Archive

Posts Tagged ‘food’

Do I Have to Eat All Raw Foods On a Raw Food Diet?

March 20th, 2010

A diet should consist of at least 75% raw foods – fruits, vegetables, sprouts and so on – to be considered a raw food diet. Eating raw, living fruits and vegetables is considered the best way to get the essential vitamins and food enzymes that are contained in our foods. Food enzymes are destroyed by high heat (above 116F) in the cooking process.

Even though we aren’t cooking, there is still preparation involved in a raw food diet: fruits and vegetables are juiced; beans, seeds and grains are sprouted; and dried fruits and nuts are soaked to make them more palatable or for use in recipes. A food dehydrator is often used to create dried fruits and vegetables; although it uses hot air on the food, the temperature never goes above 116F.

Is it necessary to follow the raw food regimen all the time? No, you don’t have to eat 100% raw foods to start seeing benefits, but it’s certainly worth the effort to get as much raw, living food in your meals as possible. Snacking at work is a great place to start – instead of heading for chips or a candy bar, try keeping a bag of raisins and some carrot sticks at your desk. Packaged, pre-sliced fruits and vegetables have become a much more common find in grocery stores, so take advantage of that convenience.

Because it’s so easy to pick up something from the snack machine at work, people have been resistant to making the change to healthier eating. True, it does take more effort and time to slice up fruits and vegetables to take to work. But with more supermarkets seeing the raw fruit trend and taking it seriously, there’s no reason not to stock up on the items they provide – packaged carrot or celery sticks, sliced apples, and dried fruits are all available at most grocery stores now.

Now, organic foods are the best option, and these ‘convenience’ raw foods aren’t always organic. But eating anything raw is much better than getting some highly processed, cooked food. When you can, slice and prepare your own healthy snacks from organic fruits and veggies. But if you’re pressed for time, don’t stress about it or give up, thinking you can’t do it. Any foods from the produce section at the supermarket will be better than what you get from the snack machine or a fast food joint.

Want to find out more about raw food diet menus, then visit Kelly Cannon’s site choosing appropriate raw food diet foods for your needs.

Weight Loss , , , , , , ,

What The Supplement Companies Don\’t Want You To Know

February 22nd, 2010

More than 50% of people in the US take dietary supplements to enhance an aspect of their health. Maybe you take supplements on a regular basis…

In fact, over 20 billion dollars per year is spent on vitamins, minerals, herbs and other assorted pills. As you can see, the supplement industry is booming.

Unfortunately, a lot of what is sold to the public is under the umbrella of deceptive advertising. We are talking about fake pictures and ridiculous testimonials. Even worse, some supplements are extremely unhealthy.

So here are common misconceptions you need to know about dietary supplements:

1. Dietary supplements are 100% safe: Absolutes don\’t exist and supplements are no exception here. In fact, just because a supplement is natural is no guarantee that it\’s completely safe. The reality is that many things exist in nature that are deadly.

2. Dietary supplements are backed by peer reviewed research: Very few supplements actually undergo the rigors of peer reviewed research. In fact, the majority of research you see in the advertisements are fly-by-night studies performed by the companies themselves.

3. Your health takes front seat: Well, I wish this was true, but when you consider that billions in sales are involved… You see, with so much money on the table, companies can lose sight of what is right and what is wrong. Ephedra, for instance, is a perfect example of things gone wrong.

4. If it worked for him, it must work for me: Unfortunately, just because a supplement worked for someone else doesn\’t mean it will work for you. You see, not only are our bodies very different, but the placebo effect can be the main cause of \”feeling\” something.

In the end, you need to be weary of all the sexy advertising and use common sense when purchasing a supplement. And if you really want to stay on the safe side, only take supplements that have been tested by independent entities with controlled studies.

Author Katherine Crawford, a Harvard fitness physiologist and recent arm fat sufferer, teaches women how to tone arms with the best techniques. Figure out how to get sexy and toned arms by visiting her website about toning bingo wings right now!

Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What To Eat To Lose Weight

February 13th, 2010

There is no need of wondering on losing weight. Some times you may be familiar with Jennie’s story. She always had a little food to stay slim which you may think as impossible. It is not essential to have little food like a rabbit to reduce weight.

This is a fake idea of most people. There is no harm in having a reasonable quantity as well as quality food. The reduction should be in the amount of calories you take. Hence you must understand the low calorie food items you can have to quench your appetite Fatty food and sugary food are the main sources of high calories.

Chicken and fish are protein rich food that can be added in your diet. White meat in all forms can also be included as the cholesterol content is very less in that. Eating more fish can make a negative impact on your weight loss mission.

You can take a precautionary step against this by reducing the usage of fatty oil to cook it. It is a wrong perception that intake of skin is unhealthy to reduce weight. Fruits are excellent companions as they activate your metabolism there by burning the excess energy.

Consumption of fruits alone can make you anemic. For vegetarians, beans are a fine choice as it is rich in both proteins and carbohydrate. But the quantity of consumption must be very low. Low sugar and low fat diary products are available in market now. Cottage cheese is another choice. But these must be consumed in fewer quantities as weight loss is a matter of issue.

Acai berries have been a popular fruit since its debut on Oprah show. The high fiber content of the berries brings a quick relief from hunger and this will make you eat less. Another advantage of Acai berries is that they are rich in vitamins and other nutrients. Hence the chance of malnutrition is comparatively less.

The above mentioned are efficient natural modes of weight loss worth adopting. Healthy food habits with systematic work outs and fat binders can help you to bring down obesity. You can contribute yourself to weight loss business by doing a keen research on the variety of harmless foods that can be included in your diet. Thus you can have a variety menu for your meals. You must work out to make your meals appetizing with the harmless food items. All that needed is a little effort.

Maybe you are interested: Get your 3 Free Bottles of Acai Berry Select Today. Please visit : Risk Free Trial Offer blog for more free trial health product.

Weight Loss , , , , , , ,

Why Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery Has Become So Popular In Recent Years

January 22nd, 2010

For those who are overweight or obese and their health is at greater risk, traditional diet and exercise programs have been shown not to be helpful in getting an individual to drop excess pounds. In recent years, gastric banding also known as Lap-Band surgery as a method of weight loss has become increasingly popular for those suffering from obesity. The procedure involves placing a silicone band around the top portion of the stomach. It creates a small gastric pouch at the top of the stomach. The Lap-Band has an inflatable membrane and is attached to an access port. The band is then filled with saline solution to create restriction. It also decreases the amount of food a person is able to eat and causes one to feel full faster and satiated longer. Less food intake results in less calories consumed resulting in sustainable weight loss.

Lap-band surgery has become popular in recent years because it is a minimally invasive surgery with proven weight loss results and minimal side effects. As well, there is little scarring because the incisions where the lap band is inserted are so small. The surgery only takes about 45 minutes and the recovery period is very short. It is an outpatient procedure that is normally done in a private clinic setting. Most patients will return home a few hours after the surgery unless an obesity related health condition such as sleep apnea requires overnight monitoring.

One other important benefit of having this surgery is it is the only available reversible weight loss surgery. The lap band can be removed at any time and the stomach is restored to its original state. The best benefit of having this type of weight loss surgery is that it has shown to be an effective long term weight loss solution. With the assistance of a nutritionist, patients learn how consume foods that are better choices in order to lose weight. On average, Lap-Band patients will lose about 1-2 pounds per week. Some patients have been known to lose weight at an even faster rate.

Patients who are morbidly obese, that is with a BMI of 40+, or 30+ and who suffer from weight-related diseases such as Type II Diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea, are normally the most feasible candidates for the surgery. When one is being considered for the surgery, there is a screening process that includes consulting with a psychotherapist and medical tests.

Obesity has become a serious epidemic across the country and shows no sign of decreasing, especially with more children becoming overweight and will often become obese when they are adults. The diet industry is a multi billion dollar a year business showing very little positive results. For the morbidly obese, these diet schemes do not work so weight loss surgery has become a preferred choice. When people consider weight loss surgery such as Lap Band surgery, they should consult with a weight loss surgeon to determine if they are a viable candidate for the procedure.

Are you looking for a safe and effective way for weight loss? Perhaps the answer is Lap Band weight loss. Look for Lapband Canada for your options; perhaps you would even want to read up on a few Lapband blogs for research.

Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , ,

Alternative Sugar Substitute You Can Use

January 19th, 2010

Everyone knows it’s unhealthy to eat too much sugar, but sometimes, substitute sugar alternatives like aspartame or Splenda can cause their own problems. Yes, these things are not caloric, but because they are chemically based, some people can’t tolerate them. In addition, it’s not yet known just what long-term effects these sweeteners may have.

High fructose corn syrup, too, is undesirable in large amounts in your diet, but if you don’t want to take the above mentioned chemical sugar alternatives, and you don’t want to pile on the sugar or high fructose corn syrup when your sweet tooth hits, what’s the alternative?

One great alternative to either sugar or chemical sweeteners is honey. Honey is natural, tastes good, contains trace amounts of B vitamins, and has antibacterial properties besides. The problem is, honey in its liquid state can be difficult to store. Although it never goes bad, it can also crystallize, which can make it difficult to use. And, let’s face it. It can be sticky to use, too, which can make cooking, baking, and mixing beverages a messy business.

Because of that, a great substitute sugar alternative that still has all of honey’s beneficial properties without the storage problems comes in the form of organic honey crystals. Organic honey crystals provide the taste and sweetness of honey, but in a dry form that’s easy to use and store. It’s economical as well; because it’s so easy to use and store, you can stock up and simply keep it on hand.

How do you use organic honey crystals as a sugar substitute?

Just like crystallized sugar, organic honey crystals can be used whatever food item you prepare, cook, or bake as well as in your beverages. They store just like how you would keep your sugar and so there is no worry about having to save gigantic tubs of honey for your use. Easy measure on a one-is-to-one proportion just as you would with sugar. Organic honey crystals are used for any item that you would ordinarily utilize sugar for.

A better alternative sugar

Moreover, healthier organic sugars such as organic honey crystals are an alternative choice to refined sugars even for type two diabetics, when employed in moderation. Importantly, any one subjected to type two diabetes need to check out with their health care physician before using this or any other type of sweetener. Similarly, toddlers under one year should not ever be given honey or organic honey crystals because there is a minor possibility of contracting food poisoning in this manner. However, anybody over the age of 1 year should be able to use these and other honey-based sweeteners without some possibility of any issues.

Besides all of this, though using organic honey crystals as a sugar substitute simply renders you a better taste with honey sweet flavor without all of the hassle and mess up. It is simple to apply and stock and you will get a better taste with a touch of nourishment with this sugar substitute. Give organic honey crystals a try to see if they don’t make your life a lot sweeter.

In order to find cooking recipes made employing a substitute sugar known as organic honey crystals just take a look at the Mama Healthy online site to acquire one of the finest healthy sugar alternative out there.

Weight Loss , , , , , , , , , ,