it up completely.


I found that going from white to whole, I consumed a lot less of the product. Bread, pasta and anything else that I would consume by overindulging, with whole wheat I consumed much lesser and was full longer. So when it comes to this wheat issue, my advice is that if you have a "wheat belly" then you should consider eliminating it. If you maintain a healthy weight and don't have a problem with belly fat, I'd say eat the whole wheat!


If on the other hand you have fat in the belly that you can't get rid of, then perhaps you should remove whole wheat from your nutrition. There are recipes here, here, and here. Besides buying the advertised book, here is a list of wheat-free foods.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

South Beach Diet

I am going to dedicate February to the various healthy lifestyles(DIET is a no-no in my vocabulary!) that will help you pursue a healthy and long life. The South Beach diet has been compared to its Mediterranean counterpart. I find the South Beach lifestyle one worth pursuing because it offers a variety of choices that are healthy and easily manageable.


The basic list of must have foods are easy, healthy and inexpensive for the health nut individual. Find out if the SB diet is right for you.


The South Beach is one of the many lifestyle that I will be talking about in February, but your best bet is to start here and take it from there. My advise is to remember that the SB website is loaded with healthy info but still try to sell a product. Although the SB is a great lifestyle, the foods they sell can become a staple if you do-it-yourself with the foods recommended by South Beach.