Healthy Food

By Jose Felipe Abrigo

Did you know that making a few changes with the way you choose and prepare your food could contribute to the health of people with diabetes and the rest of the family?

Eating healthy is essential for diabetics to help them control their blood sugar level, maintain their weight, and prevent them from suffering heart disease and other complications. Though termed as diabetic diet food, the meals prepared for people with diabetes are good for the whole family too.

Here are some healthy cooking and food handling tips for diabetics and the rest of your family:

• Trim the fat. When purchasing meat, choose lean cuts of pork, beef, lamb, and veal. Before cooking, remove all visible fat from the meat.

• Make soups one day ahead and store them in the fridge. This will allow you to remove the fat that has formed on the top of the soup once it is chilled.

• Instead of frying, try other ways of cooking meat products like grilling. Rub dry herbs and spices over the meat before grilling them. It gives the meat great flavor, plus there is no oil or fat involved in your cooking.

• If you really want to eat fried foods, use olive oil in food preparation instead of butter, margarine, or other types of oil. Avoid saturated and trans fat as much as possible. Use non-stick pans and cooking spray too.

• Cut down on sodium. Too much salt in your diet can increase your risk of high blood pressure. Limit salt use by training your taste buds to appreciate herbs and spices. Good salt replacement herbs include basil, bay, dill, rosemary, thyme, dill, and mint.

• When handling vegetables, be sure not to overcook them if ever they require cooking. Veggies tend to lose their nutrients when overcooked. When selecting vegetables, pick those that are in season. Wash them using tap water. Peel them thinly since most of the nutrients of vegetables are mainly found just below their skin. Take care to cook the veggies over low fire. This helps preserve the natural flavors of the veggies and makes them easier to digest.

Eating foods that are good for you requires healthy preparation. Try these healthy food handling tips mentioned above and you are on your way to managing your diabetes.

Find out more about reversing your diabetes permanently - More and more are curing this used-to-be incurable disease!

By Dr. Dale Heil     

Everyone is interested in healthy lunch food. That's a good thing because lunch is consumed during the busiest part of your day and should be your most nutrient rich meal of the day. Luckily, lunch can utilize good cheap food that can be used in inexpensive healthy recipes. Healthy lunch food does not have to be expensive.

Healthy Food To Eat

Lunchtime is when following the basic guidelines of nutritious eating really come into play. These are the basic guidelines:

1. Eat at least 5 (preferably more) servings of raw vegetables and fresh fruit every day.

2. Consume whole grain products such as bread, pasta, and cereal (both hot and cold cereals) instead of refined grain products.

3. Limit your daily protein consumption to a piece of meat about the size of a pack of playing cards.

4. Drink lots of pure water to flush toxins from your body.

These are the basics that will make it easy for you to find healthy foods to eat.

Now you only have to begin to slowly integrate these types of foods into the meals you currently consume. It' easy to do if you begin serving a salad or raw vegetable platter as an appetizer to every lunch or dinner you eat.

It is important that you always have raw vegetables with each meal because cooking kills all of the vital enzymes and most of the other nutrients.

If you buy whole grain bread in addition to the tasteless white bread you usually buy and begin alternating them you can effortlessly transition to the healthier bread. You will soon find yourself buying and consuming only the whole grain bread.

A Easy Healthy Diet Plan

As you can see, the healthful food choices for a healthy lunch are substantial. If you make sure you have a raw vegetable salad or peeled vegetables in a plastic bag you can satisfy most of your daily nutritional needs of these foods. Using whole grain bread and more vegetables such as onion, lettuce, and tomato on your sandwich will give you a healthy balanced diet at lunchtime. Finishing up your midday meal with a piece of fruit instead of a snack cake is a great idea. As you can see, finding healthy lunch food is easy.

By Kirthy Shetty

Food is often seen to have a lot of nutrients in them. Therefore, understanding what is right for your hair is important to nourish your mane. Try to know what are the nutrients required for your follicles. You must require minerals, protein, iron for the nourishment of your mane. So, find out what are those food products that are good for your strands.

You must eat fish and other sea food that has plenty of omega 3 fatty acids in them. Promote shiny locks of your follicles so that it looks shinier than before. You may have noticed that sea food eaters have thick and jet black long tresses. This is due to the presence of omega3 and fatty acids in them. It makes your tresses strong from the root itself.

Certain variety of oil such as flax seed oil, olive oil, avocado, sesame oil, beans, virgin coconut oil and oil from the nuts etc are used on your tresses. These nuts can be consumed as well as their oil extracted may be used on your scalp to strengthen your tresses from the roots itself. This way you can naturally promote its growth and also add luster to it.

Besides these oils, omega 3 fatty acids are also used for external use. You can apply them on your scalp along with canola oil, soybean or coconut oil.

Eat plenty of green apple, they are good for your hair as well as your digestive system. They contain antioxidants which frees you from free radicals. It is used to treat male pattern baldness. It is the presence of polyphenol in the green apple that is helpful in the treatment of men pattern baldness.

By Renee Malove

As parents, there's nothing more important to you than the health of your children. From the moment they're born you do everything you can to keep them healthy and happy as they grow. But did you know that most children have their health sabotaged before their first birthday, just because most food manufacturers don't promote healthy eating for kids?

Oh sure, you see the advertisements. They tell you you're making the right choices for your kids. The bottom line, however, is that most of the crackers, fruit snacks, juice and cookies your kids are snacking on are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, sodium, fats, additives and other unnatural ingredients that aren't meant to be processed by their immature digestive systems.

Couple that with the growing trend toward couch-potatohood (and worshipping at the video game shrine 5-7 hours a day) and you've got a lethal combination that's setting the stage for an unhealthy generation of children. In 2002, 22% of American preschoolers were overweight. Today, 33.3% of America's youth is clinically overweight or obese. Studies also show that 40% of obese children and 70% of obese adolescents go on to become obese adults, setting the stage for a lifetime spent struggling with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and, more importantly, the tremendous blows to their self-esteem from the mocking of callous classmates.

The answer lies with you. Learning the ins and outs of healthy eating for kids will go a long way toward teaching children proper eating habits, the cornerstone of lifelong health and nutrition. Since your kids don't usually do the grocery shopping it's up to you to make sure they're eating the right blend of all natural ingredients they need to grow.

What are your kids drinking? All children love juice and soda, but they're both loaded with empty calories. Replace their juice with water and milk, and save the juice and soda for special occasions. It's better for you too!

Cut out processed, breaded meats like chicken nuggets and fishsticks and replace them with lean meats (chicken breasts, fish filet, lean steaks). Then, take a look at their fruit and vegetable intake. Are they getting their recommended daily allowance of both, or are you letting it slide because fighting with them over their vegetables is more trouble than it's worth? Fruits, vegetables and proteins are a key part of healthy eating for kids because they take longer to digest. Kids feel fuller, so they eat fewer unhealthy carbs and do much less snacking.

Speaking of snacking...

Today's kids are snacking more than ever and still eating three full meals a day. Not only are they getting too many of the wrong kind of calories, they're also learning to overeat. Limit your children's snacking, and make sure they're getting the right kind of snacks. An apple with peanut butter is much healthier than a pile of cookies or a dish of chips. Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables within easy reach so they can grab for them instead of the crackers in the cupboard.

By learning the fundamentals of healthy eating for kids, you're setting your family on the path to a lifetime of happiness and good health.

By Meadow Summers

When I learned I had breast cancer, I decided that I needed to find out as much as I could about how my diet might impact my health. I absorbed everything I would get my hands on that discussed the importance of nutrition in regaining health and preventing a recurrence of cancer. Shortly after I learned I had cancer, I also found out that I am allergic to dairy and eggs. I needed to make changes to my lifestyle - fast.

The first thing to go was dairy. All of the years that I was consuming massive amounts of cheese was taking a toll on my health. Almost immediately upon giving it up, the majority of my migraine headaches disappeared. Another astonishing revelation was when, just as quickly, I no longer needed the Afrin nasal spray I had come to depend on to clear my sinuses for 35 years! I couldn't leave the house without it. Now my need for it had disappeared. I had no idea that all of these issues were being caused by dairy.

Suddenly it was obvious, but for years I went along consuming dairy and suffering side effects without ever putting the two together. To improve my health on all counts, I realized that I needed to get back to basic, simple foods. No more processed junk foods, no more saturated fats, and no more refined white flours and sugars. So, along with dairy, I cut them out of my life. I now eat a mostly plant-based diet that is rich in nutrients and full of vitamins.

I buy organic when possible to avoid the pesticide and herbicide residues that are so prevalent in conventionally grown produce. I cook my meals from scratch. No more cans, packages or boxes (with a few exceptions). I now use my creativity and Google savvy to put together healthy meal ideas that work for my family. I noticed an immediate improvement to my health. I not only started to lose weight, and ultimately slowly and steadily lost 50 pounds, but I started to feel like my younger self again. More energetic, less achy, clearer skin.

I found that by merging elements from a vegan diet and a raw food lifestyle I could satisfy my family's needs of eating healthy. The elements that I incorporated from the raw food diet is not only eating more vegetables in their raw state, but also eating foods that are "pure". In other words, foods that are not processed or otherwise adulterated. They don't contain chemicals or additives as they are mostly freshly made and consumed. However, it was not feasible to prepare only non-cooked foods 100% or the time. Although, I do try to eat at least 50% raw each day.

I needed to include hot healthy foods into my diet as well. In the northeast the winters are cold and it is just not possible for me to cut out all warm food. As far as veganism, I have eliminated all animal products, with the exception of some fish on occasion for the omega 3 benefits.

My diet now focuses on a plant-based diet and includes whole grains, beans and nuts. With all of the changes I have incorporated into my life, I have reduced my risk of having a recurrence of cancer substantially. Consuming less saturated fat, including an exercise regime, cutting out alcoholic beverages and more leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables all cut my risk. But my new regime is not only one that is good for those who have cancer. It is a lifestyle that we should all incorporate elements of into our everyday lives. It is healthy and promotes optimal health. Healthy food is key to optimal health. Making small changes in lifestyle can add up to big benefits over time. The next time you consider picking up a loaded burger, consider your health!

By Abdullah Mahmood

Honey is a natural sweet white substance made by bees from flower nectar. It gets its sweetness from glucose and saccharine. Most micro organisms don't grow in honey because of its low water activity. Honey collected from trees and mountains is better than honey grown in cells. Quality of honey varies according to the area from where the bees collect their food. Bee keepers encourage over production of honey within the hives.

Tradition Of Use Of Honey:

• In the book of Christians the Promised Land will be the land flowing with milk and honey.
• In olden days Romans used honey to pay their taxes.
• Honey was considered very sacred in Buddhist community and was given as a gift to monks.
• Jews considered honey as a symbol of their New Year.

According to the Quran the sacred book of Muslims.

'And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cell on hills and trees and in (men's) habitations... there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors... wherein is healing for mankind... Verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.'

Taking honey early in the morning at least thrice a week reduces the chance of a person to have any serious ailment. Honey also activates the memory.

1400 years ago the Prophet of Islam had laid emphasis on the use of honey as remedy for different diseases. And recently it has been proved by medical research that it contains certain antiseptic and anti bacterial properties.

Benefits of Using Honey:

• MRSA patients are treated with honey.
• Topical honey is used for Diabetic Ulcers.
• Antioxidants in honey reduce damage done to Colon in Colitis.
• Honey is also used for sore throats, coughs and laryngitis.
• Burns and wounds are treated with honey as Topical honey reduces odors, swelling and scarring.
• China, Turkey and USA are one of the leading producers of honey.

The natural honey is a miracle cure for various diseases.

By Fiona Lesley

With a little simple meal planning, you can eliminate a great deal of stress from your daily life. There is nothing worse than getting to the end of the day and wondering what on earth you are going to feed a hungry family. So often we apply extraordinary precision and care to our jobs, to our kids' schedules or to our interest groups, but when it comes to the simple act of putting healthy, nutritious food on the table, we fail.

1 Double up on a few simple ground beef recipes

It sounds so obvious to double up on recipes, but how often to we do it? Somehow we have visions of being knee deep in pounds of raw ground beef and chopped onions. However, if you are going to chop one onion, you may as well chop two. If you are going to brown one pound of ground beef you may as well brown two. And so on. You have one dirty pan, but two meals. One to eat now and one to act as one of those freezer meals which are a total blessing on chaotic days.

So, if you apply the rules above you can take two pounds of ground beef and use the same recipe for both. However, you can make the one lot into Chili con Carne and the next into a Ground Beef Taco Recipe.

2 Slow Leg of Lamb Roast

Whilst a Leg of Lamb is not an economy cut, it it nevertheless honest! You can easily make a delicious roast with a fresh salsa recipe - in this case Olive, Cashew and Feta Salsa. It sounds so unusual having a salsa with roast lamb but it is quite delicious.

The next night you can indulge in a Leftover Lamb and Couscous Salad - no trouble at all. So, your Leg of Lamb has easily made two meals.

3 Double up on Easy Beef Recipes

Just as with ground beef, you can double up on beef recipes. Double up on browning the onions and the cubes of beef and you have either two freezer meals, or two completely different dishes. You can make an easy Beef Stew Recipe and the next night you can pop some puff pastry on the same easy beef recipe and you will produce an impressive Beef Pie Recipe!

Furthermore, if you add some good beef stock to your leftover Beef Stew, and throw in a little barley, you have the makings of a respectable Beef Barley Soup Recipe.

4 Make the most of Boneless Chicken Breast Recipes

A Coq au Vin recipe is a classic. People have illusions that this red wine chicken dish is difficult to achieve but nothing could simpler. But better still, you can make double of this recipe, add a pastry topping, and you have a sumptuous Chicken Pie. Alternatively, you could add leftovers to some pasta shapes and you have a simple Chicken Pasta Bake.

5 Garlic Mash Potato Recipe

You can make garlic mash potato as an accompaniment for sausages as a simple family meal. However, make a little extra mash potato and you have the base for a formidable Salmon Patties Recipe. Mildly flavored with fresh coriander, capers and gherkins, this is one of those canned salmon recipes which is also good in lunch boxes. An all round winner.

So, with a little bit of thought and simple meal planning, you can save time, money and your sanity! April Meal Planning offers a free plan and free recipes.

By Teagan King 

If you're looking for something that is easy to eat that also tastes good and is good for you, you can't go wrong eating a banana! Every banana is naturally packaged with the peel, so they are easy to store or take with you on the go, then you can just peel and eat one when you're ready.

One of the best things about bananas is the fact they have lots of potassium. This mineral is important to help maintain proper functioning of all the body's cells, tissues and organs. Potassium not only helps maintain cell health, but it is also an important electrolyte in the human body. That means potassium will conduct electricity in the human body, along with other minerals like calcium, chloride, magnesium, and sodium.

Potassium works hard to provide good muscle functions too. It is downright vital to heart function. It also plays a major role in other muscle contractions, both smooth and skeletal. That means potassium plays a role in both normal digestive function, which uses smooth muscles, and body movement using skeletal muscles.

But bananas are full of more healthy substance than just potassium! They are also a good source of vitamins B6 and C, plus they have a lot of fiber. And if that isn't enough, bananas are also full of antioxidants. Since the level of antioxidants increases as a banana ripens, that means the riper the banana, the more antioxidants it has.

Besides eating this healthy fruit fresh, bananas can also be used for cooking and baking. They can be combined with all kinds of other foods. For instance, lots of people add bananas to smoothies to add more nutrition and give the drink a fuller body and texture. Bananas can be sliced over a bowl of cereal, cut up and put in fruit salads, or baked in muffins or other quick breads. There are just a diverse number of ways to eat bananas.

Bananas are just a super healthy food! Isn't it great they also taste good?

By T Hunt

Healthy eating in fast food restaurants used to be a complete myth, but not anymore. Many restaurant chains and establishments have become aware of the fact that they don't have to sacrifice nutritional value just for taste and quick service. Especially nowadays when consumers, such as yourself, are starting to feel the need to trim down that bulging belly and eat responsibly to lead longer, healthier lives.

Fast food has played a big part in our society - from actual branding and popularity to the burger and fries staples you indulge on to satisfy your cravings. Undoubtedly, it has served its purpose well. However, healthy eating has suffered greatly as a result, and all that has to change.

Avoiding burgers and pizza is hard, particularly if you've made it a part of your daily routine. So, as a compromise, or at least to get you started off on the right foot, there are certain things you can do to make sure you decrease your dependence on fast food.

1. Do your research. If you find yourself ordering food from a particular restaurant more than others, it would be best if you really got familiar with all the food options they offer. This includes all of their best-selling food items to sides, condiments, and, yes, even add-ons. That way, if you really feel the urge to drive-thru or are running late for a meeting and need to grab a quick bite on the way, you can still experience healthy eating by opting for the least sinful items on the menu.

2. Avoid fried foods. Fast food restaurants typically use hydrogenated oils made from animal or vegetable fat. This type of oil is simply more economical, practical, and easier to store. Even so, studies have shown that they pose several adverse effects on consumers. Cardiovascular disease, increase in blood pressure and clotting, and inflammatory conditions, just to name a few.

Some establishments have announced that they've switched to using non-hydrogenated soy or corn oil blends. So if you can, avoid fried fast foods altogether, limit your intake, or do your research and go for fast food joints that make use of non-hydrogenated cooking oil to ensure healthy eating.

3. Sauce it down. Sometimes, even when you order the leanest, least fried piece of meat, you get just the same amount of fat and sodium, if not more, from the sauce your burger or salad comes with. Creamy, thick sauces like gravy and salad dressings are the worst because they hide around 100 calories and at least 10 to 15 grams of fat per serving. Condiments, too, are no exemption. A packet of ketchup would have around 125mg of sodium, and that's a lot coming from such a small package.

Next time you feel like indulging in these flavorful add-ons, try to use it sparingly; just enough to give your food a nice kick. For healthy eating, opt for the vinaigrette on your salads.

4. Go for a cold glass of H20. You know you're already treating yourself to yummy fast food, so for your beverage, skip on the soda and the sweetened iced tea.

5. Pile on the veggies. Instead of adding extra cheese, egg, pickles, bacon, or mayo, why not go for other healthier yet equally tasty and filling options like lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocados, and onions. One bite and you'll surely enjoy your burger or pizza just as much.

There are many other ways for you to enjoy healthy eating at your favorite restaurant. But these 5 easy tips will definitely help you get started.

By Ben Camelas

Everyone knows that the key to avoiding diseases, illnesses and health problems is through gentle but regular exercise, good food and a general all round healthy lifestyle. For many, this advise come too late and for others, illnesses such as arthritis may be unavoidable.

Sportsmen and women alike often face the issue once they are older that their bodies have been pushed too far too often. High impact sports, where joins are pushed to their limits, often see a high amount of people contracting osteoarthritis. There is an osteoarthritis treatment out there that can help your knees and hips, but it is important to do all you can to help the treatment perform its best. You can supplement your arthritis treatment with a healthy and doctor-approved diet.

Your diet may be the best way to help your arthritis treatment work at the highest level. There are some food which should be avoided, and others which you should make sure you are eating plenty of. More plant-based foods and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet will help to lubricate your joints, stopping your joints from having such bad inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are found mostly in fish. You can get supplements from your doctor, as well as directly from the food themselves. It is also widely known that olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties which are similar to ibuprofen and aspirin. Eat pastas or salads with a little Extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over - or change your usual cooking oil to olive oil. Strawberries are also known to reduce inflammation while satisfying your sweet tooth!

Watching your weight will also help to prevent any extra stress put on your body and joint. Keeping a healthy BMI count will show you if you need to lose weight for your body's own good. Avoid high cholesterol food and eat whole grains and plenty of vegetables to keep your weight on track.

It's always a good idea to take your whole lifestyle into consideration when looking at your health. For those people who are unfortunate enough to get arthritis there are treatments available that can made your life a lot easier, but supplementing your treatment with a good diet will help you to get the most out of your life - especially if you were accustomed to an energetic and active life.

By Franck Silvestre I

Recent fitness enthusiasts who want to stay fit by enjoying a healthy and enriched diet are logging in to the internet so that they may collect ample information about it. To be healthy and fit is the earnest desire for almost everybody and that is why the online sources are gaining immense popularity.

Nowadays if you go to the internet you will find a variety of measures that the people are searching just to collect a health and nutritious diet. Amongst the huge array of such products a new name is Quinoa which is more or less like a seed or grain that is a part of spinach family that is harvested in Brazil, South America. It can be cooked and served as a grain only.

Quinoa is gaining immense popularity amongst the fitness freaks and the people who are very much particular for their diet. Being a complete natural food if offers a great deal of antioxidants, protein, minerals like magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and phosphorus, vitamins along with a huge quantity of fiber. The Quinoa is easily digested by human body as it quickly mingles with blood and gives you a lot of energy to work for the day long.

The search trends for this stunningly beneficial grain are unbelievable and companies are securing large profits through the sale of products made of this valuable grain. This is almost like the small wheat which is very much similar to the acai berry. Keeping the importance of these tiny grains and their demand in mind various online companies are displaying the abundant information, their origin, benefits from it, ways to cook or prepare it, places to find it and so on and so forth.

Providing the details pertaining to Quinoa the online companies which are rendering services, sharing knowledge or offering products made of this are making money and this all became possible just because of the interest of the mass. It is considered to be the super food by the United Nations. It does not contain sugar at all.

It is very easy to cook as you can cook it just as you cook rice and you can serve it as starters, appetizers, salads, meal replacements and sometimes as your full course meal. It can wonderfully help you in shedding your extra pounds. Ensure that your family is taking completely nutritional and healthy food and purchase the foodstuff with utmost care and patience. Being a homemaker it is your prime responsibility that you make the entire family healthy and happy.