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Archive for the ‘Health Food’ Category

Nowadays people start to conceive that they are continually growing and developing. Our body is in constant need of healthy food to promote proper cell growth and keep it “fueled”. The ideal balance includes exercise along with a healthy diet which provides with all of the daily requirements. A healthy food guide can show precisely what is needed and what amounts are required to maintain a vital healthy body and mind.

What constitutes “healthy food”? Based on the food pyramid, there is a formula for balanced meals and this involves making use of the basic food groups which include:

• Grains (the staff of life) found in cereal, rice, pasta, and bread consisting of six to eleven helpings of some form of these items each day.
• Vegetables should be consumed in three to five helpings daily and that category includes peas, green beans, corn, carrot, lettuce, etc.
• Fruits such as peach, pears, apples, and oranges are recommended two to four servings per day.
• Dairy products should be provided two or three times daily in the form of cheese, milk, and yogurt to provide with calcium and to promote growth (particularly for children).
• Protein is vital to the body but should not be overused at the sacrifice of other healthy food items. Meat, fish, poultry, dry beans, nuts, and eggs make up this group and are vital to growth and energy.
• Fats are very helpful for a body, but it concerns only naturally occurring fats.

To insure that the daily nutritional requirements of children are met, children should have cereal with milk and fruits for breakfast; vegetables, meat such as fish, and bread or pasta for a balanced lunch. Their day should be finished with a nutritious dinner consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables. According to the healthy food guide, we need to eat a well balanced diet which means following the guidelines provided in food pyramid information. This guide is updated every five years and it is good because the suggested requirements change from time to time, based on research.

What is good today may be bad tomorrow. Protein used to be higher in a healthy food list years ago. It was thought we needed plenty of meat daily in order to maintain our carnivore body. This has been proven to be somewhat misleading by the millions who prescribe to a daily vegan diet. Balance is the key here. Nature is all about balance and variety in food we should consume on a daily basis. For example, when we eat nothing but sweets we will not only gain weight but run the risk of developing diabetes and many heart ailments at an early age. Some sweets can be a good thing however, as the body needs some sugar to maintain energy. Again, the keyword here is balance.

Love fast food but hate the calories? Here’s an option that gives you the best of both worlds: cook your favorite fast food recipes at home and reduce the fat content in the process! Fast food restaurants often cook with the most fattening and salty ingredients possible to get people hooked. Fortunately, you can cook many of these menu items at home and reduce the salt and fat without reducing the flavor. Here are a few tips on how to do it.

First, instead of deep frying, fry your food in a healthy oil, like olive oil. You can also use a reduced fat oil to further decrease the calories. This will allow you to get that deep fried taste without all the harmful fats that most fast food recipes use. Simply pour a small amount into a skillet and fry it up.

Next, reduce the salt. A high salt intake causes high blood pressure and a variety of other health problems. Reduce the salt in the recipe to help reduce this problem. You won’t even notice the difference. Also watch out for other seasonings high in salt.

Reduce high calories condiments. You can majorly lower the calorie content of your meal by reducing high fat condiments like mayonnaise, ranch, and sour cream. Instead, use a low-fat alternative, or just reduce the amount. You’ll still get the great flavor, but you’ll cut the calories nearly in half!

But how do I cook fast food recipes and dishes at home? It’s surprisingly easy to cook most popular menu items at home. Many of them can be made with common household ingredients. All you need is a cookbook of replica recipes and a little practice and you can be cooking healthy fast food dishes in no time! Give it a try, you can save time, money, and calories!

So, you are ready to make some changes in your family’s diet. You’ve heard and read enough to know that eating Real Food is important to your family’s health and happiness. You know what your kids eat when they are young not only affects their health now, but also in the future. You are feeling good about your decision. Your intuition is supporting you. The science is behind you. Unfortunately, your kids are not on the same page.

They are complaining about the fresh fruit. They practically ‘throw-up’ seeing anything green on their plates, and they’re secretly calling Grandma to tell her about this unfair abuse. Don’t despair. It’s temporary. It might be intense, but it’s almost always temporary. Stick to your goal of creating a healthier and happier family, and stay connected with other moms who are doing the same thing.

The following ideas help hundreds of moms get through the bumps of changing their children’s diets. The more you do to educate and involve them, no matter what their ages, the greater the chances your journey will be a little smoother.

Educate your children, without making a really big deal about the changes. Talk about how, just like a car needing good gas, our bodies run the best when they have the nutrients they need. A car would break down if you put something besides fuel in the tank. The same with our bodies when we put too many anti-nutrients in.

Borrow some books from the library that have great charts, illustrations and pictures about the body’s amazing parts. Talk with your children about how they can keep their body working the way it is supposed to if they give it the right fuel.

Have them help pack lunches and snacks, and help cook. It takes longer, but if you have the time, it’s really worth it. Talk about the colors and textures of the food. The phytonutrients, found in those deep bright colors, are nutrients that will help strengthen your child’s immune system. You can download our free color chart to help you with this.

Consider setting up a two-bite rule and the food has to make it down to the tummy. Explain that their taste buds may need to adapt to the new flavors. It takes many, many times of eating the same food for some children to accept the taste.

Read Eat Healthy, Feel Great, by Dr. William Sears. Talk about the differences between the nourishing food at home and the party food that is available at parties. Discuss how eating ‘party’ foods all the time will make their bodies break down eventually.

Relate their performance at school and in sports and hobbies to the foods they eat. They will think better and focus longer when their brains are nourished. They will run faster and jump higher when their muscles get the food they need. Be on the lookout for older role models to point out to your kids – ones that do take care of themselves physically.

Talk with your pre-teen and teenager about how food affects his or her appearance and mood. Make a plan to go on a sugar-fast together for two weeks and see what changes you each experience. Talk about it each day to see if they are experiencing detox symptoms and cravings so you can help them understand their bodies are trying to get healthier and the cravings are because they are hooked on sugar. Once it is cleared, they will begin to feel better.

Monitor how much candy, pop, cookies, muffins and other non-nutrient foods your children are being offered at school, church, friends’ homes, etc. It is your right and responsibility to say something if you prefer your child not to have those foods.

If your children are resistant, try to breathe and do your best. The moment we give in to demands for something else to eat or for sugar, they know we are not so serious about making changes. Be consistent, just like with all other parenting decisions, and your kids will take you seriously and know that you truly value their health and happiness.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a food allergy knowing which foods to buy and cook can be really challenging.

It can also be difficult to get all of the nutrients required for a healthy diet when part, or whole food groups have to be excluded from your diet.

Here are 3 simple tips to help you cope with food allergies, and still follow a healthy eating plan:

#1 Choose food wisely
If you’ve been diagnosed with an allergy, it can be very daunting to go food shopping in the initial stages.

But, by paying a little more attention than normal to food labels, you’ll soon be able to breeze around the supermarket in no time, and food shopping won’t seem so difficult with practise.

Try to choose foods with a shorter ingredients list, and those that contain recognisable items, rather than a list of codes or numbers. Organic food stores are a great place to shop for particular foods, and they’re often less likely to contain nasty ingredients that will effect your health.

I’d suggest noting down a list of all the allergens you are trying to avoid, and any alternative names they can go under. This way you’ll be more focused at the supermarket, and you will know exactly what food items you simply cannot purchase anymore.

Rest assured that each trip you make to the supermarket will get easier and faster as you get more experienced in determining which foods are suitable.

#2 Be adventurous with cooking
When you’ve been diagnosed with a food allergy it can be tempting to stick with ‘safe’ recipes! However, it’s essential that you get plenty of variety into your diet.

So, try to be adventurous in the foods you choose, get recipe books specific to your condition, and do your research on the Internet for more ideas.

It’s very important that your diet is varied, containing a wide range of different coloured fruits and vegetables in particular.

Try to stick with food items that are as close to their ‘whole’ form as possible, for example fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds – if tolerated. This way, it’s easier to avoid some of the ingredients you may allergic to, and you’ll still be eating a healthy diet.

#3 Use suitable substitutions
A varied diet is important when you have a food allergy, to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you require for good health. This is made somewhat easier today with the variety of alternative foods available.

If you are allergic to milk or dairy, look out for:

Rice milk
Soy milk
Almond milk
Soy cheese
Soy desserts

If you are allergic to eggs, try:

Egg replacement – can be purchased at your supermarket
Flax seed – for every egg white, use 1 tablespoons of flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water
1 Banana – can replace 1 egg in cakes
2 tablespoons of potato starch – can replace 1 egg

If you are allergic to wheat, look out for:

Oat flour
Rice flour
Rye flour
Barley flour
Millet flour
Buckwheat flour
Spelt flour
Soy flour
Gluten free breads, cakes and biscuits
Gluten free pasta, and cereals

With so much in the news about contaminated commercial dog food, I have started making home made dog food for my two beloved girls, Lady and Lola. Of course the number one natural ingredient in healthy safe dog food is meat.

Did you know dogs need and enjoy the fresh addition of vegetables to their daily diet? My dogs love mashed carrots in there freshly cooked meat as it is naturally sweet.

Rice or pasta mixed in with the meat and vegetables every day is not just used as filler and in proper proportion makes a healthy nutritious diet. Proper nutrition is a healthy mix of meat, vegetables and grain every day, made with fresh healthy food that your or I would eat. There are many resources available on the internet for more information and healthy dog food recipes.

We have been told that feeding dogs our food is bad for them for so long that it has become an unsubstantiated part of our beliefs. We have actually come to believe and trust that commercial dog food with additives, toxins and all sorts of preservatives is better than home made healthy dog food. There is startling and upsetting information in the news on what we have been really feeding our beloved pets.

Before you start making healthy, home made dog food you must be aware that there are certain human foods that are toxic and can make your dog sick or worse, Most people know about chocolate being bad, but did you know that onions and raisins or grapes can harm you pet.

Always check with your vet before starting your pet on a completely new diet. Slowly introduce new food to your pet, and always make sure your know how much they require according to their size. You can ask your vet for the proper feeding schedule.

By making home made treats you can control the calories and reduces obesity in your pet, and he/she will not even know they are on a diet because the treats are so delicious. Your dog will live longer. Your pet will become healthier and this will show in the gleaming coat and fresher breath. Because you are not adding sugar, salt and fat to your home cooked recipes, you can help an overweight pet lose weight.

A chemical free diet can be nothing but an improvement over what we now know is being put in a lot of the commercial dog food. I know I have seen major changes in my two special girls and you will also with a healthy diet fed regularly to your pet.

New work finds that making health food choices by following a diet rich in fruits, veggies, low fat dairy products and fish is linked to a lowered colon cancer risk. If you’ve been following this issue, you know that earlier studies have brought conflicting findings about the effectiveness of eating this way.

Yet the latest work found a clear benefit to eating healthy and reduced risk. Almost 147,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were identified last year in the United States, and this disease is the third leading cause of cancer in men, the fourth in women.

Researchers found that eating a healthy, plant based diet cut the risk of colon cancer by 65% in women and 62% in men. By any standards, this type of reduction is pretty impressive. Fish was part of the protective effect for men, while low fat dairy seems especially helpful for women, though the reason for this remains unclear.

The researchers looked at the diets of 431 men and women who had colorectal cancer alongside the eating habits of 716 healthy control subjects.

They categorized subjects into two eating styles; fruits and veggies diet pattern and a meat and potatoes, refined grains pattern. In men there was a third pattern, a diet that included lots of alcohol and sweetened drinks.

The diet pattern associated with higher cancer risk had more red and processed meats, poultry, fried and white potatoes, high fat dairy, refined grains, butter, gravy and mayonnaise, as well as the things we clearly expect to be bad, sweets and salty snacks.

Besides the reduction in colorectal cancer risk for those eating the fruits and veggie heavy diets, the researchers found that the more closely the subjects stuck to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid recommendations, the lower the cancer risk – as much as 44% for men and 56% for women.

Nutritionists and experts will tell you not to focus on a single food, nutrient or something else in the diet. Instead, try to eat an overall plant-based diet that has lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oil. Experts think that these foods move waste through the colon more rapidly, which means any troublesome substance has less time to stick around.

The take home message for anyone, concerned about colorectal cancer or not, is to adopt a diet that’s good for you, balanced and a way of eating you adopt for life.

Diet is only one part of the colon cancer picture. A history of ulcerative colitis also increases your risk, as does a family history of the disease. Colon polyps are the sites where most colorectal cancers develop; so removing these polyps can prevent cancer from getting started.

There are other risks that you can affect. Stop smoking, take control of your weight and don’t drink to excess as these have all been linked to a higher colon cancer risk. It’s also important to get annual exams and screenings, as colon cancer can have no symptoms. Healthy food choices, early detection and treatment can, and does save lives.