Effects of Bad Health Habits

 

Are you feeling restless and tired almost all the time? The reason could be your bad health habits. Each of us has all the options on how to improve ourselves and feel good. It all depends on our own hands whether we want to feel great or dwell ourselves to our usual habits that are not really good for us. We usually have habits and we are not aware that it is not doing any good to our health.

Let me show you some of the bad habits that you need to ditch to live and to have a better lifestyle.

Smoking

Every one of us including especially smokers knows that smoking is very dangerous to our health. It has many side effects on your health and the health of those around you. Smoking can cause lung cancer, complicate pregnancy, heart disease and many other diseases. If you love your life and want to live longer, stop smoking now.

Lack of physical exercise

Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances physical fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons. Frequent and regular physical exercises boost the immune system, and prevent heart diseases. Regular exercise also improves mental health, helps prevent depression and improves one's self esteem.

Alcohol Consumption

Even in moderation, alcohol damages brain and body cells. Too much intake of alcohol would cause certain diseases like brain damage, liver problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. Excessive drinking can interrupt normal sleeping patterns resulting in insomnia and lack of sleep can lead to stress and anxiety.

Lack of Sleep

Some people suffer from chronic sleeping disorder and frequently experience disruption. Some have sleep problems due to physical stress or condition and others suffer because of mental or emotional cause. Get immediate medical treatment if you already have serious sleep disorder to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Avoid taking sleeping pills as this could have some side effects. Consult your doctor before taking any medications to ensure your health.

Poor Diet

Basically junk foods are foods with little or no nutritional value at all. Some products with little nutritional value are considered unhealthy when eaten regularly. One harmful effect from eating junk food is lack of energy. Junk food can also cause heart diseases. Most junk foods are high in cholesterol it can damage your liver eventually.

Most people today are too busy and have fewer times to prepare nutritious foods. More and more people want a convenient life; quick and easy are more preferred by most. Now you know the reality of bad health habits, it's all up to you on how you can live a healthy lifestyle and to live in a quality life. Remember we only have one life to live, so let us take good care of our most precious possession.

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Improving Memory Retention Through Healthy Habits

Many people just assume that great memory is something that just happens naturally. It is true that some people may naturally retain certain thoughts and have the ability to remember information easier than others. However, improving memory retention through healthy habits can often excel you to a "gifted" persons level in little to no time at all.

If you weren't born with a great memory, that's alright. I wasn't either. These days, after some practice, it's become much easier to retain larger and larger amounts of information. Maybe you just want to be able to remember simple things, such as where you left your keys, or what bills you need to get paid when. Whatever your reasons for improving memory retention are, these healthy habits will make it much easier.

Exercise

Simply put, exercise does wonders for your memory. In order for your brain to retain information, it has to be in a healthy state. Not to sound cliche, but being in a healthy state of mind can mean multiple things. Regular exercise will increase blood flow and oxygen saturation within the brain. This will naturally lead to improved memory and an overall well being state of mind.

Exercise is great for many reasons, but regarding the topic of memory, it's vitally important. You don't have to work yourself out to exhaustion, but a good 15-20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise will help tremendously.

Adequate Sleep

Maintaining a healthy sleep pattern is vitally important for improving memory retention. I cringe every time I think about how many times I pulled over nighters studying for college exams. I can remember going through chapters and chapters of biology and psychology books trying to cram as much as I could before I went in for the exam. I would usually only leave an hour or two at most of sleep.

Somehow, I always managed to do "alright", but the foggy head I would experience during the test was definitely a clue that I would do much better with a little bit of sleep.

This applies to everyday life as well. If you have poor memory and you feel tired during the day, you could very well be depriving your body and mind of well needed sleep. Sometimes 30 minutes to an hour is all you need to get your mind the amount of rest it needs to improve your memory.

Diet

Often overlooked, your diet can contribute heavily to improving memory retention. I won't drag out a long paragraph about how you should have this and that regarding your diet. However it's important to keep your diet balanced.

Have you ever talked to someone that's dieting hardcore? A familiar instance is recalled when I attempted to do a "low carb" diet. Many people that deprive themselves of certain nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, or any other part of a healthy and balanced diet often get a cloudy mind. Ask anyone that's ever successfully been on a low carb diet for a decent amount of time.

This topic can go off tangent very easily so I'll bring it back in and just suggest that you keep your diet balanced and supplemented with your normal vitamin stack.

Following these these tips for improving memory retention will definitely get you on the right track for remembering all the things you never thought you could! Trust me, it's much easier to remember just about anything when your body and mind are healthy.

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Health and Nutrition Facts

There are a great number of health and nutrition facts that are a "given". We are all aware of the many rules that have been handed down for generations about nutrition, but we ignore them. We know, "You are what you eat!" but we eat snack cakes and doughnuts and drink soda pop and chow down on corn dogs, anyway!

The very unfortunate thing about this is that the more we do it, the more we want to do it. Processed foods have an addictive quality that just causes people to never be satisfied. Eating poorly leads to lethargy and poor health that lead to even more lethargy and poor health. It's necessary to break the cycle and introduce whole nutrition to get our bodies clean, active and performing at optimum levels.

People often think that it's too much trouble to eat whole foods. Processed foods are pretty much pure poison, but they're cheap and convenient - or at least that's how they are marketed to us. However, if you take a step back and look at the hype, you are bound to see the truth. Even though a lot of preparation of processed foods has been done for you, a lot of that preparation consists of things you would never choose to do yourself, such as the addition of chemicals, artificial colors, central nervous system wrecking hydrogenated oils, and diabetes producing high fructose corn syrup.

Whole foods are truly convenient! Fresh fruits and vegetables come in handy, natural, often consumable packaging. Preparing the most healthful whole foods takes the least amount of work and cooking for the greatest amount of nutrition and true, wholesome flavor. Although whole foods may cost a little bit more to buy, you will surely see your doctor bills reduced when you change your diet from ground up chemicals and additives to simple, pure, whole food.

When you eat processed foods, your body has to struggle to try to get rid of all the junk that's ground into processed products. On top of that, your body has to try to sustain life on a severely depleted level of nutrition found in dead ingredients. This is a drain on your energy that causes you to just want to sit around and do nothing. The more inactive your are, the lower your metabolism level will be and the less calories you will burn. That's a great recipe for obesity, depression and poor health.

When you eat whole foods, your body works hard in a wholesome, healthful way. It gets natural exercise from processing whole natural foods and reaping every bit of nutrition and energy available. When you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and other high quality protein sources, you are eating foods that are filled with life and that give you life. That spark of life will give you energy and make you want to get up, get out and live your life.

We all know, "You are what you eat!" So which would you rather be, a sluggish sack of chemicals and additives or a living, vibrant being filled with life?

Dr. Gladys Alvarez has spent over forty five years working in different Medical Fields to include Surgical Oncology, Research on Aids at one of our most prestigious universities as well as has been a correspondent who has traveled extensively around the world studying different lifestyles, cultures and their nutritional habits because she is committed to educate the consumer as to the benefits of living a happy, healthy lifestyle through fitness and weight loss. If you have found this article helpful, please visit my website at http://www.drkool.com TODAY!

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Controversial Health and Nutrition Beliefs

The following discussion on health and nutrition triggered and inspired from The Honey Revolution in my opinion is controversial and might even astonish you, but they could also help cast much light on several well-known myths and theories about dieting and sugar. Great food for thought and action!

1) Low Cholesterol Food isn't Always Healthy

We expect people with the lowest cholesterol to eat the least saturated fat and least calories. But this is not true anymore as the consumption of sugar and high fructose corn syrup rockets in the recent years. Sadly, the proliferation of high sugar, rich carbohydrate foods hidden behind the names of" low fat, healthy foods" has led to a pandemic of obesity, incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neuro-degenerative illnesses in this generation.

2) The Truth about Fat-burning in Intense Exercise

The more intense the exercise, the more fat we burn? Contrary to our intuition, studies have established that at peak aerobic exercise levels, only a miserable 10% of our metabolic requirements come from fat. The circulating fats released during exercise are returned to the adipose tissue and muscle stores after exercise. This truth is closely connected to the metabolic truth in the Hibernation Diet - fat is selected as the fuel for rest and recovery. Thus with a simple honey diet, we can optimise our body fat metabolism during sleep.

3) Liver Care before Sleep

How often do we hear this advice on health and nutrition from your family and friends. "Never get into the habit of eating before bed, otherwise you'll become fat!" Get the facts right. Sleep is active and energy-driven, when we retire to bed, our body goes to work! Going to bed with a depleted liver causes the release of stress hormones in our body. Refuelling the critically small liver glycogen store with honey before bed keeps our metabolic system healthy. So if you care for your liver, fuel it wisely before sleep.

4) Minuscule but Powerful Antioxidants

There are at least 16 floral-flavones in honey. As they enter our body cells in trace amounts, we logically derive that there would be no significant effects. However, when ingested, these minute quantities of floral-flavones actually do exert powerful influences, raising the antioxidant level in our cells, (such as the Vitamin C levels) and reducing capillary permeability and fragility. They eliminate oxidants and neutralise free radicals, inhibiting the destruction of collagen in our body. Truly, honey is more than just the sum of its sugars.

5) Nature's Perfect Way of Regulating Blood Sugar

Many are too quick to classify honey as a forbidden food for diabetics' health and nutrition. The perfect ratio of one-to-one ratio of fructose and glucose found in honey explains its remarkable regulatory ability. Fructose optimises the conversion of glucose to glycogen to be stored in the liver, preventing a glucose spike in the circulation. There is something mysterious in honey that enables the liver to metabolise fructose in a way not found in other processed or artificial sweeteners. In fact, the floral-flavones in honey are also anti-sugar signalling devices that control blood glucose levels and help fight diabetes. Pursue sweetness the way nature intended it.

Ruth Tan runs the popular website Benefits of Honey at http://www.benefits-of-honey.com which is an immensely rich, quality resource on honey and its benefits, and a plethora of health-related issues. To discover how incredibly intelligent natural honey is, and why this super-food must be differentiated from all other forms of sugar or sweetener, visit this Honey Resource.

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Choosing the Right Food for Health and Nutrition

Great health is only achievable by eating the right food for nutrition. It is apparent that everyone desires to feel great, energetic, and prevent common infections. However, without the right nutrition basics this is hardly achievable. Meal planning also enables someone to avoid junk food and encourages a consistent healthy diet.

Health and nutrition tips

Planning a healthy diet is the first step to nutritious eating. One cannot easily do this on the go; it takes discipline and small manageable steps. Start by thinking of the diet in terms of color rather than being overly concerned about the amount of calories intake. Fruits and vegetables are very colorful and useful in many recipes making the food more appetizing and palatable. These are the foundation of healthy eating and constitute highly required minerals vitamins and antioxidants

Nutrition improvement begins by making slow changes in one's eating habits and over time, getting accustomed to eating healthy. These can include measures liking switching from conventional butter to cooking with olive oil. Another very important ingredient in a diet is the use of water and exercise. Water flushes out waste from the system while exercise helps in improving metabolism and increased blood flow to the whole body.

It is important to eat a balanced diet that always includes proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fat for sustainable health and nutrition. One does not have to think of some food as being off limits, however all food should be eaten in moderation and in the right quantities. What one needs to do if they have been eating unhealthy foods, for example salty and sugary foods, is to start reducing the intake slowly. The body gradually adjusts to the new alternative and soon eating healthy becomes a habit.

Starting the day with breakfast, followed by small frequent meals for the rest of the day, is energizing and increases metabolism. Whenever one has the opportunity, they should buy fresh produce from local farmers.

Healthy carbohydrates and whole grains for good nutrition

Carbohydrates and fiber rich foods for nutrition are very important as they give us energy to go through the day. These are available in whole grains and are rich in antioxidants and phyotochemicals, which are helpful in protecting against coronary heart diseases, diabetes and some forms of cancer. They digest more slowly keeping one feeling fuller for longer while keeping insulin and blood sugar levels at a healthy low. However, one needs to differentiate between the good and unhealthy carbohydrates. The good carbohydrates constitute of whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, while unhealthy carbohydrates constitute refined sugars and flour.

Planning quick and easy meals ahead

Healthy nutrition begins with prior planning which begins with a well-stocked kitchen and quick and easy recipes. One can begin by picking a few favorite recipes and schedule weekly meals while using leftovers for other days. Preparing one's own food is less expensive and healthy. When one goes shopping, shop around the stores perimeter. One is most likely to find healthy ingredients here. Whenever possible, cook over the weekend and freeze the left overs for use during the rest of the week, this goes a long way in improving health and nutrition.

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Important Health and Nutrition Information for Aging

Nutrition has a lot to do with aging. Problems with nutrition as people age increase as chronic diseases and impaired organ function damage digestive functions, along with the processing of nutrients. Food may not be absorbed, metabolized, or excreted properly, and the nutrients in the food won't be absorbed. It is estimated that 80% of senior citizens have a chronic disease. Nutrition can prevent chronic disease and help people recuperate from it.

One factor misunderstood in nutrition is that caloric demands change as we age. We have a higher percentage of body fat, and less lean muscle. The decreased activity that often accompanies aging decreases the calories burned. You have to figure out how to keep up the nutrition while decreasing the calories. To do this, you choose foods that are heavy in nutrients. Protein, for instance, is necessary at all ages, even though it may change because of restrictions.

It's pretty east to reduce the overall fat intake as we age, and getting no more than 30% of our daily caloric intake is fat. Carbohydrates should, ideally, be about 60% of the calories we consume, with most of those being complex. We also become more tolerant to glucose as we age, and we need to eat fewer refined carbohydrates to ease the stress on our systems. We also need more dietary fiber and plenty of water to maintain the good bowel function. Fiber also helps to keep inflammation down in the intestines. Dietary fiber comes from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes.

One of the most essential considerations is the intake of water. Enough water will help your kidneys function better. Recommendations are for 5 to 8 glasses a day. Often as people age they don't realize they're thirsty. They become dehydrated. You should drink before you begin to feel thirsty. Elderly people should have plenty of fluid included in their diets.

Also with age people lose their sense of taste and smell. Often, the only thing an elderly person can taste salt and sugar, and they don't want food they can't taste. Also, as people age, they may lose their vision and have impaired cooking. You may not know how to read the prices on food or nutrition labels. You may even forget how to cook, or be afraid to. While these may not be complete losses, they can affect your ability to maintain a healthy diet.

As we age, we also have a change in our needs for electrolytes, potassium, and sodium. These can be affected by the drugs we take for heart problems and other chronic diseases. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body, but older people often have a deficit in this. You may get a vitamin D deficiency since you don't take as many dairy products, or get vitamin A toxicity. So, maintain a wide selection of items in your diet, especially of foods with a lot of calcium in them.

Your health and nutritional needs can be evaluated by your doctor. For any age person, a healthy diet and Colon Cleanse Tablets can improve overall health.

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What To Eat For Better Health And Nutrition

Lots of people associate the concept of nutrition with harsh diets or weight loss plans. However, weight loss and diet are only a small part of what nutrition is all about. Good nutrition involves eating a healthful, balanced diet, staying properly hydrated and taking the right supplements as needed. Weight loss or gain are actually side effects of this process. Your nutrition should be adapted to your lifestyle. The following article aims to break down a few common nutrition plans that people with different body mass indices should follow. Once you've finished this article, your nutrition level will shoot towards the stratosphere.

You should use multivitamins to supplement your diet instead of using it to replace foods you should be eating. Whole foods are what provide your body with the maximum necessary needed nutritional value. Unless you have special approval from your doctor, it is advised to only take one multivitamin per day. Vitamins are one good thing that you really can get too much of.

You should eat healthy fats every day. Healthy fats do not include those found in french fries, onion rings and hamburgers. They should not be eaten. Sources of healthy fats are seeds, nuts, olive oil and fish, and these should be consumed daily for optimal health.

Make sure that you get enough selenium from your diet. Selenium is a great antioxidant with anti-aging properties. It can help deal with free radicals and even protect from the effects of the sun. Foods that contain a lot of selenium include tuna, nuts, eggs and garlic.

Pumpkins have more of a purpose than just Halloween. This tasty squash is full of antioxidants, such as beta carotene, which reduce the risks of cancers and heart disease. Pumpkin seed oil slows prostate tumor growth. You can use pumpkins to make anything from pie to soup, so let this nutritious vegetable permeate your diet!

If you are craving something sweet, take a bite of dark chocolate. There are some real health benefits to dark chocolate (it has tons of antioxidants) that make a modest serving of it a decent way to get your sugar fix.

The best way to improve your health is through good nutrition. Try eating plenty of fish, whole grains and produce. You will be healthy by eating these foods.

When you do your shopping, give your kids a chance to choose some of the foods. Allowing them to select their favorite veggies and fruits increases the chance that they will eat them. It can also make young children want to eat new things when they are able to pick out things that appeal to them.

You should cut out the majority of sweetened drinks, and replace them with water. It's easy to lose track of just how much soda you're drinking in the course of the day. Knowing how many calories you consume from beverages in a day might surprise you and help you cut back.

Although salads have a well-deserved reputation for being healthy, many people reduce or eliminate the health benefits by slathering their salad in rich dressings. Creamy dressings, especially, are full of fat and empty calories. A light vinaigrette is healthier option, as is making your own fresh dressing out of olive oil and vinegar. You can also add cranberries or walnuts to your salad.

Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to a standard potato. They have far more vitamins and less carbs, which means they are not as sinful. You can fry, bake or mash them to fit with any meal. Eat them with a small amount of sugar or butter. They can even help you to feel better if you suffer from arthritis, as they have an anti-inflammatory agent.

A simple rule of thumb for choosing nutritious foods is to focus on those that are eaten with only slight changes from their original form. Unprocessed, fresh foods are wonderful opportunities to make sure you get the nutritional requirements you need, while avoiding chemicals and fats.

One thing that many people don't consider in regards to nutrition is alcohol. They eat healthy all week long, and finally in one night sabotage themselves with alcohol. Consider this: there are approximately 140 calories in just one gin and tonic. Having a few in a night can really pack on calories. Moderation is one of the primary keys to nutrition.

Always choose baked over fried goods. These come with lower oils and carbs, which can make you feel better during the day. Also, they won't zap your energy throughout the day the way fried foods are apt to do.

Diets that contain products with corn syrup are unhealthy due to their high sugar content. If your goal is to lower your sugar intake, cutting out corn syrup is a good start. Condiments often contain corn syrup, so check the fine print on the label.

Sugar intake is at the forefront of any watch list for a healthy diet. Many see fruit juice as a healthy improvement over soda. But this is not necessarily the case. This isn't the case because some of these juices will contain more sugar than a regular serving of soda. As you can see, being aware of what you are eating and drinking can make a big difference in your overall health.

Substitute sugar with artificial sweetener to help make cutting down your sugar intake easier. While many people know they can gain weight from too much sugar, it's also important to know that sugar is at the source of many health problems, and that includes heart disease. Examples of artificial substitutes include Stevia and Splenda. These alternatives will taste exactly the same.

Vegetables, in any of their forms, are a great food choice. They also are a source of many essential vitamins for your body. Eat several servings every day. They are excellent in salads, soups, or just alone in all their glory!

One way to get the most from your foods and beverages is to reduce your sodium intake. Most fast foods and other junk foods are full of salt. Cutting back on salt every day can make you notice the salt's taste more. Since it is mostly unhealthy foods that contain a lot of salt, the fact that a food is now too salty can function as a warning sign. Your cravings will diminish.

Hopefully you are now able to eat better by using the easy-to-follow steps that were gone over here about your nutrition. The most important thing about good nutrition is staying consistent to achieve good results, so remember to apply these tips whenever possible.

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What Is the Relation Between Health and Nutrition?

We all understand the significance of having a healthy body, since our childhood we have been taught about it. In case of kids, parents keep a vigilant check on what their kids are eating and drinking, on the other hand the elders are being instructed to eat healthy food. In reality, nutrition is important for every human being whether they are kids, teenagers or adults. The physicians and nutritionists across the globe mainly stress on having a balanced diet in order to enjoy an overall growth of the human body. The athletes should have adequate amount of nutrition in their diet in order to achieve high stamina and enhanced endurance levels.

Significance of having nutritious food

Having a balanced diet is the best source of transferring nutrition in the body. In order to have a healthy body, one should have the right intake of macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats along with micro nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. Macro nutrients offer strength and energy whilst the micro nutrients maintain the smooth functioning of the body cells. The main components of nutrition are - fats, carbohydrates and proteins are required to keep the body away from infections and diseases. These proteins perform the activity of structuring, repairing and maintaining the muscles' tissues. If one is having protein rich food then they are fulfilling the need of amino acids that is required for the smooth functioning of the body. When one consumes almonds, milk products, meat and eggs these will help in the fulfillment of the basic requirements of the body.

For the proper functioning of the body, carbohydrates are required but they should not be consumed in high quantity as this will result in the accumulation of the fat in the body. There are two types of carbohydrates - complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates offer energy that can be used anytime in the future. Simple carbohydrates come handy for the fulfilling the immediate energy necessities. Fats also play a key role in our body; it mainly protects the fragile and main body organs. Calcium and minerals are mainly responsible for the blood clotting and the muscle contraction. The right intake of sodium is also important for the comprehensive development of the body. Parents have huge responsibility of comprehending the right nutritional amount so that they can further guide their kids in the right direction.

Right amount of nutrition is helpful for the overall physical growth and development of the kids, teenagers and older people alike.

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Guide on how to stay healthy for all ages

Nutrition means different things to different people. Healthy food does not always have to mean food that tastes bad. Healthy food can taste good! By using the tips below, you will learn how to eat healthier and look your best.

Plan meals in advance to ensure healthy eating while adhering to a budget. Not only will this particular tactic assist you in buying healthier foods, employing it will enable your dollars to stretch further than before. You will also walk into the store knowing approximately how much you are going to spend.

Portion sizes and knowing when you are full are part of proper dieting and nutrition. Your metabolism will slow down as you get older, and you should adapt your diet accordingly. If you can listen to your body, it will prevent overeating.

Unpasteurized dairy products can be a healthy addition to your diet. Pasteurization is a relatively new process, considering how long man has been consuming dairy products. There are a lot of beneficial enzymes that unpasteurized foods provide to your body, and a lot of people feel that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

You need to make sure you are taking in enough fiber each day. Fruits, vegetables, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, cereals and breads all contain fiber. If you aren't getting enough fiber in your diet, try adding a fiber supplement to get the 20-25 grams you need every day. These supplements take many shapes, such as tablets, capsules and even mixable powders.

Two roadblocks to getting into shape are a lack of motivation and an inability to begin an exercise and diet regime. Try to enjoy your exercise time. Consider these interesting suggestions.

Even healthy food can be high in calories so it is important to understand portions. Watching portion sizes of all foods is an important component of losing weight. More calories will only cause you to gain weight so eat less.

Keep an eye on your children and make sure you monitor their daily sugar intake. Children are developing diabetes at a rapid rate; unhealthy diets may be to blame. Planning meals ahead of time is a good way for parents to make sure that the nutritional needs of their family are being met.

When enjoying restaurant fare, be sure to get the dressing on the side. Oftentimes, fats and preservatives that can be done without are included in dressings. You should choose oil and vinegar if possible, because the oil is good for your body, and vinegar is very heart-healthy.

It's a fact that, if particular foods don't appeal to our taste buds, we simply won't ingest them. Even so, you must still choose foods that are nutritious. There are always improvements to be made with nutrition, and starting with these tips is a good idea.

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Villette Martiniu is a well-known author, She has been writing different blogs on different topics like health,nutrition,supplements etc . Checkout her article on empower network training and on mlm success coaching

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Nutrition During Pregnancy For A Healthy Baby

It is undeniable that pregnancy in a woman's life is one of those moments when everything should be planned out and taken very carefully. This is not only because of her health but also inside her is a baby that she has to take care of and nurture for nine months inside and when the moment comes wherein she needs to go into labor, there will be no complications. The importance of a woman's knowledge on how to take care of herself during her pregnancy is very vital for if one makes a mistake, it might result to problems or worst, risk your baby's life inside your uterus.

Why Do I Need To Take Care Of My Body?

During a pregnancy of a woman, her body is in need of bigger number of nutrients than the usual requirements for those are severely needed by her body in order for it to sustain a healthy state during her system. The baby inside a pregnant woman is nurtured and sustained by the nutrients in his or her mother's body. The baby is fed by the nutrients throughout the nine months because there are really no other way for him or her to be fed. With this, it is obvious that a healthy nutrition during pregnancy is the best way to keep up with you and your baby's health.

A lot of ways are available to be consulted that teach you how to manage and care for your pregnant body. These ways don't take much effort and time considering that you only need to take care of yourself when you're pregnant.

What Should I Do?

The best way to keep yourself in the radar of a lifestyle that is healthy during the nine months that you are pregnant is to eat healthy! With that, here are some tips that you need to consider for you to be able to keep a lifestyle that is fit for you and the baby that is inside your tummy:

• It is suggested that a mother should take 55,000 extra calories in order for her baby to be healthy. This means that a mother should eat more than usual but it doesn't mean you could eat whatever you want! Take care of the extra calories by drinking a glass of low-fat milk!

• Food supplements are very dangerous if you don't consult your doctor first before taking it. You should focus on eating more fresh and real food so you can have a healthy nutrition during pregnancy. With fruits and vegetables that are fresh and very real, you can keep preservatives away from your body that might cause harm to you and your baby.

• Calcium-filled food should be part of your diet that you intake in your body so that it will help build up the bones of your baby. It will also make your bones stronger therefore leading to a strong support system during your pregnancy especially during the last few months.

• In order for the oxygen from your body to reach your baby, you should consider eating more iron-rich food because it is the most important nutrient during pregnancy. It is the hardest to attain but the benefits are all worth it.

What Should I Not Do?

Since your body is also very sensitive more than the usual when you're pregnant, you should also consider the things that you are not allowed to do in the span of nine months:

• Prevent yourself from consuming alcohol and caffeine during your pregnancy! It is very obvious that it might lead to irreversible complications and effect on your newborn baby and that is something that you should definitely avoid!

• Forego fad diets that are popular nowadays because you don't know if it's really the best diet for you. Also, some fad diets tell you to cut out a certain group of food but this group of food may be vital to your pregnancy. It might lead to a loss in nutrition during pregnancy.

• Smoking is the biggest no-no when it comes to pregnancy because you do not want to harm not just your lungs, other people's lungs, but also your very own baby. There are reports that claim that smoking while pregnant results to complications during and after pregnancy, in the form of your baby's sickness.

You just have to think of your baby's welfare when you have doubts during your pregnancy because they are basically the main reason why you are trying to get through the nine months. Babies bring joy to a family so you better be careful with yours because it's a blessing!

Nathanael King is a NLP Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherpist, Weight Loss Consultant and Nutritional Therapist
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'Good' Foods Gone Bad: Healthy Foods That Can Be Bad For You

If you're an avid follower of health foods, regularly finding yourself on nutrition websites, then you might find you are constantly told that some foods are 'good' and others are 'bad'. These articles can make you question whether something is good or bad for you. What you should be asking yourself is 'is this food good for me?' The difference is that many foods have positive and negative aspects. I'm always asked about good and bad food, but even a spoon of butter can be right for your diet if you're deficient in those nutrients. That said, we consider some foods very good for us, when in fact they are hiding nutrients that you might not be aware of. Here, we will look at 4 foods which have generally got a good reputation, but are hiding excesses that you might not need. We'll also suggest alternatives which can help!

Fat Free Yogurt

In the case of fat free yogurt, the name is deceptive. We often think of dairy products as high fat and as such when we see fat free dairy products, we are generally interested in it. But remember the old saying, you don't get anything for free. What they take out in fat, they usually add in sugars. This adds flavour and makes the yogurt more pleasing, but it means your fat free yogurt isn't the best for your diet. 100g of yogurt contains 19g of sugar in some brands. To put that in context, 100ml of cola contains 10.6g of sugar, so that's almost twice as much sugar in your yogurt! In addition to this, the yogurt really doesn't add anything extra to your vitamin and mineral levels, only adding slight amounts of calcium, phosphorus and riboflavin to your diet.

A better option: Greek Yogurt: A superfood with excellent benefits.

Grapes

Grapes are a fruit and benefit from the healthy reputation that comes with that food group. What a lot of people forget is that sugar is a product produced in plants, as photosynthesis creates glucose and so fruit is often high in sugar. Grapes are particularly high in sugar, and as such they can add needless calories to your diet. In 100g of grapes you'll find 15g of sugar, which is quite a lot for such a small amount. You regularly find yourself eating a handful of grapes, and forgetting that each 100g portion is adding 70 calories to your intake, and often it is these snacks which we forget. It's more sugar per 100g than fizzy energy drinks, so you can see the nutritional extras you are taking in. They do contain extra vitamin C and K, but not so much to allow for the sugars.

A better option: Blackberries: These berries are packing fewer calories and more antioxidants.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sun dried tomatoes are often added to salads and meals as a tasty extra. As a fruit they are good for you, and count as one of your 5 a day. Good, yeah? Actually, not so great as you might think. The process of sun drying intensifies flavour, and nutrients. 100g of sun dried tomatoes is packing with vitamins and minerals, with almost every one you can think of showing a healthy percentage as part of the tomato. They are great if you want a vitamin and mineral injection. On the down side, you are also packing in a lot of other intensified nutrients. 100g contains 87% of your daily salt and 38g of sugar. That's right, 38g, more sugar than a whole can of cola! That means that the 100g portion of tomatoes adds 258 calories to your diet. That adds more to your diet than you need, and the vitamins and minerals aren't as useful as they could be if you got them from a less calorific source.

A better option: Yellow Tomatoes: At only 15 calories per 100g, these tomatoes are a healthier choice.

Sushi

Sushi owes a lot of its reputation to its seemingly healthy ingredients. Rice, fish and vegetables are not usually bad options and as sushi has become more regularly available, it has gained a following by health conscious individuals. Obviously different types of sushi contain different ingredients, so we'll look at this is a general way. The most calorie free sushi can contain 136 calories per roll, but some have as many as 508 calories per roll, like the shrimp tempura roll. That is the same amount of calories in a fast food quarter pounder! Given that you are likely to consume 3-4 rolls per meal, you might be pushing 1400 calories per meal. Sushi is also often loaded with salt, through soy sauce or extra salt for flavour. It might look innocent, but sushi is often high in calories.

A better option: Fish and brown rice: Make your own!

Conclusion

It's important not to believe that everything that looks good for you is. Often to improve sales or flavour extra calories are added in the form of sugar or fat. Always make sure you check your packets to see the contents, and try to make your own food to reduce sugar and salt usage.

http://www.fo-od.co.uk

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Healing Burns With Good Nutrition

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It is also subjected to all types of abuse throughout its lifetime, including burns of varying degrees. A first degree burn is the most minor and consists of redness and slight- to-moderate pain but no blisters. It usually heals in seven to ten days with no scarring. A minor sunburn is a first degree burn in most cases. A second degree burn may have blisters and may ooze. The surface may look moist or raw and there will be some moderate to severe pain involved. A third degree burn is the most serious of the burns and can actually be less painful than a first or second degree burn. This is caused by damage to the nerve damage which may make them even more serious. Third degree burns may appear charred and the skin may be white or cream colored in and around the area. All third degree burns can be life threatening and should be treated at the hospital immediately. Second degree burns that are on the face or on the chest should be treated professionally as well.

There are several things that can help heal a burn faster, including good care from your medical professional. In addition to following the directions of your doctor, you need to increase your nutrition including upping your protein intake so that your body has all of the building blocks it needs to heal and to minimize scarring. Protein, not only from food sources but from protein supplements is important as is increasing Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and Zinc.

Protein From Food Sources

The body digests food, converting it into energy. The rate that we accomplish this complex task is called the metabolism. When the body is recovering from a burn, especially a serious one, the metabolism is thrown into high gear, burning through nutrients quicker than we normally would and often faster than we can get them into the system. When this happens, the body turns to alternative fuels, first the reserved energy that it stored as fat and then if it still needs energy but does not have it, it will break down the muscles to burn as fat. This leads to the destruction of lean muscle mass which in turn can weaken the body and the immune system dramatically.

When the body starts burning glycogen from the muscles for energy, the process is called ketosis. In ketosis, the body releases ketones which are then released into the blood stream. Ketones may suppress the appetite as well as stimulate the kidneys to create and expel more urine (the kidneys will be working to eliminate the ketones from the bloodstream) In turn, the body may end up with an electrolyte imbalance, dehydration and osteoporosis (Source: Osterweil). Dehydration can be dangerous at any time but may be even more so for a burn victim. An electrolyte imbalance can lead to an irregular heart beat and may lead to a heart attack.

Protein comes from two sources: plant based and animal based. All animal based protein sources are considered to be complete because they contain all eight essential amino acids. The body creates many amino acids on its own, however it must be supplied with leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, methione, phenylalanine, tryptophan and lysine which are then used to create other amino acids. Plant proteins are incomplete proteins because they lack one or more of these essential amino acids. Soy protein is the only plant based protein that is complete.

Animal proteins include: chicken, turkey and fish as well as other meat sources. Red meat is high in calories and saturated fat and should be only eaten occasionally. Turkey is one of the best animal proteins because it is lower in fat and calories but still high in protein. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are good not only for the protein but the Omega 3 fatty acids they supply. Animal proteins include non-meat sources as well including dairy foods and eggs. The egg is considered to be the perfect protein because all of the available protein in the average egg is actually used by the body. Low fat dairy is also a good protein source. A glass of milk provides 9 grams of protein plus 31% of calcium.

Plant based protein includes soy and soy products (tofu, tempeh and miso, as well as soy milk), beans, grains, nuts, seeds and rice. Even a vegetarian diet can supply enough protein for the average, healthy person if there is enough variety to make up for the missing amino acid. The typical diet has 14-18% of its calories from protein, the vegan diet may have as much as 10-12 % (Source: The Vegetarian Society). Grains, nuts and seeds tend to be lower in isoleucine and lysine while legumes are typically lacking in tryptophan and methionine (Source: Best).

Protein From Supplement Sources

Supplementing protein is important for a number of reasons, especially for the burn victim who needs to increase the amount they get. There are many kinds of supplements for you to consider including shakes, powders, liquid supplement shots and protein bars.

Protein Powders can be either a single protein or a combination of either soy, rice, whey and egg proteins.

Whey protein powder is beneficial for supporting overall health, but also supports the immune system by immunoglobulins. Whey protein increases the antioxidant glutathione which also supports the healthy immune system. Finally, it also contains an antimicrobial property, lactoferrin which helps with wound healing (Whey Protein Institute). Whey has been used since 420 BC when Hippocrates prescribed it for patients. Whey protein comes in both a concentrate, with 30-85% protein and an isolate which has 90% protein. Whey protein also prevents muscle breakdown.

Soy protein also comes in a concentrate or isolate and is a highly digestible protein source. Egg white protein is the highest source of the amino acids: alanine, argine, glycine and methionine. Rice protein is created by isolating the protein from brown rice and is a complete protein. It is also the only protein source that is considered to be hypoallergenic. Both soy and rice protein supplements are acceptable for vegetarians and vegans alike (Source: Segounis).

Other protein sources like bars and liquid supplement shots can be used to increase the protein in burn victims as well. A protein bar should have at least ten grams of protein but less than 200 calories and limited sugars. (Sugar can deplete the immune system). Protein supplement shots are small and higher in protein. Profect from Protica is a good supplement: it has 100 calories, 25 grams of protein, zero fats and zero carbs. In addition, Profect supplies 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C and 10% of the B complex vitamins.

Vitamins C and E, Beta Carotene and Zinc

In addition to increasing protein to promote healing from burns, it is important to get extra Vitamin C, not only from supplements but from foods such as broccoli, spinach and citrus fruits. Beta Carotene is found in carrots, cantaloupe and other orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene can be toxic in extremely high doses, so only increase it with doctor's orders. Zinc is a mineral that is important in healing burns. Foods that are rich in zinc include oysters, wheat germ, beef, lamb, peanuts, wheat germs and bran flakes.

References

Ben Best. Does Excess Protein Cause Kidney Damage?

Neil Osterweil. The Benefits of Protein WebMD

Sofia Segounis, Nutritionist. Protein Powders truestarhealth.com

The Vegetarian Society

The Whey Protein Institute

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com.

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com.

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Healthy Nutrition - Protein - How Much Do I Need?

To calculate the daily amount of PROTEIN for healthy nutrition simply multiply your body weight in kilos x 0.8 - (Or lbs x 0.365)

EXAMPLE:
Kilo's = 80kg x 0.8 = 64gms of Protein required.
OR
Lbs = 176lbs x 0.365 = 64gms of Protein required.

Pretty simple really!...just work out what protein you need from your fitness nutrition...then find a quality supply that delivers it!

CAN I INCREASE MY PROTEIN INTAKE?
Of course if you need it, anyone can. In my case I discovered that there is a high quality "unflavored" super protein available to do that. I didn't need it because I was working hard or active in sport; I needed it because my studies allowed me to understand that to overcome the plateaus in weight loss I was experiencing, I needed to increase my protein intake. That's right; I needed more protein to lose weight.

You see when I started using whey protein shakes I was 134kg (295lb) and I desperately needed to lose some weight. I started on two whey shakes per day and one healthy meal and with small snacks between meals to keep my energy and metabolic rate up high. However I did not choose a diet or weight loss product; because I had learned that in order to be healthy you must feed the body with healthy nutrition; not starve it of nutrition.

Anyone can lose weight by starving the body of nutrition, but it's not sustainable. I learned that every time I tried a new diet or weight loss program. Eventually with all those "rebounds" I reached the weight I had become. I know now that diet and weight loss programs don't address the real problem. I've also learned as an engineer that any solution that does not address the real problem is at best a temporary solution and will fail.

When I reached a "plateau" with my weight loss I started adding more protein from an unfavored "super whey protein". I used the recommended usage adding 32gm to three quarter strength shake making it a total of 50gms per meal. With two of these per day and a healthy meal I was not hungry at all and my weight loss again kicked in. Regardless of your health goals, you'll get the best results possible by adding this super protein to your daily shakes.

Can you add any whey protein and get the same results? Definitely not; it's far more about quality than quantity that gets the results.

High-quality whey protein is available and is for those serious about improving lean muscle mass and/or trying to get past stubborn weight plateaus. The whey contains an ideal amino acid profile and comes from dairy cows that are pasture-fed on small New Zealand farms, milked according to season and not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Because I had identified that "toxins" were the real cause of my weight problem I chose this high quality product free of toxins and impurities.

MY STORY:
I only share my story because I believe it demonstrates why I needed to change and take an interest in health and nutrition. I also believe that many business people may relate to my experience. For most of my life in business my health and what I ate took a "backseat" to my daily business requirements. I was always on the run and "fitted in" around them. I now see that my priorities were definitely wrong...but that only became urgent when my health started on a downwards spiral. Sadly I've noticed that many people experience the same.

I have an engineering background and only became interested in health when I retired and my health had started to rapidly deteriorate. I had been "obese" for many years and by the time I had reached 65 I was lethargic, lacking energy and needing a knee replacement. For over 40 years I was on multiple medications. With my declining health it suddenly became very clear to me that my quality of life was a long way from where it used to be. I also came to realize that if I continued doing what I had been doing then it was not likely I could expect any different result. I needed to change.

Today I am a "different" person. I'm 70 years old, 46kg (102lb) lighter, energetic beyond imagination and feeling years younger than I am. In fact I feel far better than I was at 45. My real bonus is that my Doctor has now given me a clean bill of health and I'm on no medications at all. In fact I've only visited my Doctor twice in the last 3 ½ years for an annual blood test, just to see that I'm as good on the inside as I feel. His comment was "whatever you're doing just keep doing it because you're like a teenager on the inside".

My life change I believe is the direct result of my interest in healthy nutrition. I have concluded that anyone can do what I've done if they're willing to make some changes. It's not hard or expensive...it's just your thinking that you must change first. The question you should answer "do I want to feel well and be healthy every day of my life?" Remember...everyone I know would willingly exchange everything they own in exchange for good health...when their health fails.

In life it's just like everything else...in the end its really "quality" that matters not quantity.

Eric Smetherham is a Nutritional Cleansing expert and an Independent Isagenix Cleanse Consultant. "I'm fortunate enough to be working with a community where the scientists have won the Nobel Prize for their ground-breaking discovery which is changing people's lives, and changing the world. Have you heard about Telomeres? I'm looking after mine. I love their products & my blood tests show that on the inside I'm just like a teenager again.

Eric now spends much of his time educating and coaching others to achieve better health. Information about the benefits of the popular Isagenix Cleansing program can be found on Eric's website http://www.remove-body-toxins.com where you can Buy Isagenix online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_J_Smetherham

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Healthy Eating - What Makes a Healthy Meal?

Eating a balanced diet can help keep your heart healthy. Healthy eating is about enjoying foods from a variety of different food groups. This is the fundamental principle of good nutrition. It's all about balance.

A sensible healthy meal should include the following:

1. Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs or vegetarian meat alternative such as legumes, beans, lentils or nuts.

2. Pasta, rice, noodles, couscous, potato or bread.

3. Plenty of vegetables and salad.

As a general guide, aim for half your dinner plate to be vegetables, a quarter of the plate to be either rice, pasta, noodles, potato or bread and the other quarter of the plate lean meat or vegetarian meat alternative. Have a side salad. Experiment with lower fat cooking methods such as grilling, poaching, steaming or using the microwave.

Try and base your eating pattern on the following healthy eating guidelines to improve your heart health.

More of this for Healthy Eating:

1. Good Fats : Margarine spreads and vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean, olive and peanut oil for spreading, cooking, frying and baking, salad dressings and mayonnaise.

2. Low fat dairy : Skim, low or reduced fat versions of milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream.

3. Lean meat : Red or white meat trimmed off fat, chicken/turkey without skin.

4. Take away : Asian take away (e.g. rice and veggies), Pasta take away with vegetable sauces, Sushi, Salad sandwiches.

5. Snacks : Plain, unsalted nuts, air-popped popcorn, fresh or dried fruit, raw veggies.

6. Drinks : Water, unsweetened tea, diluted fruit juice.

Less of this for Healthy Eating:

1. Bad Fats : Butter and dairy blends, coconut oil and palm oil.

2. Full fat dairy : cream, full fat cheese, full fat milk, full fat ice cream.

3. Fatty meats : Sausages, delicatessen meats such as salami, cholesterol rich meats such as offal (e.g. liver, kidney etc).

4. Fatty take away : Pizzas, Hamburgers, Creamy pasta dishes, French fries and fried meat etc.

5. Less healthy snacks : Biscuits, chocolates, cakes, pastries, chips, sugary foods such as lollies etc.

6. Less healthy drinks : Soft drinks, energy drinks.

A more balanced diet for Healthy Eating:

1. Plant sterols - 2 grams per day

For people looking to lower cholesterol absorption.

2. Oily Fish - twice a week

Salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and sardines.

3. Wholegrains - to every meal

Grain based foods such as cereals, oats, bread, pasta, noodles, and rice Prefer wholegrain variants and brown rice.

4. Legumes - as alternative to meat

Peas, beans and lentils, dried, canned or fresh.

5. Fruits and Vegetables - plenty

5 Serves of vegetables (in every meal) and at least 2 pieces of fruit per day, choose as colourful as possible.

6. Salt and alcohol in moderation

Alcohol: max. 2 units per day for men, 1 unit per day for women Salt: Use herbs, spices and pepper instead to flavour foods.

If you are worried that your diet is not considered healthy eating or you have any concerns about your cholesterol level or any aspect of your heart health, your general practitioner, practice nurse, dietitian or pharmacist should always be your first point of contact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Brumby

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Healthy Eating: 5 Best Foods for Healthy Skin

While genetics play a major role in skin health, eating the right foods can also help you look younger, fight acne, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. More than 20 percent of women suffer from acne into their 20s and 30s. Aside from antibiotics and over-the-counter treatments, there are a number of foods that can help you prevent and treat skin problems. Making certain diet changes can slow the aging process and give you a healthy, glowing complexion. Here are five best foods for healthy skin:

Tropical Fruit

Tropical fruits are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Your diet should include kiwi, papaya, mango, pineapple, and guava. The nutrients in these foods stimulate collagen production and help the body fight against free radical damage. Due to their high content of vitamins and minerals, tropical fruits also strengthen the immune system and prevent heart disease, lung disease, arthritis, cold, and flu.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the best sources of essential fatty acids. Good fats increase skin elasticity and strengthen cell membranes, helping your skin look radiant and nourished. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. You can apply olive directly on your skin, prepare a moisturizing face mask, or exfoliate your skin with olive oil and sea salt. Adding olive oil to your daily meals will improve the appearance of your skin.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains large amounts of vitamin A, which is beneficial for your skin. By including yogurt in your daily diet, you will be consuming lots of vitamins and protein. This food keeps skin glowing and remove excess sebum. It also helps in treating acne, reduces skin discoloration, and prevents premature aging.

Red Grapes

Studies have shown that red grapes contain antioxidants and other natural substances that treat inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. These fruits also contain resveratrol, a substance that is commonly used in sunscreen lotions. Resveratrol kills cancerous cells, slows down the aging process, and neutralizes free radicals.

Broccoli

This cruciferous veggie is an excellent source of antioxidanta. It contains vitamin E, which protects the skin against UV radiation damage. Broccoli is also rich in vitamin C. This nutrient keeps your skin healthy and boosts your immune system. Researchers have found that broccoli is one of the bet sources of calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin K. These natural substances stimulate the growth of new skin cells and revitalize skin tissues. They also help in treating boils, eczema, rashes, and skin hardening.

Whether you want to improve the appearance of your skin, boost your immune system, or lose weight, healthy eating should be your priority. Making small adjustments to your diet can improve your overall health and give you a youthful appearance. Be sure to visit DSM Food for more diet tips and healthy recipes!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_H_Milner

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Cheap and Healthy Foods That Can Help Burn Off Belly Fat

There are indeed many foods that that burn belly fat, but don't let that fool you into thinking that you can just eat these foods and somehow magically shed the el bee's. For the most effective results you should consider eating the different foods that burn belly fat but obviously supplement that with proper exercise.

Fat burning foods work via physiological changes on the body. For instance, cinnamon helps regulate insulin and blood glucose levels which indirectly help you control body fat. Spicy foods containing capsaicin work through a process called thermogenics, where your body heats up by increasing your heart rate, and your body must burn calories to do both of these things.

Keep in mind that most foods that burn belly fat do so to a small degree. In other words, you can't just eat tons of cinnamon and be ripped. Effects usually range anywhere from 3-10% increases in metabolism or calories burned throughout the day.

Other foods work by curbing your appetite. Foods high in fiber help keep you feeling full longer so you eat less. In addition, eating a healthy breakfast helps jump start your metabolism for the rest of the day as well as giving you much a much needed source of energy after a full nights rest.

This is probably not news to any of you, but the best way to lose weight is regular exercise combined with a sensible diet. So with that said here is a list or our favorite fat burning foods.

Foods That Burn Belly Fat

1. Almonds and Almond Butter - Almonds are high in healthy fats, and fat helps keep you feeling full longer. They are also rich in niacin, which helps keep your digestive track working smoothly, and can help prevent bloating.


2. Avocados - Avocados contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats and provide a terrific source of fiber, just a half cup a day will keep you feeling fuller and away from junk food.


3. Green Tea - Rich in antioxidants that are proven to speed metabolism. You need a 3-5 cups a day for maximum effect. There are actually many reasons why tea is great at aiding in fat loss.


4. Hot Peppers - Can be hard on your stomach if you eat too many. But if you like spicy foods or hot sauce then don't be afraid to crank up the heat! The capsaicin will help speed up your metabolism.


5. Cinnamon - Consider adding cinnamon to your coffee instead of sugar, it provides a great flavor and helps to regulate your insulin levels.


6. Beans - Beans such as black beans, red beans and pinto beans pack a lot of protein and fiber. Both of which help you tone up and lose weight.

Now that you know some great foods that can help burn belly fat as well as shed some pounds, it's time to focus on the other side of the equation. More specifically, what kind of exercises you should be doing to help you lose weight?

Before answering that question, it is important to note that just about any type of exercise done regularly and consistently will help you lose some weight and get in better shape. What we want to focus on here though is the kind of exercises that will help you lose weight the fastest and most efficient way.

Best Fat Burning Exercise

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of exercising. Strength training and cardio. We believe a combination of both is best for attaining overall physical fitness. Strength training from lifting weights will help you increase strength, improve your body shape and gain lean muscle tissue. Having extra muscle helps burn more energy when you are at rest, even if only a little. But extra muscle will also burn more fat when you are active as well, so you will get a bit of a bonus effect when doing any other type of physical activity. Now these are obviously all great benefits but weight lifting simply doesn't compare to cardio training when it comes to total calories burned.

As we have said before, the best type of fat burning exercise is high intensity cardio training aka high intensity interval training (HIIT). Intensity is key when trying to burn calories and lose weight.

Before you begin any type of fitness regimen, you may want to consult your doctor. Also, don't just jump into doing crazy intense exercises right at the beginning. Your body needs time to get used to exercising (if you haven't been exercising much). If you go too hard in the beginning it is very likely you could hurt yourself or be so sore the few days after that you won't even feel like working out anymore!

Now you may have heard of the fat burning heart rate zone, and it does exist, but oddly enough it is not the optimum way to burn fat. The fat burning zone is usually stated as around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. The thing about this though is that although you are burning a higher percentage of fat, you are not burning as many calories overall as compared to a more intense form of exercise that gets your heart rate to 80% of your MHR (max heart rate) and higher.

This is important to note because if you want to lose weight by exercising at the so called 'fat burn heart rate', you'll be wasting a lot of time and effort. Since you can burn calories faster at a higher intensity, high intensity is preferable to long stints of cardio because long sessions of cardio at a moderate pace will become boring and tend to burn you out. The last thing you want to do is quit or give up because you hate being on the treadmill for an hour or more everyday.

So if you want an easy interval training routine to get started, check out some workouts on online. You can also find a lot of other HIIT guides and workouts online, from beginner to advanced. Try to find something that involves activities that you already enjoy. For example, if you are a runner, do intervals related to sprinting. If you like riding a bike or using an elliptical machine, you can find interval training that uses this equipment. Experiment with different types of training to find something you like and so you don't get bored. We know that losing weight is not easy task, but if you put in the right effort with the right mindset you can reach your goal and it's worth it.

High intensity interval training is awesome, but you might be wondering if there is there is a single best fat burning exercise? Well nobody can say for certain what the most effective single exercise would be for you, but if we had to recommend one tough exercise that targets your entire body, as well as combines strength training with cardio, we would have to say it's the "man makers".

What we ultimately think is the best program is to do some HIIT 3 times a week along with some strength training 2 or 3 times a week to increase your lean muscle mass.

Unfortunately, there is so much misinformation, crazy diets and conflicting advice out there that it's hard to figure out exactly what to believe. Try not to get caught up with all the surrounding weight loss. Every person's body reacts a little differently than others, but there are general principles that just make sense. Like don't eat junk food and don't sit on the couch all day. Eat healthy foods and exercise, this mindset will never steer you wrong.

The most important thing is to just get started down the path, set some simple goals, and keep progressing. Like anything else in life, if you want it bad enough and work hard enough, you will achieve.

If you are new to exercising or are looking for tips, reviews, or recommendations to help you get in (or stay in) shape, then please visit us at our website where you can get find some of the best fitness related articles online!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Hardens

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Healthy Eating: How to Save Money on Groceries and Stay Healthy

With food prices on the rise, saving money on groceries should be on your priority list. Statistics show that the average American family spends as much as $164 a week on food. Many people complain that there's no way they can buy healthy food on a budget. The truth is that you can eat a nutritious diet while keeping your grocery budget low. Here are a few simple ways on how to save money on groceries while still eating healthy:

Create a Menu

Create a menu for what you plan to eat between shopping trips. This will limit the trips you make to the grocery store. There are various online tools that can help you create a grocery list for the week. When you go shopping, only buy what's on your list.

Remove Unnecessary Items from Your List

List all the places where you buy food, including the morning coffee shop, the popcorn counter at the theater, and the soda machine at work. Eliminate all except the essentials. If it's not on the list, then you obviously don't need it.

Cook Smart

Use the extra vegetables for stews, soups, and healthy snacks. Prepare your own dips and sauces. Buying pre-made sauces is far more expensive than buying the equivalent in canned ingredients. Save money by using tomatoes, herbs, and spices to create your own sauce. Most of the time you pay for convenience. Never buy small cut pieces of meat or cheese unless they are on sale. Purchase bigger pieces of meat and ask the butcher to cut them up for free.

Try Non-Branded Items

No-name brands of foods are often cheaper than renowned brands, but this doesn't mean that they are inferior. You have probably become so used to picking up the same products week in, week out, that you just wouldn't think about trying out the less expensive versions of the same items. Read the ingredient list and then decide whether you should spend a few extra dollars on branded foods or go for store-labels.

Browse the Ads Online

Knowing what's on sale will keep you from impulse buying. Before you go shopping for groceries, check your local stores weekly deals on the Internet. Plan your menu based on what's on sale. Stock up on products that you know you always need when they are on sale. Consider using coupons. You should also look for grocery stores that offer double or triple coupon incentives.

Healthy eating should be your main priority. Choosing the right foods can improve your overall health and give you the energy you need. For more tips on how to save money on groceries and cook smart, visit DSM Food.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_H_Milner

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