Let's Get Healthy Diets

Tempeh Making

2009-10-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tempeh is a chunky, tender soybean cake, especially popular on the island of Java,

Indonesia

as a staple source of protein. Tempeh making is a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds whole soybeans, sometimes mixed with other grain such as rice or millet, to form a rich cake with a smoky or nutty flavor.

As in most fermentations of food, tempeh making needs a starter. Tempeh starter is a dried mixture of live Rhizopus spores with substrate, either soybeans or rice. To produce good quality tempeh you need a starter with a very high count of desirable Rhizopus molds and contain no contaminating, coliform or pathogenic bacteria. Tempeh can be produced by two Rhizopus strains: Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus.

Traditional starter in tempeh making is either a piece of the previous day batch tempeh or one especially made by placing a handful of cooked soybeans inoculated with the previous day batch tempeh between two perforated banana, teakwood or hibiscus leaves, allowing them to incubate for a few days until black spores cover the beans, and finally drying them in the sun. The latter is used by rubbing the leaves above the soybeans to be inoculated. Although this type of tempeh starter can easily be contaminated with other molds or bacteria, the climatic conditions in Indonesia are so ideal for tempeh fermentation that this type of contamination is not known to cause problems. In Western countries, however, tempeh making always use pure cultures to ensure consistent quality and to minimize failed batches.

Tempeh making starts with soaking, de-hulling, and partly cooking the whole soybeans. Soaking is done for 6 to 18 hours. To de-hull and split, the beans are squeezed with kneading motion and rinsed clean with water. In Indonesia, traditional tempeh makers soak the beans in a river and stomping them with their feet in large bamboo woven baskets submerged in the river to de-hull.

Cooking is done for about 30 min or till al dente, then the water is drained off but the heating is continued for a few minutes on medium heat to dry the cooked soybeans. Then they are allowed to cool down to below 35°C before mixing in the starter.

A mild acidulent, usually vinegar, may be added either while soaking or before boiling to lower the pH and create an environment that favors the growth of the tempeh mold over competitors. Spread in thin layer, the beans are fermented for 18 to 36 hours at around 30°C (86°F).

Due to its climate, in Indonesia tempeh making doesn’t need incubators. The inoculated beans is simply buried under a pile of leaves to keep it warm and, if necessary, fanned to cool it off.

In good tempeh, the beans are knitted together by a mat of white mycelia to form a compact cake. Under lower temperature, or higher ventilation, gray or black patches of spores may form on the surface—this is not harmful, and should not affect the flavor or quality of the tempeh.

You can do your own tempeh making. The starter, you may get it over the internet at http://www.tempeh.info. For 250 g of soybeans you need about 3 table spoons of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of tempeh starter. Use perforated cling film, or perforate empty milk or juice carton, zip-lock sandwich bags or ordinary plastic bags as the packaging. The holes should be thick (about 0.6 mm in diameter) at a distance of about 1 cm to allow the mould to breathe. Press the mix flat to total thickness of max 3 cm. Place the packed beans in an incubator at 30°C (86°F) or at a warm place for about 36- 48 hours to allow fermentation to take place.

Tempeh

2009-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is a traditional food made by natural culturing and controlled fermentation of soybeans by two strains of Rhizopus molds: Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus, that cover the beans with their mycelia to form a cake. It is a staple source of protein in Java made from whole soybeans. The retention of the whole bean and the fermentation process give tempeh a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins, plus firmer texture and stronger flavor compared to tofu. Its rich nutritional value makes tempeh used worldwide in vegetarian cuisines, partly as meat analogue, while long before it was referred to as “Javanese meat.”

Tempeh is made by soaking, de-hulling, and partly cooking the whole soybeans, and then lowering the pH, usually with vinegar, to create favorable environment, and mixing with fermentation starter containing the spores of the Rhizopus fungus. This mix is then allowed to ferment for 18 to 36 hours at a temperature around 30°C (86°F).

To produce good quality tempeh you need a starter with millions of the Rhizopus spores and contain no contaminating, coliform or pathogenic bacteria. It is often extended with sterile rice flour or starch to standardize the spore count. In Indonesia tempeh starter is either a piece of the previous batch tempeh, or dried starter made by incubating a handful of cooked and inoculated soybeans between two hibiscus leaves for a few days until black spores covering the soybeans and then drying them in the sun. To use the spores, the hibiscus leaves are then rubbed above the soybeans to be inoculated. These types of starters are vulnerable to other molds or bacteria contaminations, but the climatic conditions in Indonesia are so ideal for tempeh fermentation that the contamination is not troublesome. In Western countries pure cultures are used to insure consistent quality and to minimize failed batches.

Tempeh keeps well frozen for several months and refrigerated for about 10 days. As with other fermented products, a little mold on the surface of tempeh is harmless.

Since whole soybeans are used, tempeh is fiber-rich. It is also a generous source of calcium, B-vitamins and iron. Fermentation makes the protein in tempeh more digestible, and the Rhizopus culture greatly reduces the oligosaccharides associated with gas and indigestion. In traditional tempeh making, the starter culture often contains beneficial bacteria that produce B12 vitamin.

Tempeh has a smoky, nutty, meaty, and mushroom-like flavor. In Indonesia it is usually consumed with rice or as a snack. Its tender, chunky and chewy consistency makes it an excellent addition to a variety of foods. Tempeh on the grill is delicious; frozen can be well grated to replace ground beef, as in tacos; fresh is suitable for marinades and deep fried; and dried provides an excellent stew base for backpackers. Tempeh can also be used in chili, stir fry, soups, salads, spaghetti sauces, sandwiches, and casseroles. Vegetarians use it as a substitution for breakfast meats, such as sausage and bacon.

Fermented Soybean Products

2009-09-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Some soy foods are made by fermenting soybeans. In the process soybeans are inoculated with some microbes, mostly done with a starter, to push the process in the desired direction. These fermented soybean products contains higher amounts of calcium and vitamin K2.

There are many fermented soybean products in the Asian, especially East Asian cuisines; miso, tempeh and natto are among the many.

Miso

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting, most typically, soybeans, with salt and the fungus kōjikin, resulting a thick paste used for sauces, spreads, and pickling vegetables or meats. A Japanese soup called Misoshiru use this high in protein, vitamins and minerals fermented soybean product as a mix.

Miso is a source of Lactobacillus acidophilus. This fermented soybean product also contains lecithin, a kind of phospholipid that is effective in the prevention of high blood pressure. Some experts suggest that miso can help treat radiation sickness. However miso contains salt, which is essential to animal life in small amount but may cause a variety of health problems in excess.

Tempeh

Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is made by fermenting soybeans with Rhizopus molds strains, Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus that binds the soybeans into a cake form. This fermented whole soybean product is chunky, tender and is consumed daily in Indonesia as part of the main meal, or as a snack.

Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a high content of protein, which is more digestible, dietary fiber, and vitamins. The Rhizopus culture also greatly reduces oligosaccharides that are associated with gas and indigestion. In traditional tempeh making, the starter culture often contains beneficial bacteria that produce vitamins such as B12. Tempeh is also a generous source of minerals such as calcium and iron. Its nutritional value makes this fermented soybean product used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine, partly as meat analogue; while traditionally it is referred to as “Javanese meat.”

Nattō

Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. A popular breakfast food, protein-rich nattō, together with miso, formed a vital source of nutrition in feudal Japan. There are also other traditional Bacillus subtilis fermented soybean food products in many other Asian countries.

Nattō contains large amounts of Vitamin K, and a much larger amount of polyamine than any other food. Vitamin K involves in the formation of calcium-binding groups in proteins, assisting the formation of bone and preventing osteoporosis, while polyamine suppresses excessive immune reactions. According to a study, fermented soybean products also contain a very important Vitamin for the skin, PQQ.

Some substances in nattō is said to be good for reducing blood clotting and avoiding thrombosis, as in heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, or strokes. This fermented soybean product may also prevent amyloid-type diseases such as Alzheimer.

Soybean and Its Usages

2009-08-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Soybean is the most widely grown and utilized legume in the world and one of the most well researched, health-promoting foods available today. Containing about 40% on the dry weight-base of protein, 35% of carbohydrate, 20% of oil and about 5% of ash, it is one of the richest and cheapest sources of vegetable protein provided for millions of people, an important source of vegetable oil and also ingredients for hundreds of chemical products.

As an excellent source of protein, economically soybean is the most important bean in the world, the most nutritious and most easily digested food of the bean family. It contains a significant amount of essential amino acids, as well as a high levels of essential fatty acids including omega-3, numerous vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and iron, isoflavones, and fiber. Soy protein is the nutritional equivalent of meat and eggs for human growth and health, and with less saturated fat and cholesterol content, consuming soy protein tends to lower cholesterol levels, while consuming protein from animal sources tends to raise them. Just one cup of soybeans provides 57.2% of the Daily Value for protein for less than 300 calories and only 2.2 grams of saturated fat. Also, because soybean contains no starch, it is a good source of protein for diabetics.

Many processed foods use soybean as the primary ingredient, including many meat and dairy product substitutes, and baby foods. In Asia it is extensively consumed in the forms of soybean milk and tofu, fermented products such as soy sauce, tempeh, natto, and miso, sprouted for use as a salad ingredient or a vegetable and may be eaten roasted as a snack food.

Soybean may reduce the risk of colon cancer, possibly due to the presence of sphingolipids as well as fiber. The fiber in soybean is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins and remove them from the body. It also provides preventative therapy for several other cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. Soybean may also prevent high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity.

However, as with many dietary health claims, there are opposing viewpoints on the health benefits of soybeans. Some negative effects of soybean are reported, including allergic reactions, kidney or gallbladder problems due to measurable amount of oxalates, and thyroid problems. For human consumption, soybean must be cooked with "wet" heat in order to destroy the trypsin inhibitors{serine protease inhibitors}. It is not advisable to eat raw soybeans.

Soybean’s oil can be processed into vegetable oil, margarine, shortening, and vegetarian cheeses. It is also the primary source of bio-diesel in the United States. Industrially, the oil is used as an ingredient in paints, adhesives, fertilizers, sizing for cloth, linoleum backing, insect sprays, and fire extinguisher fluids. Soybean is also used in soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, and solvents. Since 2001 it has also been used as fermenting stock in the manufacture of a brand of vodka.

Soy Foods, Healthy Foods

2009-08-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Soy foods are considered as healthy foods because soybeans are nutritious. Dry whole soybeans contain (by weight) 40% protein with a significant amount of complete essential amino acids, 35% carbohydrate mostly dietary fiber, 20% oil including omega-3 fatty acids and about 5% ash with B vitamins, molybdenum, manganese, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

Soy foods are varied from vegetables like edamamé and soy sprouts, flavor enhancer like hydrogenated vegetable protein, miso and soy sauces, dairy products like milk, yoghurt, cheese, and ice cream, to flour substitutes that enable wide variety of healthy foods.

The complete protein profile makes soybean the best meat alternative with less cholesterol and saturated fat content. A wide variety of vegetarian foods, including meat imitator, are soy foods made from textured vegetable protein. Isolated soy protein is used in healthy foods as highly digestible source of amino acids.

Most carbohydrates in soy foods are dietary fiber. Some processed foods are made healthy with soy fiber like okara, soy bran, and soy isolate fiber.

Soy oil is the most widely used oil in the U.S. It is cholesterol-free, high in polyunsaturated fat and also made into margarine, shortening and whipped toppings.

Fermentation process in soy foods such as tempeh, natto, miso and soy sauce may lowers the high phytoestrogens content and breaks down the beans' complex proteins; so whole soy fermented products like tempeh and natto are more easily digested healthy foods than the original soybeans.

Sphingolipids in soy foods may reduce the risk of colon cancer. American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agree that diets that include 25 to 50 grams of soy protein a day can help to lower levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, that is known to build up in and clog blood vessels leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, so long as they are low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Soy foods from whole soybean, such as tofu, soymilk, soy-based burgers, tempeh, and soy nuts, may also similarly qualify as healthy foods if no fat is added to that present in the whole soybean. Soy protein is also effective in supporting kidney health, and may cause calcium to be better utilized, helping to support bone health.

However, some substances in soy foods are suspected to cause health issues. These include phytic acid that may reduce vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc, and cause growth problems in children; trypsin inhibitors that may interfere with protein digestion and cause pancreatic disorders; some types of phytoestrogen that may promote breast cancer in adult women, disrupt endocrine function, cause infertility and hypothyroidism; aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and kidneys; and oxalates, that may crystallize and cause health problems, and interfere with absorption of calcium. Cooking or fermentation may reduce some of those substances; however, for individuals with related health problems it is better to avoid soy foods and choose other healthy foods.

Nutrition to Lose Weight Fast

2009-08-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

Fiber

Fiber can help you lose weight fast. This nutrition keeps the right amount of water in your intestines, making your digestive system work more efficiently and helping to keep things moving through your bowel regularly. Fiber rich foods also low in calories and bulk you up so make you feel fuller for longer while reducing your calorie intake. There is also evidence that fiber in the diet can help prevent stroke and heart disease and ease the effects of diabetes.

The average person can lose 9-10 pounds in one year just from doubling their fiber intake aim for 25grams per day (the average for most adults is just 8grams). Fiber rich foods include strawberries, apples, figs, chickpeas, potatoes (with skins), broccoli, brown rice, beans, bran and nuts. Our bodies can’t digest fiber so it simply goes through the body. During the elimination process this nutrition cuts calories consumed, and hence help lose weight fast by attaching to protein and fat that you eat along with it and removes them as well.

Good Fats

There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats are another nutrition that help you lose weight fast by providing you with essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids) that can actually help your body burn fat more efficiently and that are needed for normal reproduction and growth, production of prostaglandin – a hormone like compound that regulates blood pressure, prevents blood clotting and lowers the risk of heart disease. Get at least three portions of oily fish a week. Good choices include salmon, mackerel, herrings and sardines.

Good Carbohydrates

Don't believe what you read about carbohydrates being bad for you. A diet containing good carbohydrates such fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans together with moderate fats and calories, will help you lose weight fast. This nutrition will also help you combat hunger pangs as they are slowly realized into the body. The best carbohydrates are the ones with no refining or processing.

High Quality Proteins

Quality protein is an effective nutrition to lose weight fast because it suppresses the appetite and keeps you full for longer periods. It also balances out carbohydrates by preventing insulin spikes that cause energy loss and sugar cravings and helps to maintain muscle mass which is important in the fat burning process. Good choices include fish, shrimps, low fat cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, skimmed milk, egg whites. Since a lot of them are often high in calories, some people combine protein foods with certain low in calories and high in fiber plant foods.

A diet based on increased levels of high quality protein has been shown in a number of studies to give an added boost to dieters by helping them lose weight fast, increase loss of body fat, and reduce the loss of muscle tissue. Most experts recommend a diet containing 25 - 35 percent of this nutrition for weight-loss and between 20 - 25 percent protein for weight maintenance.

Processing and Eating Healthy

2009-07-31T02:33:00.000-07:00

For eating healthy you have to know the foods you’ll eat. Processed foods may be convenient, but most processing changes the food’s structure and therefore changing the way the body reacts to it. To ensure eating healthy the food you eat should be more in its natural form or moderately processed.

Whole foods are the least processed foods. The lack of processing allows the food to keep most of the nutrition. Whole grains like whole wheat, oats, barley and brown rice are good sources of dietary fiber and other nutrients not present in their refined forms, so are the best choices for eating healthy.

Here’s some information.

Bottled Juice

In bottled juice processing, the fruit is separated from its fiber, pasteurized and mostly added with preservatives. Lacking fiber, the sugar in juice enters the bloodstream much faster, and hence affects insulin levels; pasteurization decreases vitamins content to some extent; and preservatives like brominated oil has been linked to major organ system damage, birth defects and growth problems. For eating healthy, you’d better make your own juice with a super blender that crushes all the fiber in the fruit or, better still, have fresh fruits.

Homogenized Milk

Mechanical homogenization exposes milk to high heated or pressured processing that may damage its fat particles so the body cannot break them down, increasing the risk of rancidity and oxidation which may contribute to heart disease. Easily separated creams in pasteurized or fresh milk may be inconvenient, but they are better choices for eating healthy

Canned Foods

Cooking in canned foods processing destroys about one-third to one-half of the vitamins A and C, riboflavin and thiamin, 5% to 20% more are lost during storing. Salt and preservatives addition may harm the body furthermore. Fresh foods are more nutritious than canned or frozen ones, so more suitable for eating healthy.

Cooking Oil

In most cooking oil extraction the seeds are subject to crushing, high heating and heavily pressing that damage naturally occurring vitamins, like Vitamin E, and produce dangerous free radicals. Toxic solvents, usually hexane, are sometimes used to increase yield and may still remain in the oil up to 100 parts per million after boiled off. High heat processing also produces residues coming off the metal containers used. Your choices for eating healthy are cold-pressed extracted oils, such as olive and coconut oils.

Instant, Refined, Enriched and Fortified Foods

Instant food processing converts naturally occurring soluble fiber into an insoluble form, which may cause unnecessary spikes in blood sugar. This also happens to refined foods. The refining process also removes or destroys many vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients. "Refined" foods, such as white flour and white sugar, significantly reduce B vitamins in the body.

Enriched and fortified are only made up strategies to compensate processing lost while increasing shelf life, color, flavor, smell, consistency, or convenience. The additives are oftentimes of lower quality. Pasteurized milk is fortified with synthetic Vitamin D (D2), which many children react to while the natural form (D3) helps inhibits skin and prostate cancer, stimulates bone density, and increases the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus.

For eating healthy, forget about convenience and have more whole, raw, or unprocessed foods.

However some traditional processing turns our foods into better choices of eating healthy, for example:

Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut

Traditional lacto fermentation helps keep vegetables edible without freezing or canning. The process increases the foods’ nutrition, produces probiotics that promote healthy flora in the body and converts natural sugars and starches to lactic acid; so it’s better for health, flavor and taste.

Nutrition in Diet Plan

2009-07-28T02:34:00.000-07:00

Fats contain 9 calories per gram, so this nutrition should be limited in a weight-losing diet plan. Saturated and trans fats may increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol level and hence your risk of heart disease, so limit your intake to 20 grams of saturated fat and close to 0 grams of trans fat each day. However, "good" fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in fish, nuts, and low- or nonfat dairy products can be beneficial to your overall health.

Monounsaturated fatty acid is the most important nutrition in a diet plan called Mediterranean diet, and is rich in nuts, legumes and especially olive oil. According to a study at the University of Athens Medical School, consuming large quantities of these, fruits and vegetables, keeping alcohol intake moderate and avoiding too much meat are the main components of the diet that showed to improve health and help people live longer.

Fruits and vegetables are included in many diet plans because they are low in calories, high in fiber, and contain unique nutrition, phytochemicals, or antioxidants, that boost your health. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different sets of phytochemicals that provide different health benefits, as follow:

· Lycopene in pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon helps fight lung and prostate cancers.

· Anthocyanins in concord grapes, blueberries and prunes may prevent clot formation and so heart disease and lower risk of cancer.

· Lutein in spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and bok choy may reduce risk of heart disease and stroke and prevent age-related macular degeneration, folate, in dark green leafy vegetables may prevent heart diseases and sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables can detoxify cancer-causing chemicals in the body.

· Beta carotenes in carrots, mangos, pumpkin and oranges may prevent cancer, particularly of the lung, esophagus and stomach, reduce risk of heart disease and improve immune function.

· Anthoxanthins and allicin in cauliflower, mushrooms, banana and onions can help lower blood pressure and protect against stomach cancer.

After a gastric bypass surgery the nutrition in your diet plan should help you lose weight, while maintain your losses and still get adequate nutrition with limited food intake. Start the first few days with liquid diets – water, broth, juice, milk and cooked cereal, then pureed foods for about a month while your stomach heals, afterward easy-to-chew foods – cooked vegetables, soft fruits, and ground or canned meats like chicken, ham, fish and some shellfish. Temporarily avoid difficult to digest red meat (at least a year, or 10 months if lean and ground), spicy foods (four to six weeks), fruit and vegetable skins (six months), carbonated beverages (six months), and bread (one year).

You'll need protein-rich foods (lean meat, yogurt, liquid meal replacements, smoothies, eggs) to help your body recover, multivitamin plus additional calcium and vitamin D3 to help your body absorb certain nutrients, also extra iron, folate and vitamin B12. While not eating fish, you are recommended to take fish oil supplements starting two weeks after surgery.

Weight-loss after Pregnancy

2009-07-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

In average mothers gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, shed 12.5 to 14 pounds during the birth, and have to loss about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to regain the pre-pregnancy figure. Since the body needs to recover, weight-loss after pregnancy is not recommended until about three months following childbirth. Just as weight-gain during pregnancy, weight-loss after that should better be done slowly and steadily; another nine months is considered appropriate for that. In general, losing more than 2 lb a week is unhealthy.

Check the following for the purpose.

Breastfeeding

At least for the first 12 months breastfeeding may give you weight-loss after pregnancy. It makes your body expends about 200 to 500 calories everyday, and, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, it helps your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape by releasing a number of hormones into your body.

However, for many women, pregnancy may cause permanent changes such as softer bellies and wider hips or waistlines. Also, for weight-loss after pregnancy, it’s best to combine breastfeeding with healthy eating and exercising to avoid gaining weight instead.

Healthy Eating

You need a healthy balanced diet to heal and recover from childbirth at least for the first three months. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, don't rush out to dieting. Start your weight-loss after pregnancy program when your body has begun to recover and your period has returned to normal. Even breastfeeding women could diet as long as they could maintain to have at least 1800 calories a day to keep mothers and babies healthy.

Your high nutritional foods should be low in fat, nutrient-dense and high in fiber to get enough calories everyday. Breastfeeding women need 4 servings of dairy foods or other calcium-fortified foods. For portion sizes and number of servings within other food groups, follow the Healthy Eating Guidelines. All new moms, regardless of weight, should focus on nutrition, not on weight-loss! If you're breastfeeding, your baby's nutritional needs outweigh your need for a slim body. The best way to get weight-loss after pregnancy is by expending more energy than you take in. To lose roughly a pound a week, cut out 500 calories a day from your intake and perform regular moderate exercise.

Exercising

There are many benefits of exercising beside for weight-loss after pregnancy. It alleviates post-partum depression, improves your mood, and boosts your confidence and energy level, so that you could better adapt to your new situation, meet the demands of motherhood, and battle the fatigue of caring for a newborn without interfering with your breastfeeding.

However, wait six weeks after a vaginal birth and eight weeks after a c-section, and choose low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming or yoga. Yoga is perfect for in-home working out; walking is one of the best and don't require special equipment. Six to eight weeks after giving birth you may involve your baby in the exercises for weight-loss after pregnancy to stimulate them.

Heart Healthy Recipes

2009-06-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to lose flavor to gain health. Heart healthy recipes require no secret ingredients. There are simply lower in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterols, and total fats, high in fiber and good fats such as omega-3s aside from essential vitamins, and minerals, reduced in sodium, plus have fewer calories.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that saturated fat should make up less than 7 percent of total caloric intake, trans fats less than 1 percent, cholesterol less than 300 mg per day for most people, or less than 200 milligrams a day if you have coronary heart disease or LDL cholesterol level 100 mg/dL or greater, and total fats (mostly from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats of nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils) should be less than 25 to 35 percent.

A raise in the blood cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, a type of “hardening of the arteries.” where arteries, including those to the heart, may narrow, and so reducing blood flow. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than anything else in the diet.

Fiber, especially soluble (or viscous) fiber, should be included in heart healthy recipes because it can actually help to lower blood cholesterol. You can find it in foods such as cereal grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (including beans, peas, and lentils). Plant stanols or plant sterols in food products such as cholesterol-lowering margarines may also lower your blood cholesterol.

Heart healthy recipes should also be low in salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium, because salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). By cutting back on salt, you’ll probably lessen your taste for it over time. Limit your consumption to no more than 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt – that equals 2.4 grams of sodium – a day.

Because overweight and obesity increase the risk of hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes, which in turn increase the risk of heart disease, it is important to keep a healthy weight by calculating the calories in your heart healthy recipes. The amount of calorie you take in through your diet that’s best for you depend largely on your height, weight, activities and whether or not you have to lose pounds. However it should not exceed the amount you expend through body metabolism and physical activities.

To calculate your heart healthy recipes’ calories, it’s important to know that protein and carbohydrate have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram. So, a recipe containing 500 calories, for example, may consist of about 20 grams of fats and 80 grams of carbohydrates and protein.

In accordance with (AHA) recommendation, heart healthy recipes should:

· consist of all of the food groups, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and fish,

· limit ingredients high in calories but low in nutrients,

· preferably baking, broiling, or grilling lean meats and fish,

· substitute a whole egg with two egg whites

Health Foods for Pregnant Women

2009-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

During pregnancy a woman needs health foods to provide good nutrition for two individuals. The growing baby gets all its nourishment from its mother through the umbilical cord. If the pregnant women are lacking in any nutrients their babies might lack them too.

However, it doesn’t mean that a pregnant woman should eat for two. Her digestive system changes and becomes more efficient at absorbing certain nutrients. Generally, pregnancy can progress well with only very small increase in protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. While a non-pregnant woman needs health foods with approximately 2100 calories per day, a pregnant woman needs approximately 2500 calories per day, with about 10 percent of energy should come from protein, 35 percent from fat, and 55 percent from carbohydrates. In fact, most of the additional nutrient needs can be met by eating a well-balanced and varied diet.

Health foods for pregnant women should include all of the food groups. The daily intake should include at least five servings of vegetables and fruit for vitamins, minerals and fiber; six servings of grain, pasta, potatoes, breads and cereals, preferably wholegrain for carbohydrates; three servings of milk or dairy products, preferably reduced or low fat for protein and extra calcium; two servings of lean meats, chicken, fish (at least two servings a week, including one of oily fish), eggs, beans, peas and lentils for protein, zinc and iron; and not too many fat-rich foods.

An expecting mother should also drink at least 6-8 glasses of fluids every day and very little or no alcohol. Extra fluid may be needed during hot weather, after activity, or in cases of vomiting or constipated. Water, reduced or low fat milk, diluted fruit juices or fresh coconut juices are the best choices.

Health foods choices for pregnant women should also contain vitamins and minerals essential such as:

Folic acid

Also known as vitamin B9, it is important during pregnancy for the creation of the baby's nervous system, blood cells and new tissue and for the immune system. Health foods containing folate – the natural form of folic acid – are barley beans, fruit, green vegetables, lentils, peas, brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals. A daily intake of 400 microgram folic acid supplement is recommended for two months before conception and three months into pregnancy.

Iron

This mineral is vital for expectant mom and her baby to avoid anemia. Pregnant women need more iron to produce all the blood needed to supply nutrition to the placenta. Apple, carrot, strawberries and peach juices, green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, and whole meal bread are health foods rich in iron. It is often recommended that all pregnant women take a daily iron supplement from the 20th week of pregnancy.

Zinc and Calcium

These minerals are also needed for the development of the embryo. Extra calcium is needed for the baby's growing bones and teeth, as well as the mothers’.

OBESITY AND WEIGHT LOSS DIET

2009-06-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

One of three people in the U.S. is overweight. About 20% of the population is even meets the clinical criteria for obesity. Here is some information about obesity and weight loss diet excerpted from an article in www.mothernature.com.

Because excess body weight enhancing the risk for many disorders, including heart disease, diabetes, several cancers, prostate enlargement, female infertility, uterine fibroids, gallstones, gestational hypertension, and various disorders of pregnancy, maintaining a healthy body weight seems prudent. Weight loss can significantly improve physical function and vitality as well as decreased bodily pain. So, weight loss diet is very important for people with obesity.

Conventional weight loss diet plan to overcome obesity includes dietary changes to limit fat and calories, increased exercise, and changes in eating habits or patterns.

Dietary changes in weight loss diet for obesity include limitation of fat intake. Foods with a high proportion of calories from fat should be limited from the weight loss diet; these include red meat, dark poultry meat, poultry skins, fried foods, dairy products, junk foods, and most processed foods. Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and avocados should be consumed in moderation while fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat dairy products (with low-fat fish for non-vegetarians) should be predominated the diet.

Adequate amounts of dietary fiber are believed to be important in weight loss diet to overcome obesity. Fiber contains bulk and tends to produce a sense of fullness, helping people consume fewer calories. Foods containing high amounts of carbohydrate with high Glycemic Index (GI – a numerical value that shows certain food’s ability to raise and sustain blood glucose levels), such as white rice, baked potato, corn flakes, white bread, which promotes a more rapid return of hunger and increases subsequent intake of calories, should be substituted with a lower GI food, such as brown rice, all-bran cereal, oat bran bread, whole grains.

Lifestyle changes in weight loss diet for people with obesity may include shopping from a list, storing foods out of sight, keeping portion sizes under control, and avoiding fast-food restaurants. Attending group sessions aimed at changing eating and exercise patterns, keeping daily records of food intake, and exercising and eating a specific low-calorie diet are much more successful in helping to make this lifestyle changes.

Exercise has been found to enhance the effectiveness of weight loss diets. Studies have shown that exercise alone can promote weight loss in people with obesity. Preliminary research suggests that the most significant contribution by exercise may be in helping to maintain weight loss following a diet.

The most successful weight-loss programs appear to use a combination of moderate caloric restriction, moderate exercise, and behavior modification, including examination and adjustment of eating habits.

Diets that are low in total calories may not contain adequate amounts of various vitamins and minerals. For that reason, taking a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement is advocated by many types of weight loss diet plan for people with obesity.

H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) and Health Nutrition

2009-05-28T23:10:00.000-07:00

Facing the Flu H1N1 (Swine) Flu outbreak Mark D. Sisson, a health, fitness and nutrition expert stressed that good health immune system is critical. According to Sisson, the key to avoiding the Swine or any other type of flu, or lessening its impact greatly, depends on the health of the individual’s immune system and strength of their organ reserve, which is the functional capacity of one’s organs to support life. People should take some steps to ensure they have a strong immune system, including avoiding sugar and bad fats and – for some people – even grains for their bad effect on the immune system. Health nutrition, in contrast, will boost the immune system.

It is no secret anymore that true immunity comes from nutrition, because proper nutrition builds good immunity. Nutrition is the most valuable point of health that boosts our immune system like nothing else can. Health nutrition is the key factor to prevent and for the recovery of disease that allows us to overcome the most devastating diseases known to mankind, and gives us a vibrant healthy life.

Fresh fruit and vegetables containing health nutrition, such as broccoli, watercress, carrots and peas which contain antioxidants, apples, prunes, citrus fruits, cabbage and lettuce which contain flavonoids, as well as oily fish will boost our immune system. In general a well balanced diet that is nutrient dense and includes a wide variety of different foods will help keep the immune system healthy and working well. Research studies have found that nutrients are most effective when taken in balance of each other and are included as part of a healthy diet.

Health nutrition in herbs, foods, and vitamin supplements are the source of our immunity which is missing from allopathic medicine today in favor of drugs (chemicals). Many physicians are learning nutrition and herbology and homeopathy so people will have a choice and a place to turn to nutritional oriented physicians when in need.

Some health nutrition can assist in combating various viruses – including flu virus, one of the most popular one is monolaurin (glycerol monolaurate). It is a monoglycerol ester of the saturated fatty acid, lauric acid. Lauric fatty acids are present in many animals and plants, for example, in cow's milk, butter, margarine, palm-kernel and coconut oil, and also in human adipose tissue, urine, milk, and amniotic fluid. This health nutrition possesses broad-spectrum activity against fungi and viruses.

Monolaurin is supposed to be effective against those viruses by breaking down the membrane, envelope or outer wall of the viruses so that they are chopped into bits, turned to liquid, and eventually are removed from our body. It is believed to work by interacting with the lipids and phospholipids that form the envelope, causing it to weaken or disintegrate, destroying their main defense and prevents the virus from 'un-coating.' By doing so, monolaurin prevents viral attachment to susceptible host cells. That's how this health nutrition inactivates the virus.

Loose Weight with Water

2009-05-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Water helps you loose weight. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of a little paunch here and there, you're probably just not drinking enough water. Most people are, and they’re carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water.

Forget all the diet sodas because there is only one liquid that will surely help you loose weight the fastest, water. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and it is one of the healthiest things our body can get. We need to drink plenty of clean, pure water to be healthy and to loose weight, and you won't even feel like you are on a diet. Here's why:

Water is essential for proper kidney function. Plenty of water is needed for this. If the kidneys are water-deprived and so functioning at a sub-optimal level, the liver will assist them. The liver itself has other functions, one of the most important ones being to metabolize fat, in which the liver converts stored fat to energy. When the liver is helping the kidneys, it can't metabolize fat as efficiently as it does when the kidneys are working on their own; and the body will store fat. So, it is important to drink water to help loose weight.

In addition, failing to take in enough water each day will make the body thinks that it is entering a period of drought. The body will react by storing as much water as possible in the ankles, the hips, the thighs, maybe even around the belly to get through this drought. With proper water intake, the body figures it doesn't need to store water anymore, so it is flushing itself of the water it has been storing – hence more loose weight.

Moreover, the extra water drunk to loose weight acts as an extremely effective appetite suppressant. This is because the stomach will fill with water, leaving less room for food, and causing full feeling sooner with less food, which generally means less calories. This can make it easier to be in a state of calorie deficit.

It is very easy to be misguided and eat when in fact we are just thirsty. So using water to loose weight is very beneficial, but how much water is needed? The age-old standard is to drink eight 8-oz glasses or about two quarts of water a day. This is okay for the average person, but overweight people should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of the excess weight. More water is also needed for those who live in a hot climate, more active or exercise very intensely.

This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. Drink three or four times a big glass of water a day, and then sip in between. Do it when you're not thirsty yet. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated.

Ornish, A Lose Fat Diet – the History

2009-05-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

In his book, A Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D. developed a program that became the first diet and lifestyle program scientifically proven to reverse heart disease. Published in 1990, the book has been a long-standing New York Times bestseller. It includes a vegetarian diet plan to lose fat.

Dr. Ornish first became interested in conducting research on heart disease in 1975, when he was a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine. As part of his medical training, he had the opportunity to assist cardiovascular surgeons performed coronary artery bypass surgery. Although he appreciated the skill and expertise of the physicians, Dr. Ornish considered the "treatment," was simply to "bypass" the causes of the disease in search of a temporary fix of the problem. Dr. Ornish began to research the dietary and lifestyle factors that lead to heart disease and to design clinical research trials that would allow him to study the effectiveness of dietary and lifestyle changes as a treatment for heart disease. The results of Dr. Ornish's first clinical trial, the Lifestyle Heart Trial, were published in 1990. In this study, Dr. Ornish's heart patients got healthier simply by adopting new dietary and lifestyle habits. The results of this study were considered revolutionary since, until that point, it was believed that it was impossible to stop the progression of heart disease. It also suggested a cheaper and safer weapon against cardiovascular disease than invasive procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery.

Aside from the Reversal Diet for people suffering heart disease who want to reverse its effects and lower their heart attack risk, Dr. Ornish also presents the Prevention Diet for people with no heart disease, but with cholesterol levels above 150, or with a ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (or "good" cholesterol) less than 3.0. To lose fat both diets supply only 10% of calories from fat. It excludes cholesterol and saturated fat, including all animal products (except egg whites and nonfat dairy products), nuts, seeds, avocados, chocolate, olives, and coconuts. Oils are eliminated except a small amount of canola oil for cooking, and oil that supplies omega-3 essential fatty acids. The Ornish diet also prohibits caffeine, but allows a moderate intake of alcohol, sugar, and salt. The diet emphasizes the consumption of high-fiber whole grains and legumes (beans, and peas), fruits and vegetables, and allows processed or refined foods in moderation. There is no restriction on the calorie intake so long as the diet is confined within the recommended foods.

In addition to these dietary recommendations, the lose fat Program involves comprehensive lifestyle changes including moderate aerobic exercise, stress reduction techniques, peer support, smoking cessation, and nutritional supplementation.

Losing Weight Recipes

2009-05-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Dieting practice is done mostly for losing weight, especially in those who are overweight or obese.

Generally there are four categories of dieting practices to promote losing weight, i.e. low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, and very low calorie. Despite the macronutrients emphasized there are relatively no difference results. A study shows that lowering calories – no matter how it’s done – is the key to losing weight. Limiting the calories you consume and burning off more with exercise is the way to do it.

Although the calories are limited, the losing weight diet you consume should be balanced and complete. Choose healthier food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, beans, low or nonfat dairy products, low fat meats, fish and skinless poultry; avoid foods that are high in fat and sugars.

Here is a sample of a 1400 calories losing weight diet plan, along with the recipes from shapefit.com:

Breakfast
	Amount	Item	Calories
	1 cup	Milk – 1%	102
	1/16 recipe	Lemon-Almond Loaf	129
	Total:		231
AM Snack
	1 piece	MetRx Bar	320
	Total:		320
Lunch
	1/6 recipe	Baked Potatoes with Vegetables	296
	12 ounces	Coca cola- diet with caffeine	0
	Total:		296
PM Snack
	¼ recipe	Fruit Parfait	271
	Total:		271
Dinner
	¼ recipe	Spice Seafood Stew	204
	½ cup	Rice – White, Cooked, Steamed	82
	Total:		286

	Grand Total:		1404

Here are the recipes:

Lemon-Almond Loaf

Ingredients:

Low-fat cooking spray

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium-sized egg, beaten

1 cup low-fat milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl then set aside.

3. Whisk egg, milk, vegetable oil, lemon peel and juice in another bowl, pour it to the flour mixture then stir until thoroughly moistened. Add almonds and mix until combined.

4. Pour batter in an 8 x 4 x 2-inch sprayed loaf pan.

5. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes then turn out of pan and let cool completely before serving.

Baked Potatoes with Vegetables

Ingredients:

6 russet potatoes

1 -- 5.75 oz. can of black, pitted large olives

4-5 green onions

2-3 carrots

8 oz. of vegetarian chili

1 bunch broccoli, cut and lightly cooked in microwave or steamed

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz. nonfat yogurt (or sour cream)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375o F.

2. Wash potatoes and poke with a fork 4-5 times. Wrap in foil or place on a cookie sheet.

3. Oven for 45-60 minutes.

4. Chop olives and green onions and grate carrots.

5. Heat chili briefly in microwave or on stove top until warm.

6. Slice open and garnish potatoes with olives, carrots, onions, broccoli, cheddar cheese, yogurt or sour cream, chili and salsa

Fruit Parfait

Ingredients:

1 cup apples, chopped

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 banana, sliced

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1 cup low-fat granola

1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

Layer the ingredients in a glass starting with a kind of fruit, then another fruit, then the yogurt, then some granola, again another fruit, and top with raisins.

Spicy Seafood Stew

Ingredients:

8 oz. fresh or frozen scallops

8 oz. fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and de-veined with tails intact

8 oz. fresh mussels in shells, beards removed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 cup fish or vegetable broth

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground saffron

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Thaw scallops and shrimp if frozen then rinse and pat dry.

2. Scrub mussels, soak in salt water (2 cups water and 3 tablespoons salt) for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and repeat twice.

3. Heat oil in a large saucepan then sauté garlic and onion until tender.

4. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, ground red pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

5. Add broth, tomatoes, saffron and bring to boiling.

6. Add scallops, shrimp and mussels. Return to boiling then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes or until mussel shells open

7. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Dieting For Kids and Teenagers

2009-05-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Dieting is the practice of ingesting food in a regulated fashion for a purpose, like losing weight. To lose weight, a person may try to eat fewer calories than the body uses in order to lose body fat and decrease body weight. Some dieting practices even cut out entire categories of foods or require dieters to just eat specific food, which can deprive the body of necessary nutrients.

Unlike adults, kids and teenagers are still growing and developing. Receiving adequate nutrition through a well-balanced diet is crucial for them. So, dieting is not necessary for most kids and teenagers.

According to the ADA (American Diabetes Association) there has been a 39 percent increase in obese teenagers. Still, dieting is not necessarily what they need. Often time overweight teenagers can improve their health simply by being more active and eating nutritious foods in a balanced diet.

Physical activity is important in securing weight loss. Energy for muscle activity is first derived from the glycogen, then from the fatty acids stored in the body. Exercise may also increase the basal metabolic rate (BMR - resting energy consumption) for some time after exercising, which leads to an additional caloric loss. Joining sports teams, hiking, cycling, or rowing are good choices, as well as more casual activities like shooting hoops at the park, dancing, or helping parents cleaning the house. Even the smallest lifestyle changes like walking to school or jogging up and down the stairs a couple of times before shower can really make a difference.

A balanced diet gives the proper amount of the right nutrients to the body, such as, carbohydrates for producing energy, protein for building body structures, calcium for growing bones, vitamins and minerals for helping maintain body functions, and fiber for healthy digestion. It includes variety of foods from different food groups i.e.:

· fruits and vegetables

· milk and dairy products

· meat, nuts, and other protein-rich foods

· grains, especially whole-grain foods

Based on the body mass index (BMI - weight in kilograms per meters squared of height), doctors may still recommend dieting for some kids and teenagers, usually to slower gaining weight pace, or to maintain current weight. But this should be done with the guidance of an expert, like a dietitian, who can explain how to reduce calories safely while still getting all the necessary nutrients.

Being overweight can cause health problems; however, quick or “crash” dieting with pills, special drinks, and all-liquid diets, to name a few, and extreme dieting that requires skipping meals or eating only lettuce, for instance, may hurt the health even more. These dieting may lead children to consistently overeat later in their life despite adequate nutritional intake, because the brain is unable to learn how to correlate taste with nutritional value. It may also lead to eating disorder, like anorexia nervosa (starving oneself) or bulimia nervosa (eating and then deliberately throwing up).

Low Carb Diet Tips

2009-05-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Carbohydrate is a nutrient that provide 17 kJ (4 kcal) of energy per gram. They constitute a large proportion of foods such as rice, noodles, bread, and other grain-based products.

Carbohydrates may be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides by the number of monomer (sugar) units they contain. While polysaccharides – or complex carbohydrates – take longer to digest and absorb, simple sugars – abundance in modern diets – in contrast, are absorbed quickly, and therefore raise blood-sugar levels more rapidly. The spike in blood-sugar levels after ingestion of simple sugars is thought to be involved in causing heart and vascular disease.

For those reasons some diets are low-carbohydrate or low-carb. These are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for treatment of obesity. The American Academy of Family Physicians’ definition of the diet is:

Low-carbohydrate diets restrict caloric intake by reducing the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 to 60 g per day (typically less than 20 percent of the daily caloric intake). The consumption of protein and fat is increased to compensate for part of the calories that formerly came from carbohydrates.

Following are some tips on Low-Carb Diet:

1) Get the basic knowledge, like how to cut carbohydrates works, what foods have carbohydrates, and how to eat a balanced low carb diet, so you won’t fall into myths, like you should just eat meat all day.

2) Make a good planning of what you’ll eat so you won’t run into old habits before new healthier ones come naturally. Nothing will sabotage your goals more quickly than realizing that you're hungry but don't know what to eat.

3) Watch out the calories. Although you don’t count calories, calories do count! Let your appetite be your guide - eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are comfortable.

4) Have enough fiber, especially from vegetables and fruit, the fruit being low in sugar. There are also low carb sources of fiber.

5) Create variety to avoid getting bored too quickly and to get better nutrition. Every cuisine on the planet has low carb options or can be "de-carbed" - just skip the starch and sugar.

6) Be careful with "low carb" packaged foods, such as meal replacement bars, ice cream, and other "treats" labeled low carb or sugar-free. They often contain ingredients such as maltitol, which are just as bad as sugar in a lot of bodies.

7) Get enough exercise. Exercise is important in any diet for at least three reasons: it lowers insulin resistance; it is good for our bodies in so many ways; and it ensures us to maintain a significant weight, which by diet alone we are unlikely able to.

8) Don’t get sway from the planning midway. Don’t push yourself overboard that you’ll find the diet too much to endure and give up midway, or conversely, too easy on yourself that you are often tempted to lose up a bit and end up having carb cravings and gaining weight.

Nutrition and Malnutrition

2009-05-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Nutrition or nourishment, or nutrient is the necessary food materials provided to cells and organisms to support life and maintain body functions.

There are seven major classes of nutrients, five of which are needed in large amounts (macro-nutrients), i.e., carbohydrates, fats, protein, fiber and water – the first three being sources of energy – and the remaining two are needed in smaller quantities (micro-nutrients), i.e. vitamins and minerals.

Our bodies need all of the above nutrients. To maintain a healthy body it's important for us to get all of the nutrients by eating a variety of foods in a balanced diet. A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of foods including plenty of fruit and vegetables, plenty of starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice, some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils and some dairy foods. It should also be low in fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar.

A lack of adequate nourishment, or minimum amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential for health and proper growth may lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition is a general term for a medical condition caused by an insufficient or excessive or unbalanced diet or from impaired absorption or metabolism of foods diet that may lead to underweight, stunting (or low height for age) and wasting (or low weight for height) among children, and diseases, such as kwashiorkor, marasmus and oedema. Malnutrition can occur because of the lack of a single vitamin in the diet, or it can be because a person isn't getting enough food. Starvation is a form of malnutrition. Malnutrition also occurs when adequate nutrients are consumed in the diet, but one or more nutrients are not digested or absorbed properly.

While the expansion of obesity and diabetes around the world is presenting international health experts with a new agenda, malnutrition remains a global health problem that underlies 54 percent of childhood deaths each year. The abandonment of traditional diets filled with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in favor of diets with processed foods and simple carbohydrates is taking hold even among the middle class of the world’s poorest nations.

Malnutrition may be mild enough to show no symptoms. However, in some cases it may be so severe that the damage done is irreversible, even though the individual survives.

Worldwide, malnutrition continues to be a significant problem, especially among children who cannot fend adequately for themselves. Poverty, natural disasters, political problems, and war all contribute to conditions -- even epidemics -- of malnutrition and starvation, and not just in developing countries.

For millions of people living in least developed countries, the effects of rising food and energy prices has exacerbated a living situation already filled with vulnerability and uncertainty.

Where resources are scarce and prices are high, families have had to scale back on nutrients, often sacrificing quality food for the cheapest and most accessible provisions.

The global food crisis impacts roughly one third of children in developing countries. Lack of micro-nutrients hinders physical and cognitive development. According to WFP, a child dies from malnutrition and hunger related diseases every six seconds.

In most hunger-related deaths, the terminal event is an infectious disease, such as pneumonia or diarrhoea, because severe under-nutrition reduces resistance to infections.

If the problems persist, we may lose a big part of our next generation or raise poor quality children to overcome the more and more challenging world. Hunger is the root of many evils; let’s do something to fight it, and hope for the better future.

Excerpted from many sources as a participating blog post for Bloggers Unite agenda of Unite for Hunger and Hope, April 29, 2009.

Fat Loss Diets

2009-04-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Fats are macronutrients that produce the biggest energy, i.e. 37 kJ (9 kcal) per gram, compare to carbohydrates and proteins that provide only 17 kJ (4 kcal) of energy per gram. Excess energy from the food intake that isn’t used for body functions and physical activity is stored in the body, usually as fats; and hence causing weight gain. No wonder some diets are targeting on fat loss. Following are two examples:

Fat Smash Diet

This is a 4 phases (detox, foundation, construction and the temple), 90 days long diet plan for developing healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle to promote fat loss and maintain a healthy weight.

Phase 1 (9 days) rids the body of toxins and impurities with mainly fruits and vegetables diet and plenty of water - plus daily exercise. Phase 2 (3 weeks) establishes good eating and exercise habits, where lean meat/seafood, selected cereals and extra dairy are added and exercise is increased by 15%. Phase 3 (4 weeks) builds the diet up, pasta and bread are added, portion sizes increased and exercise is again increased by 25%. In phase 4 (remainder of the 90 days) dieters’ lifestyle achieves a balance for maintaining the desired body weight. Most foods are included in limited quantities, and exercise is set at 1 hour a day, 5 days a week.

Flat Belly Diet

The basic of this fat belly loss targeted diet plan is a 1,600-calorie Mediterranean-style diet with an emphasis on wholesome, unrefined foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, lean protein, and very little red meat (once a month), with the addition of a monounsaturated fat (MUFA), at every meal. MUFAs are found in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, soybean, flax, and olive and sunflower oils.

This 32 days diet begins with a 4-day anti-bloating jumpstart, followed by the 4-week eating plan.

MUFAs have health benefits and target belly fat. They also help control satiety, so by adding in one MUFA at meals and snacks it is easier to stick with the plan and get belly fat loss.

A breakfast high in MUFAs is able to boost calorie burn for 5 hours after the meal, particularly in people with higher amounts of belly fat. MUFA-rich diet helps people lose small amounts of weight and body fat without changing their calorie intake. In addition, it also prevents and controls type 2 diabetes, reduces the risk of heart disease, and helps reduce markers of inflammation. A weight loss eating plan that incorporates MUFA-rich foods into every meal tested on some panelists showed that fat loss not only happen on belly, but also all over their bodies and they felt more energized than they had in years.

Keeping Diets while on the Go

2009-04-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Keeping a diet – whether it is for weight loss, health problems or special diet like vegetarian or kosher – from our own kitchen is relatively easy, but away from home is another story. Whether we eat out or travel, some preparation should be made to maintain our diet.

The following mostly excerpted from an article by Sarah Schlichter in Independent Traveler:

1. Destinations

a. Research your destination regarding local eating customs. Search in websites about your particular condition for useful tips, restaurant and accommodation directories and links to local support groups in your destination.

b. Call ahead. Given plenty of notice, most travel outfitters can make arrangements to meet your dietary needs. Before dining out, ask your destined eateries to fax you take out menus and choose your entree ahead of time.

c. Bring a food allergy translation card, which explain your allergy or other dietary restriction in local languages of your destined country. Several companies offer these wallet-size cards.

2. Transportation

a. Whenever possible, bring your own food onto the plane or train. Find out and follow all pertinent airport security rules and customs regulations. Traveling by car, keep your foods in a cooler for longer freshness.

b. Most airlines can accommodate a wide variety of special diets upon advance notice requested at least 24 hours earlier. Many airlines no longer serve peanuts on flights while others will refrain serving them knowing a passenger has severe allergy. Check their website for this policy.

c. Cruise lines have grown increasingly accommodating of special diets. Vegetarians in particular will find at least one option in most onboard restaurants, while other dieters should call ahead of time to make arrangements.

3. Accommodations
Whenever possible, book accommodations where you can cook for yourself, such as vacation rentals, home exchanges, or a hotel with a kitchen. In some cases the owners of a small bed and breakfast may grant you access to their kitchen.

4. Restaurants

a. Inside your country, chain restaurants where you've eaten in the past are good choices – you're already familiar with the menu and know which items you can eat.

b. Explain your dietary needs to the waiter or chef. Don't hesitate to ask them to modify a dish – boil, broil or roast entrees and sides that usually batter-dipped or fried – or to prepare something aside from the menu — most restaurants can quickly prepare a simple dish such as veggie-only salad.

c. For weight losing dieters eating out remember the following:

(1). Make your earlier meals smaller; have a small, healthful snack in between to quell hunger so you're not end up overeating.

(2). Order an appetizer, plus a side salad if necessary and then stick with a single entrée.

(3). Choose lean cut meats like loin or flank; elect steamed, roasted, broiled, boiled, grilled, or baked poultry.

(4). Avoid cream sauces, butter, oil, battered or batter-dipped and gravy.

(5). Ask the server to wrap up half your meal before you start eating.

(6). Banish buffets. Given more choices we tend to eat more.

5. Medical Considerations

a. Make sure you have adequate medical insurance in the case of an allergic reaction.

b. Research hospitals, doctors or other medical providers where you're going.

c. Carry your doctor’s written explanation of your condition, medical history and how you should be treated in the case of an allergic reaction, along with his/her contact information at all times. Consider wearing a medical ID bracelet.

d. Bring a full supply of antihistamines, epinephrine needles or any other medications for dealing with an allergic reaction.

Lose Weight Counseling

2009-04-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

As more people adopts sedentary lifestyle there’s an increase in obesity, which in turn raises the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers, physical and mental functioning decline resulting in increased rates of nursing home admissions, and premature death. The World Health Organization classifies about 400 million people around the world as obese. So losing weight is an important issue.

More and more studies suggest that counseling could help obese people losing weight. It is a potentially simple but effective tool in the fight against obesity. Unfortunately, research shows us that most physicians are not counseling their patients about losing weight or exercising. In 2003, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTC) released clinical guidelines recommending physicians provide weight loss counseling to their overweight and obese patients.

It is vital that patients are informed of how important losing weight is to maintain their good health. Introducing the subject of losing weight to a patient can be a sensitive issue — especially if patients are comfortable with their appearance and don't consider themselves as extremely overweight. Some patients may think that they have no control over their weight. They, for instance, may believe they are victims of their own genetics, when in fact other factors such as environment and behavior may also contribute to overweight and obesity.

Unrealistic ideas about how much weight they need to lose or what it takes to lose weight and keep it off may also inhibit the patients' motivation. Educate patients that even a moderate amount of weight loss (5% to 10%) along with moderate activity and a modified diet can significantly decrease health risks.

In counseling, patients can get good lifestyle advices that help them deal with their problems. The advice includes encouragement to keep fit, such as taking a walk at lunch and eating a healthy diet. It doesn’t entail any particular weight-loss target. This kind of counseling can bolster more aggressive weight-loss targets for overweight people.

Counseling could also be done by phone or e-mail. Some studies show that phone and e-mail counseling help people sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face. A study, for example, shows that people on phone counseling lost 3.3 pounds more than those in the control group while people using email lost about a pound more. For some people talking to someone may make them feel a bit more pressured to make the change, while the key to lose weight is not to pressure people to make big changes.

Healthy Weight

2009-04-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

A healthy weight is neither overweight nor underweight. Overweight can lead to illnesses, such as heart diseases, stroke, or diabetes, while underweight can affect your health, because your body doesn’t get enough food. For a healthy weight, consider these:

Eat According to the Need

An increase in body weight results from an imbalance between energy intake (food) and expenditure (metabolism, thermo-genesis and physical activity). The excess energy is stored in the body, usually as fat. Body weight gain can also result from an increasing muscle mass. So for people having regular weight training, it doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy.

Make sure that you eat as much food as your body needs. Think before you eat: Do you really hungry? Is there a healthier choice?

Balance the Diet

To get all the necessary nutrients for keeping a healthy body, you need a balanced diet. Ban strange diets. They may work in short term, but almost all are doomed to fail. Choose healthy foods and eating smaller portions, slowly. For most people a balance diet should consist of:

· More fruit and vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried, cooked, or juiced. They should make up a third of the diet. Take at least five portions a day.

· More starchy foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, beans and lentils. They should also make up one third of your diet. Try to eat in variety and choose whole grain, whole meal or high fiber varieties whenever possible.

· Less fat – especially saturated – salt and sugar. You'll probably eat some foods containing fat, like butter, cooking oils, salad dressings and mayonnaise; keep these to minimum and choose low fat varieties where possible. The same goes to cakes, biscuits, pastries, ice cream and sugary drinks. Sugared soda, fruit drinks, or juice can give you several hundred calories a day. Boil, steam, grill, poach or microwave food rather than fry or roast.

Getting Physical

Be more active. Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and maintaining body weight. Choose activities you enjoy and do them every day. No need to join a gym, though. Some daily routines may help you burning off excess energy, for example, walking after lunch, using stairs instead of lift, walking (or jogging) for some shorter journeys or getting off the bus one or two stops earlier.

Measuring Healthy Weight

There's a good way to know whether or not you have a healthy weight, based on the ratio of weight to height, called the body mass index (or BMI). It based on the fact that taller people have more tissue, and so tend to weigh more.

Your BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. For example, a woman 1.67m in height and weighing 65kg would have a BMI of 23.3. The healthy weight is ranged from 18.50 to 24.99, overweight is measured as 25 or more with obesity determined as 30 or more.

Healthy Nutrition in Some Foods

2009-04-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Nutrition or nutrient is the food materials necessary for cells and organisms to support life.

There are seven major classes of nutrients that can be categorized as either macronutrients (needed in large amounts) or micronutrients (needed in smaller quantities). Carbohydrates, fats, fiber, proteins, and water are macronutrients, while minerals and vitamins are micronutrients.

In general, eating a wide variety of fresh, whole (unprocessed) foods are favorable compared to monotonous diets based on processed foods. It slows digestion and allows better absorption, and a more favorable balance of essential nutrients per calorie, resulting in better management of cell growth, maintenance, and mitosis (cell division), as well as better regulation of appetite and blood sugar.

Some foods can also be combined together to create food synergy that result in healthier diet. These are some examples

Oatmeal + orange juice

The organic compounds in both foods, called phenols, stabilize your LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or so-called "bad" cholesterol) when consumed together.

Tomatoes + avocados

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a pigment-rich antioxidant known as a carotenoid, which reduces cancer risk and cardiovascular disease. Fats make carotenoids more bioavailable, or better absorbed.

Broccoli + tomatoes

New research shows that this combo prevents prostate cancer.

Blueberries + grapes

In general eating a variety of fruit together provides more health benefits than eating one fruit alone; and no single antioxidant can replace the combination of natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables.

Apples + chocolate

Apples are high in anti-inflammatory flavonoid called quercetin, while chocolate, grapes, red wine, and tea, contain the flavonoid catechin, an antioxidant that reduces the risks for atherosclerosis and cancer. Together, catechins and quercetin loosen clumpy blood platelets, improving cardiovascular health and providing anticoagulant activity.

Some foods are healthier than others because they have better nutrients. Check these out:

Greek yogurt

Greek-style yogurt sits in its bowl like a puffy cloud because its watery whey content has been strained. It is higher in protein than the regular variety.

Quinoa

Quinoa is higher in protein compared to other grains. The protein is also complete, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is also gluten-free, so it’s great for people who may be sensitive.

Nut butters

Rich in unsaturated fats, nut butters – like almond, cashew, hazelnut and pistachio – can help lower cholesterol levels and lessen the risk of heart disease

Flax seed

Flax seeds are unusually rich source of alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat well known for its anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy properties. These seeds are also high in fiber and lignans, compounds which may benefit the heart and decrease the risk of certain cancers.

Dried fruits

Dried fruit – cherries, pineapples, pears – are easily storable substitutes when their fresh counterparts are unavailable. Rich in vitamin A and several B vitamins, dried fruits are also a good supply of minerals, like potassium and iron. They’re high in natural sugars, too.

Loss Weight Tips

2009-03-31T05:30:00.000-07:00

There are many tips of losing weight. I categorize them into four parts:

I. MENU

Don't cut out all the food you enjoy. Eat your favorite foods in healthier versions or get them in low amount just enough to satisfy your desire once a week.
Encouraged:

a. High fiber-low calorie foods like fruits and vegetables (take fruit instead of fruit juice, use vegetables to bulk up meals, balance your grains with equal portions of vegetables), cereal (take it for breakfast five days a week), nuts (take it in place of a sugary snack - nuts also high in protein)

b. Eggs. Eating eggs for breakfast could result in a 2lb a month weight loss.

c. Spicy flavorings: hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings provides lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, and also turns up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

d. Frozen dinner designed for weight loss (take one serving of this pre-portioned meal to keep dinner calories under control).

e. Water: make it your primary drink. At breakfast you can still drink orange juice or 1-2% fat or skim milk. The calcium in dairy foods triggers a hormonal response that inhibits production of body's fat cells and boosts fat breakdown. The same goes for low-fat yogurt.

Discouraged

a. Prepared food that lists sugar, fructose, or corn syrup among the first four ingredients on the label.

b. Cookies, regular soda, sweet orange juice, or fast-food hamburger.

c. White foods like white flour and sugar.

d. Coffee and alcohol; if you can’t give them up switch to ordinary coffee with skim or low fat powdered milk; and always measure alcohol consumed carefully.

II. HABITS

Eating Habit

a. Eat only when your stomach growling; don’t eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, or frustration. Eat slowly and calmly. Your brain lags your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to satiety signals.

b. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. You’ll consume fewer calories and the body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger. Pack up baby carrots for snacks or mix made with nuts, raisins, seeds, and dried fruit when you're on the go.

c. Don’t overlook calories in spreads, dressings, sauces, condiments, drinks, and snacks. Get most of your calories before noon. The more you eat in the morning, the less you'll eat in the evening.

d. Eat most of your meals at home and don't eat with a large group. You're more likely to take more eating out or with others.

e. Serve individual courses with the first two being soup or vegetables rather than piling everything on one plate.

f. Downsize your dinner plates or pare your portions (remove one-third of the food on your plate). The less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat.

Writing and Counting Habit

a. Write everything down and be honest with yourself. It’s OK to go overboard a bit, but keep a record to maintain the average calorie intake. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you're eating.

b. Use scales in the kitchen to avoid deceiving oneself

Clothing Habit

a. Buy some new clothes when you are down size, throw out clothes that doesn't fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will motivate you to maintain your new figure.

b. Dress up in your most flattering outfit while eating out. You'll get loads of compliments, which will be a great reminder to watch what you eat.

Other Habits

a. Watch one less hour of TV. We tend to eat more watching television.

b. Close out the kitchen after dinner. Late-evening eating significantly increases the overall number of calories you eat.

c. Brush your teeth after every meal. That clean, mint freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over.

d. Choose nutritious foods while shopping with no partially hydrogenated oil and high-fructose corn syrup, short ingredient list with fewer flavor enhancers and empty calories, more grams of fiber per 100 calories in all grain products (cereal, bread, crackers, and chips).

III. EXERCISES

Walking

Walk more steps or for longer time. On average, sedentary people take 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding more than 2,000 steps or beyond 30 minutes will help you lose weight and fat.

Washing

Wash something thoroughly once a week -- floor, windows, shower stall, bathroom tile, or car. These will burn calories.

Socializing

Make an active social outing once a week, like a tennis match, a guided nature or city walk, cycling on a bike path, or join a volleyball league or bowling team.

IV. MIND

Bring the color blue into your life more often. Blue functions as an appetite suppressant, while red, yellow, and orange encourage eating.
Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. The more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it.
Find ways other than eating to express love, tame stress, and relieve boredom: celebrate special events video shooting instead of having rich desserts, take a stress-management course or take up an active hobby.
Repeat positive thoughts like ‘I can lose weight,’ ‘I will go for my walk,’ or ‘I know I can resist the pastry after dinner’, like a mantra all day long; before too long they will become their own self-fulfilling prophecy.
Balance your self-pity each time you forgo a favorite food with the pleasure of getting better appearance.
Don’t ever give up! You are going to get bad days/weeks! Just get straight back on it and limit the damage.
Find an online weight-loss buddy. This will help you keep the weight off.

Healthy Weight Losing Diet

2009-02-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

A healthy weight losing diet may comprise of foods with complex carbohydrate, protein, fiber with limited fat and no sugar.

To be healthy a diet should be delicious and varied — meaning it involves the appropriate amounts of all of the food groups. The diet should contain sufficient and balanced nutrients to maintain body functions but contain no ingredients that may cause health disturbance. Fat, essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids should be available in sufficient amount, while trans fat, excessive saturated fat, directly poisonous and carcinogenic substances, or contamination of human pathogens should be avoided.

Fat consumption should be kept minimum in a weight losing diet as it is very dense with calories, hence promotes weight gain. Moreover, excess calories from dietary fat will be stored as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources. “Good fat” such as monounsaturated fat, or MUFA, as in olive oil and nuts, is strongly advised, or even must be added at every meal as in Flat Belly Diet. South Beach Diet still allows low in saturated-fat foods such as lean red meat, skinless chicken and reduced-fat cheeses. Sugary snacks, pastries or soft drinks, which also rich in calories, and processed lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, and sausages, which have too much of saturated fat and nitrates should be kept away from the diet unless available in healthier versions.

High-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are important in weight losing diet because fiber helps disposing excessive fat and improving elimination so fat absorption from our digestive tracts is limited. Lean meats and poultry, fish, peas and nuts, and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products are rich in protein, so you need them to maintain body functions. The closer a food is to its natural state the better it is for you. The best beverages are water, milk and 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

Some weight losing diets, such as Atkins Diet suggests low-carbohydrate consumption as it is based on the theory that overweight people eat too many carbohydrates. While others, like South Beach Diet, emphasizes the consumption of "good carbohydrates" in addition to "good fats". Low-sugar carbs -- those with a low glycaemic index, such as pasta, pulses and porridge -- slowly release sugar into the blood, provide a steady supply of energy and leave satisfied feeling for longer that dieters don't constantly feel hungry and are less likely to overeat; plus this avoid the body from become resistant to the effects of insulin with the result that it continues to burn fat efficiently. They are therefore recommended if you want to lose weight.

Losing Weight Naturally

2009-02-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

Losing excessive weight is not only important for body images, but it may also improve health and fitness when done by eating healthy, exercising and/or taking natural weight loss supplements.

Losing weight naturally may be done by stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat and sugar.

Complex carbohydrate can be found in potato or whole grains. Moreover, whole grains are also the source of fiber, aside from fruit and vegetables. Protein is abundance in lean cut of meat, peas and nuts. Fat can be found many in whole milk, butter, or oil, while cookies, candies and confectioners are the source of sugar.

We should avoid fat and sugar because they are very dense with calories, hence promotes weight gain. Fat also a must not because excess calories from dietary fat will be stored as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

Health experts say it would be better to eat every three to four hours, and healthy snacks are best to respond hunger, so nutritious low-fat snacks between lunch and dinner would make it. A slice of whole-grain toasted bread or a medium size apple will be better to overcome the urge for food outside lunch or dinner times. However skipping a meal and eat snacks instead is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

Exercise is important to burn extra calories and to keep good blood circulation. Exercise also causes releasing of different chemicals into our bloodstream that give us a lift in the emotions. You may spare time for it specially or just inserting some stretching, lifting or squeezing, and do more walking and moving, better while carrying some weight, in between your daily routine. Exercising everyday for several minutes is better than a weekly - hours of heavy workout.

For some people overcoming hunger is not so simple. Scientists found that obesity was part of one's physiology. The internal functions of an obese person are different than those of a healthy person, and cause intense hunger pains and food cravings. For them natural weight loss supplements may help counteract those and lead to healthy weight loss.

Unbalanced hormones are also a common cause of weight gain, therefore natural hormone balancers and herbal supplements may help to create a healthy weight loss.

Fear, anger, anxiety and depression may affect our weight. In addition, emotional issues always accompany change, including changes in our bodies. We often tend to numb these emotional feelings by overeating. Sometimes we can take advantage of natural sleep aids, natural depression relief and natural pain relief health care products to support us through the process of natural weight loss and the emotional dynamics around it.

Losing weight naturally is a process. Hence, it would take a lot of determination, self-control, and discipline. And having the support of others in our efforts is a huge advantage.

Healthy Lifestyle: Eating Healthy, Exercising and Having Fun

2009-02-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

A healthy lifestyle leads to both good frame of mind and good physical conditions so the stressful and fast-paced world will be much easier to cope with. The most important thing is doing everything in moderation; eating healthy, exercising, and find a healthy balance between work and play, tipped Gabriel Adams in an article about Healthy Lifestyle.

Foods are our body’s source of energy. Healthy foods will supply us with enough energy to accomplish everything we want to do, while junk foods, on the contrary, will eventually damage our body.

Eating healthy is not as complicated as it may seem. Just choose healthier options for your daily food variants. For instances, opt for skimmed or low-fat milk rather than full-creamed to add to your coffee or tea, whole grain rather than instant foods for breakfast, fiber-rich fruits rather than high calories cookies for snacks. Have meals that make your stomach full so you may eat less as the day progress. For example, have fiber-full meals like whole grain breads, protein heavy meals, like hard-boiled eggs, or have clear soups before anything else during lunches or dinners.

Exercise is also very important to live a healthy lifestyle. When you exercise you release different chemicals into your bloodstream that give you energy to start to the day or to pick you up after a bad day.

If you’re not able to manage to have special exercise time, you can do it while running around your routine. For example, stretching, lifting or squeezing can be done in the middle of your daily activities, from waking up to preparing for bed, five to ten seconds for five to ten times each. Burning calories can be done by taking stairs rather than elevator, walking up to colleagues rather than call them on the phone, stand and pace up whenever possible.

Working too much may increase your stress level, which in return may affect your health and happiness. You have to also have fun to release your stress. You can do it by enjoying your work and managing to have some time to play without neglecting your duties.

Try to do those things, and you will have a healthy lifestyle.

Benefits of Eating Raw Foods

2009-02-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Summary on Articles by Randy Powell, Roxanne Vick and Jos Graf

Eating a diet predominating with raw food gives benefits. Here are some of them:

Anti aging

Raw fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain antioxidants, while unheated vegetable oil in raw nuts will supplies lots of enzymes and antioxidants. Antioxidants are needed to remove free radicals from the body before the particles can damage body cells.

Whole grains are also the source of complex carbohydrates. The sugars in the carbohydrate are converted by the body at a slow rate. The fiber from these grains can help you to quickly eliminate toxic waste from the body.

A diet abundant with raw food everyday will cleanse your body and began to normalize your body fat levels. By spending less energy on digestion, your body can detox properly and spend time repairing damaged cells. Less damaged cells and toxic wastes in our body will slow the process of aging.

Source of Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants that convert light into energy and enables them to take nutrition from the air, sun, and water, and so make them "living" raw foods. The chlorophyll pigment is almost identical to our blood pigments. The biggest difference is that the chlorophyll pigments center atom is magnesium, while our bloods center atom is iron, thus the nickname: "green blood". It is no wonder that chlorophyll has been shown to work wonders for our blood.

There are many benefits of chlorophyll, such as purification of the blood, liver, constipation and gas corrector, emphysema, abscesses of the liver and kidney, kidney stones, and it has also been shown to be an excellent topical for infections and burns. Chlorophyll contains properties that break down carbon dioxide, and release oxygen, which kills bacteria. It has even been used in deep surgical wounds. Its absence of toxicity and promotion of repair tissue/skin, and soothing qualities makes it a miracle antiseptic.

Better Nutrition

Proteins of raw foods should come from beans, nuts, and seafood. Healthy fats include olive oil and, to a lesser extent, other vegetable oils. Studies showed that cooking changes the food atom structure, for example, the magnesium atom in the center of chlorophyll is replaced with hydrogen; and chlorophyll would be absent after 20 minutes of boiling.

So the nutrition is better consumed raw.

Source of Etheric Energy

The more "live" a vegetable or fruit is, the more enhanced is its etheric energy, the life force of the plant world. However, predominantly raw food diets are met best by a healthy etheric force in the individual eating them. If one's etheric is depleted, by either a temporary or long-term ailment, lightly cooked foods are easier to assimilate. For most people a balance of raw and cooked works best.

Others

Experiments with live foods (raw, sprouted, and such) showed that graying hair can be reversed. Also, there are numerous accounts of the reversal of debilitating illnesses.

Acai Berry’s Health Benefits

2009-02-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

Acai berry products have been claimed to have many benefits. Medical research studies reveal some acai berry’s benefits as follow:

Combats Premature Aging
Acai berries has a remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging. The ORAC value of Acai Berry is higher than any other edible berry in the world! It has 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and twice the antioxidants of blueberries, and the proanthocyanidine contents in acai berries are 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins (the purple colored antioxidants) of red wine per volume. Although the French have a high fat diet, they have a low incidence of cardio vascular disease compared to the western countries due to their high consumption of red wine.

Acai also contents natural vitamin E that protects against aging.

Boots Energy
Acai is rich in carbohydrates which provide your body with the necessary energy while working or practicing any kind of sport. Acai provides an almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration, endurance, strength, sustained energy and muscle development. Theobromine in the berry acts as a bronchial dilator to help open air passage ways in the lungs. This increased air capacity helps in oxygen intake, which increases endurance, strength, and athletic performance.

Promotes Heart and Digestive Health
Acai berries possessed a synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health.

Acai berries contain very high amounts of essential fatty acid & omegas (omega 3, 6 and 9) proven to lower LDL & maintain HDL cholesterol levels. The fatty acid ratio in Acai resembles that of olive oil.

They are also an excellent source of dietary fiber! Fiber promotes a healthy digestive system. Research studies suggest soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol, while insoluble fiber may help to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers.

Acai also contain phytosterols (plant sterols) including beta-sitosterol. These complex compounds of plant cell membranes are shown to help control cholesterol as well as being used to treat symptoms associated with BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia) and act as precursors to many important substances produced by the body.

Acai is extremely rich in organic vegetable protein which does not generate cholesterol during its digestion and is easier processed and transported to your muscles than animal protein (such as in milk or meat).

Protecting Benefits

Acai’s high anthocyanins and phytosterols content helps protect connective tissues like collagen, which reduces the stress of aging on the skin. While its high antioxidant content help protect against high LDL cholesterol levels, as well as atherosclerosis, which often leads to heart attacks and strokes. The anthocyanins in Acai allow it to protect small and large blood vessels.

Acai is also known to protect the nervous system, which may help prevent age-related neurological problems. Acai has been used extensively for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and even antimutagenic (meaning that it protects your DNA) properties.

Antioxidants of Acai Berry

2009-02-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Antioxidants are natural chemicals that combat free radicals in our system. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules with unpaired electrons that want to oxidize, and can cause premature aging, cancer, cataracts, a weakened immune system, heart disease, and more. Free radicals enter our bodies through the food we eat and the air we breathe. They travel throughout our body and are absorbed into our tissues where they cause damage. Antioxidants play a vital role in removing free radicals from the body before they have the chance to do harm.

Antioxidants cannot be created by our bodies; just like essential fatty acids, they must come from our diet. They can be found in colorful fruits and vegetables, including: spinach, blueberries, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, red bell peppers, and acai berries.

Acai berry has an extremely high concentration of antioxidants. It has 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine. The ORAC test (developed by Baltimore scientist Dr. Guohua Cao), the accepted standard measurement for antioxidants which measured how many free radicals a food can absorb and eliminate, showed the typical person needs around 1,670 ORAC per day while a single serving of Acai provides 3,800 ORAC. To put this into perspective, over 80% of the world’s population doesn’t even get half of the recommendation.

Studies have shown that the amount of antioxidants in the blood will increase substantially within two hours of consuming acai berry, meaning that upon consumption our body almost immediately utilizes the antioxidants to begin removing dangerous free radicals. Blood and urine samples at 12 and 24 hours after acai pulp consumption showed significant increases in antioxidant activity in the blood. Both acai pulp and acai juice showed significant absorption of antioxidant anthocyanins into the blood and antioxidant effects.

Because of its high antioxidant content, acai can help protect against high LDL cholesterol levels, as well as atherosclerosis, which often leads to heart attacks and strokes. The anthocyanins in acai allow it to protect small and large blood vessels. In diabetics, weak capillaries can lead to a condition called retinopathy, which often leads to blindness.

Fresh acai berries, can be consumed with yogurt, juice, or smoothie. The pulp is sometimes served as a standalone dish. Research confirms that both pulp and juice are efficiently absorbed by the human body.

Finding fresh or even foods containing acai berries may be difficult, however, they can usually be found in health food stores. Dietary supplements containing acai berry are being distributed in more areas. If you don’t have time to prepare meals rich in antioxidants or the appetite to eat an overabundance of antioxidant rich foods you can supplement your antioxidants intake with a dietary supplement such as Lakewood Organic Acai Amazon Berry, Amazon Thunder Acai Thunder , or Organic Acai Fruit Capsules with Camu Camu.

Acai Berry’s Nutritional Content

2009-02-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

Acai berry has a unique tropical fruit flavor and provides high level nutritional benefits. It contains high levels of antioxidants also known as anthocyanins (a particular class of flavonoids to help combat free radicals and premature aging), essential and omega (3, 6 and 9) fatty acids (proven to lower LDL & maintain HDL cholesterol levels), amino acids, dietary fiber, iron, along with many other vitamins and minerals. The proanthocyanidine contents in acai berries are 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine per volume. The ORAC value of acai berry is higher than any other edible berry in the world! The fatty acid ratio in acai resembles that of olive oil. Acai berries can help promote a healthier cardio vascular system and digestive tract, because of its synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols. Research studies suggest soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol, while insoluble fiber may help to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers. The essential amino acid complex along with trace minerals in acai berry is vital for proper muscle contraction and regeneration.

Acai Berries contain plant sterols including beta-sitosterol. Today, sterols are being used to treat associated benign prostate dyperplasia. These plant sterols have also been shown to help control cholesterol as well as act as precursors to many important substances produced by the body.

Opti-acai, the powder preparation of freeze-dried acai fruit pulp and skin was reported to contain (per 100 g of extract) 533.9 calories, 52.2 g carbohydrates, including 44.2 g of fiber, 8.1 g protein, and 32.5 g total fat. It was also shown to contain (per 100 g): negligible vitamin C, 260 mg calcium, 4.4 mg iron, and 1002 U vitamin A, as well as aspartic acid and glutamic acid. The amino acid content was 7.59% of total dry weight.

Acai has an exceptional content of fats, including oleic acid (56.2% of total), palmitic acid (24.1% of total), and linoleic acid (12.5% of total) that harbor dense contents of polyphenols such as procyanidin oligomers and vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, and ferulic acid which were shown to degrade substantially during storage or exposure to heat.

Natives living in the Amazon River region in Northern Brazil, have had acai berry as part of their diet for hundreds of years for its nutritional value, as well as its legendary healing and wellness powers. An Amazonian traditional recipe mixes acai fruit pulp and natural guarana seed producing caffeine like effects, which gives energy and increases mental clarity. This berry has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic properties and also good for cardiovascular system. The dark Brazilian berry is credited with fighting cancer and alzheimer's disease as well as helping people lose weight. The popularity of the berry is starting to spread from Brazil to the rest of the Americas.

Acai is extremely rich in organic vegetable protein which does not generate cholesterol during its digestion and is easier processed and transported to muscles than animal protein. Besides its outstanding content of protein and unsaturated lipids, acai is also rich in carbohydrates which provide our body with the necessary energy while working or practicing any kind of sport. That is why acai berry is served in most gyms, sport clubs and beaches all over Brazil.

Let's Get Healthy Diets

Tempeh Making

Tempeh

Fermented Soybean Products

Miso

Tempeh

Nattō

Soybean and Its Usages

Soy Foods, Healthy Foods

Nutrition to Lose Weight Fast

Processing and Eating Healthy

Nutrition in Diet Plan

Weight-loss after Pregnancy

Heart Healthy Recipes

Health Foods for Pregnant Women

OBESITY AND WEIGHT LOSS DIET

H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) and Health Nutrition

Loose Weight with Water

Ornish, A Lose Fat Diet – the History

Losing Weight Recipes

Breakfast

Dieting For Kids and Teenagers

Low Carb Diet Tips

Nutrition and Malnutrition

Fat Loss Diets

Fat Smash Diet

Flat Belly Diet

Keeping Diets while on the Go

Lose Weight Counseling

Healthy Weight

Eat According to the Need

Balance the Diet

Getting Physical

Measuring Healthy Weight

Healthy Nutrition in Some Foods

Loss Weight Tips

Healthy Weight Losing Diet

Losing Weight Naturally

Healthy Lifestyle: Eating Healthy, Exercising and Having Fun

Benefits of Eating Raw Foods

Acai Berry’s Health Benefits

Protecting Benefits

Antioxidants of Acai Berry

Acai Berry’s Nutritional Content