Healthy Food

By Vincent Pham and Vien Pham

Whether you are trying to lose weight or just simply want to live a healthy lifestyle, consulting a carbohydrates food chart would make it a lot easier to achieve your desired health goals. As the term implies, this is a chart that lists all of the different kinds of foods that we normally consume on a daily basis. It not only contains the number of grams of carbohydrates you get per serving of a particular food. This also provides the number of grams of sugar and starch each food serving contains.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of our body's energy. While the most common sources of carbohydrates come from grain products such as bread and pasta, nearly all of the foods that we consume contain some amount of carbohydrates in them. But just because a particular type of food contains carbohydrates means that it is good for you.

Food nutritionists have classified the different foods into simple and complex carbohydrates. Of the two, they recommend to consume more quantities of complex carbohydrates. Unlike foods that contain simple carbohydrates, the body takes a longer time to convert complex carbohydrates into energy. This is essential, particularly for those that are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure since foods rich in simple carbohydrates can cause a sudden spike in the body's blood sugar levels.

The amount of carbohydrates to include in your diet greatly depends on your goals and your health condition. A person suffering from high blood pressure or someone who is trying to lose weight may require a lower amount of carbohydrates in the body as compare to a healthy, average person. The information provided in a carbohydrates food chart can help you not only make sure that you are able to stick to your prescribed diet. Because it also provides you information on the amount of sugar and starch contained in each serving of the different foods included here, you are able to choose what you eat more wisely, making living a healthy lifestyle a lot easier.

By Ingrid Palmer

Did you know that there is a very special food for brain health that is totally incomparable to any other type every sold on the market. It has the ability to increase your mental and brain power and also provide lots of other health benefits. This is brain super food.

This brain food is safe, effective and is easy to come by. The only thing is you must be sure your are getting pure and fresh ones. I am talking about fish. The oily, cold water species like tuna, salmon hoki and sardine. These are the best fish for brain however due to the commonly known trend that these fish can be toxic many people do not want to risk their health by eating them.

However due to their toxicity most people prefer to take fish oil supplement, however before you purchase any fish oil make sure it has gone through a process known as molecular distillation.

So you might ask why fish oil is the best food for brain health?

The answer is simple. It contains two very important omega3 fatty acids known as EPA and DHA. They cannot be manufactured by the human body therefore you must introduce them into your system in the form of a supplement or from the foods you eat.

Because the American population is eating less fish there is a deficiency in these fats which can cause death from heart attacks or strokes. Deprivation of the fatty acids can also lead to depression and bi-polar disorders.

DHA makes up a good percentage of the brain fats and keep the brain membranes healthy and help to remove the buildup of platelet. DHA also helps to improve communications among the cells and is very essential for healthy brain.

If you are able to increase your intake of DHA it will help to improve your memory, mood and help to prevent your neurological system from degeneration too rapidly hence Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease might never take over your life as you age. Research has shown this to be very accurate.

Also fish oil high in DHA works wonders for the cardiovascular health maintaining clear arteries and lowering the risk of stroke or heart attack. It also helps to decrease the chance of inflammation taking over your body which can cause low blood pressure and premature death. It can also improve your vision.

To get the maximum benefit you should take a ratio of 2:1 DHA to EPA with at least 260mg of DHA for each fish oil capsule to get optimum brain health benefits.

The best source of these supplements is the one that has the toxins removed with the end result being pure, fresh omega3 oil that is rich in DHA and EPA.

Now that you have an idea what the best brain food for health is do some research and purchase your fish oil supplement from a company who ensure that the toxins have been removed and that you are getting only the best.

By Becki Andrus

Most parents make the mistake of feeding their children unhealthy food, this is not such a great thing to be doing because it can be very harmful to your child's health. Feeding your children harmful food will teach them bad eating habits that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. There are also a lot of misconceptions as to what foods are thought to be healthy for children and whether they actually are. Feeding your children as many whole foods as possible is the best way to go. By reading this article you will learn what is good for your children and what you can do get them healthier!

Children and adults are different in many ways but we should still all be eating the same types of food. Just because your child is young doesn't mean its okay to fill them with hot dogs and Mac n Cheese. Children need nutrient dense foods just like adults do.

The best nutrient dense foods are whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Don't make the mistake of thinking that a package of fruit snacks or a glass of juice counts as a serving of fruit because it sure doesn't! These treats are filled with processed sugars and usually have high amounts of high fructose corn syrup in them. They also rarely contain real fruit. It is best to just stick to the basics like apples, carrots, bananas, etc. You can't go wrong giving your child whole foods that are nutritious. Most of them taste pretty good too!

If you are a mom you know that kids love going to the grocery store. All the big aisles and colorful foods. Take them with you the next time you go to buy groceries. Let them pick out what color of apples they want or which head of lettuce they like the best. This is such a great way to get them excited about what they will be eating.

It is so important to start teaching them about good health at a young age. The good habits they learn when they are young can stick with them for the rest of their lives! Getting them excited about eating whole fruits and vegetables now is so great for them. You may come across a few food items that they may not like because, lets be honest, how many of us liked spinach when WE were kids? It's okay if they don't like certain fruits or vegetables. It can be hard to teach kids how to like certain healthy foods. So if in the end they absolutely wont eat it just give them another healthy food choice to substitute the one they don't like.

It is never to soon to teach your children healthy eating habits. By using the information from this article you can start now! Show your kids how important it is to keep ourselves healthy by eating the right nutrient dense foods and eating less processed sugar filled foods. Make a goal to start teaching them now!

By Todd Mohr

If eating healthy food is important to you, there's a simple way to accomplish this. Generally, simple food is healthy food. Items that don't have a long list of ingredients, nor a label to put that ingredient list on, are generally healthier. Lettuce doesn't have a label that says "lettuce". There's no need for an ingredient label. While I was researching the cuisine in France, I found this principle in place everywhere I went.

Then, if you take direction from France cuisine, you can really assure you're eating healthy food by practicing "terroir" (tare - waa). Terroir is a French term that literally means "earth", but has come to denote all things that are produced locally to where you live. As it was explained to me, terroir is "the sun, the soil, and the love of the farmer".

Pascale Mierve, owner of L' Epicerie Fine, and multi-generational grocery and spice dealer explains terroir in such an elegant way. "You have to respect the seasons," he tells me. "You should not eat a tomato in December, you eat potatoes in December."

What France cuisine has taught me, and Pascal is verifying, is that eating healthy foods means eating not only what is grown or produced locally, but what is produced seasonally also.

The most nutritious, most flavorful items are the simple foods, those that come from within a few miles of your home and don't have an ingredient label. Eating healthy food shouldn't be the secret it is because if you eat local and seasonal, you'll always be eating healthy. I hope that you will take the lessons that I've learned from studying France cuisine and begin eating simpler, fresher ingredients from your local farmer too.

By Andreea Grad

When you are actively starting to take care of your health, food is one of the main areas that need to be addressed, but for a lot of people it becomes a struggle to cook home-made food. For some of us the day begins all over again when we get home, so time becomes an issue.

A question that gets asked frequently is how can someone cook a healthy meal in 30 minutes or less.

One way is to cut down on the steps required for cooking. Preparing some of the food ahead of time, like sauces, marinades, dressings, that you can make in a few minutes and store for the whole week, or precutting the fresh vegetables you are going to use, storing them in the refrigerator or freezer for quick access, will speed up the process and save you money.

To minimize the time you spend on cooking and preparing the meal consider some simple menu planning. This is going to pay off in more time for you to relax at the end of the day, more time with your family or doing what you enjoy most.

The first thing to do is to part the week in two or three consecutive days chunks. Then decide what the largest meal of every day will be... meat based or vegetarian. Knowing what the focus is you will know how to do your shopping.

Things to always have available are fresh greens, stir-fry vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic, cabbage, a few cans of beans and lentils, some noodles, brown rice, basmati rice, quinoa. As for meat, frozen seafood keeps great as well as frozen chicken.

Condiments can make a world of a difference in a meal. Think what you enjoy eating out and bring some of that cuisine at home through spices.

One other trick that many people overlook the "rollover" technique. The idea is cooking something in a larger quantity than you would normally do, and store it for future use in various combination.

For example, cook a large pot of quinoa and have some as a side to a stew, and the next day as a fried quinoa with some vegetables (remember the precut ones above), and for lunch have some leftover stir-fry in a sprouted grain tortilla with some hummus (remember the already made dips and sauces you have ready) or beans.

Or... make a pot roast and store it in the refrigerator. That day serve some as a side with some sauteed greens and some sweet potatoes. The next day have it in some fresh tortilla tacos with some cabbage, lime, avocado, cilantro and tomatoes, or as an addition to the stir-fry in that sprouted grain tortilla, and so on.

Now that you have a strategy on how to cook a home-made meal quickly and creatively, you can enjoy the benefits of eating fresh healthy food, have fun with the family, and witness your health shifting at all levels.

For delicious recipes and tips for more energy and better health visit http://cookingyourhealth.com.

By Allie Moxley

Seafood and health go together like peanut butter and jelly go together. They are unsurprisingly a great and delicious combination. Not only is fish naturally full of great nutrients and vitamins for your body, but also, if the fish are managed correctly, they are pure and grow naturally. Fish is also delicious and tasty, so you can enjoy eating it, unlike some bland diet foods.

The number of nutrients and vitamins found in fish is one of the main reasons seafood and health is a natural match. Fish like salmon have high levels of Omega 3 oils, which is a fat that is good for you and has actually been proven to prevent a number of diseases. Minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc are all found in various seafoods, providing a lot of health benefits such as strong bones. In addition to these nutrients, vitamins C, D, E, and A are all found in seafood. Each of these vitamins supplies different health benefits for strengthening the body and preventing diseases. For example, vitamins C and E are antioxidants that strengthen immune systems.

Another reason that seafood and health go together is if the fish are raised naturally. Managing the fish in a way that they can grow freely and naturally guarantees that they are not contaminated and therefore stay full of nutrients, vitamins, and flavor. If fish are raised far away from populated areas they do not risk coming into contact with garbage or toxic chemicals. They are able to feed on natural food that is meant for them. They can swim and live in clean and clear waters, which means they are able to grow to their natural potential. Fisheries that have regulations when it comes to the management of their fish are sure to produce healthy seafood for your dinner plate. If you are serious about your health it is important to look for sustainability labels when purchasing seafood. You should be able to take full advantage of all the health benefits that seafood has to offer, as well as all of the delicious flavor and meat that seafood provides.

By Michael E Lee

There have been some new changes to come about recently to the rules of the types of foods we should eat everyday to keep us healthy. In addition to these rules there are a couple of strategies that we each should follow everyday that would enhance these rule changes as well. Lets' review these new rules and strategies now.

1. You need to eat fewer calories. I know that you have heard this before, so you are going to hear it again. Try to stay around 2000 calories per day. This will help you maintain a healthy weight.

2. You need to get more of your food from a plant source. Try to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and cooked dried beans and peas. We got to be more like vegetarians if we want to live a long life.

3. You need to eat more fish as part of your diet. Instead of just 2 servings per week as it was recommended in 2005, you need 4 to 5 servings per week. Fish is good for your heart as it has omega-3-fats that can reduce the risk of heart disease.

4. Turn to low-fat dairy products which are lower in saturated fat and is also link to heart disease. Also new research has found that when you replace high fat dairy products with low or nonfat you can lower your blood pressure too. I will say that you can use dairy products to get the calcium your body needs as a bone-strengthening mineral that your body loses as you get older. However, for those of you who do not believe in drinking milk, you can get the calcium your body needs from beans, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, collards, and kale. One note, spinach does not like to give you it calcium very easily like other plants, so do not rely on it too much.

5. Lower your consumption of added sugars and solid fats. Too much sugar has been a main cause of diabetes and solid fats like butter have added calories to your mid-section with few if any nutrients that your body needs.

6. Also you need to reduce your sodium intake and refined grains such as pasta and white bread. If you want to eat these foods as many people do, substitute them with whole wheat as they are widely available in many products now.

7. Cut back on eating lean meats, eggs and poultry. You can still eat these items but try to have them once a week for lean meats and poultry and twice a week for eggs. Also, keep the portion sizes small as well.

8. Cut out drinking sodas and non-100 percent fruit juices and drink 8 cups of water per day instead. On average our bodies are made up of 70 percent of water. Water is instant energy and all your body is doing is going through all the other liquids to get to the water, so why not cut out the middleman.

9. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night is another part of your healthier life style that needs to be highlighted too. This is a concept that has not been talked about a lot, but needs to be added to your overall health plan.

10. Last but not least, Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. We need to get 2 1/2 hours per week of moderate-intensity or 1 1/4 hours per week of vigorous-intense aerobic physical activity or a combination of both. You also need to add muscle-strengthening exercise that is moderate to high intensity 2 or more days per week.

Add all these things up and you will be well on your way to a longer and healthier life.

By Ian James

Next time you are watching television or listening to a radio advertisement about food take time to really notice what they are trying to tell you. First of all, most restaurant and food commercials air around meal times. If you are a stay at home mom or dad, check out the commercials during the soap operas. Not only are you being brainwashed to buy certain cleaning products and diapers, you are ensnared in food commercials. The food companies don't really care about weight gain, weight loss, eating healthy, healthy food, or how you look and feel in your clothes, they want you eating their food and will use every dirty trick in the book to get you to buy it.

As a consumer, you will have to learn to fend off the advertisements. The best way for you to do that is to make some strict rules for yourself. The weight gain, weight loss, eating healthy, healthy food consumption should be first and foremost in thought. Try eating at the same times and at the same places every day. Don't eat in front of the television. You tend to eat more and not even notice it. If you are going to eat potato chips, put a handful in a napkin and put the bag away. If you have the whole bag, you may eat everything in it. The trick is to plan out your meals and make them healthy ones. It is okay to have a sweet every now and then. Actually, you should. You don't want anything to be forbidden, as we well know, something we can't have is what we want most.

A good tip is to fill up your grocery cart with healthy foods that taste great. Learn how to prepare them different ways they may make them more enjoyable. If you are getting fresh vegetables, try to get the organic ones because they don't have the toxic sprays and insecticides used on them that can get into your body when you eat them. Eat several small meals a day to keep your metabolism going to help burn extra calories. Drink plenty of water. Healthy foods don't mean that they taste bad, it just means that they are not loaded with sugar, fat and salt.

Everyone thinks about weight gain, weight loss, eating healthy, healthy food, and living a long and healthy life. A plan needs to be created to defeat the food companies' sirens calls and allow you to make good choices for yourself.

By Alan Hamel

Most people just love eating and knowing that some food is unhealthy they still cannot resist themselves from having them. It is when a person puts on a lot of weight then he blames his bad eating habit. But this bad eating habit is the only reason for people suffering from many health diseases such as diabetes, stroke and heart diseases. So it is very necessary that people start paying more attention to the food they eat and also try and develop a good eating habit.

When you start eating something you should always know whether the food will be beneficial for your body or not. You should always know which food to eat and which one to avoid. You should always make it a habit of taking a complete meal everyday which means you should not skip your breakfast, lunch or dinner. You should also try and include a bit of essential nutrients in every meal that you have. You may also have the habit of chewing some food and generally you prefer chewing some candy or potato chips. But instead of chewing such unhealthy foods you can better have some fresh fruits or carrot sticks. That will both satisfy your urge to chew something and at the same time you can stick to a good food habit.

It is also important to take at least 8 to 10 glasses of water between meals as it will make you full feel. You can also have fresh fruit juice as your daily beverage but you should try and avoid those with artificial sweeteners. You should also avoid drinks like sodas as they contain high sugar and full of calories. If you maintain a healthy food habit that will not only keep you fit also make you look and feel better.

By Saira Akhtar

Introduction:

For a healthy diet you need to add all the nutrients in your food so to this, protein plays an important role for our health. It is the combination of amino acids that are very much needed by our bodies to develop muscles, provide health to your skin, nails and internal organs. As you already know that the sportsman and athletes are highly recommended to take food with proteins as rich diets to keep healthy and fit.

Protein Foods:

There are many foods available which have a high protein to fulfill our body needs. Among them are meat, eggs, milk, beans, nuts and seeds. Human body needs different level of proteins and for this purpose many procedures are there to measure the utilization and retention of protein in our body. Among them are net protein utilization, biological value etc which are use to examine that in which amount of protein are necessary for our body.

Requirement of proteins in our diet:

This is the common issue that how much protein needed for a healthy diet in a day. Furthermore, demands are also vary on different thing, like how much it is needed for child growth and development, in pregnancy or breasted for child nourishment etc. three guidelines are suggested to measure the protein intake which is intake per body weight, absolute intake, and intake as energy. If there is not enough energy supplied by the body likes in starvation, then this is the protein that fulfills the energy needs.

Deficiency and Excess use of protein food:

Many developing countries facing this deficiency issue and this become a serious cause of illness and death. There are lot of diseases occur by protein deficiency among them some are mental retardation, nutrition disorder, and growth and development problems in child. We should eat different types of nutrients to keeps us healthy. Excess of everything may cause some serious problems. Many researchers discover that excessive use of protein cause a loss of calcium in excretion process, or there may also causes a kidney disease which usually develop by excessive intake of protein.

By Darnell X Hardin

There are so many efforts to lead you to the new healthy life habit. One great way is by organizing the food in your refrigerator. Doing some smart tricks to set up the healthy food in the fridge would be really effective. It is because usually the content of the refrigerator is really influenced the eating habit of the whole family. The descriptions below contain some smart tricks to help you create great healthy eating to the members of the family.

1. Place the healthier food such as fruits, vegetables, and yogurt in the strategic place. The right place should make them be easy to reach and the eyes of the members of the family could spot them first in the refrigerator.

On the other hand, some not so healthy food that usually so tasty should be stored in the produce drawer or in the crisper. If you hide these foods, the whole family would think twice to reach them and automatically they could reduce the amounts of unhealthy food they eat.

2. Also, you could differentiate the foods in the refrigerator in to two parts, the healthier food and the not-so-healthy food. This trick would make the whole family realize whether the good food and the tasty food with less nutrient. Putting the useful food into the front would be the great idea. The attractive storing would be interesting and fun to invite your family to choose the healthier food in the fridge.

3. You should be really selective to put the foods in the refrigerator. Choose the useful and healthy food whenever you are shopping for your groceries. Try to always select the lower fat food to fill your refrigerator.

4. The use of the freezer in the refrigerator is also important. You could wisely use the freezer by freezing the foods that would not be used immediately. It is the effective way to save the food while providing the quick meals for the whole family.

Also, you could use the freezer to produce some fun snacks from any delicious fruits that would delight your family. The fun snacks from fruits could be the freezing of some healthy fruits such as orange slices, apples, strawberries, grapes and much more. The trick of making fun snacks would make the kids feel fun too.

By Wendy Pease

If you do business around the world, you need to know about the food from different cultures. When travelling, it is also important to know how to make healthy food choices. Here is some important information to know if you are dining in Japan.

The most common appetizer offered in a Japanese restaurant is edamame, which is steamed soybeans that are salted and left in the pod. Edamame is a great choice because it is high in protein, low in calories, and very tasty. Another common choice is yakatori which is skewers of grilled, lean meat and vegetables. This dish is high in protein and nutrient rich due to the vegetables.

Soup is always a good healthy choice in any culture and miso soup is a favorite at most Japanese restaurants. It is a light broth created from a miso (soy) paste with scallions and tofu. Many believe that starting with a broth soup can help one consume less calories during the rest of the meal. Another popular soup choice is Udon noodle soup. This light broth contains noodles, tofu, vegetables, and shiitake mushrooms. Udon noodle soup is very healthy and extremely filling. There are other good choices such as the very nutrient-rich seaweed salad which is made from chopped seaweed, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions, and sesame oil. Although it sounds unusual to most Americans, it is a very tasty salad.

The main meal in Japan usually consists of sushi which is raw fish. The term sushi actually refers to the white rice mixed with rice vinegar and a bit of sugar. In the United States, we use the term sushi for a variety of raw fish items, but in Japan it is good to know the specific names of each type of dish.

* Nigiri is fish draped over balls of rice.
* Maki is fish wrapped in seaweed and rice and then cut into pieces.
* Temaki is fish and rice wrapped up in a seaweed cone.
* Sashimi is raw fish served without rice.

Part of enjoying international cuisine is the ability to understand the menu. With a few simple tips, everyone can enjoy a delicious and healthy Japanese meal. The more you know about different cultures and cuisines the more successful you will be in international business. Being open to learning and trying new experiences is a big asset.

By Dave Sheahan

This is a very simple but key strategy for adhering to a consistent balanced nutrition programme. Ask yourself this question - how many times this year have you actually conducted 1 large weekly shop instead of visiting the local shop or supermarket a number of times during the week? I am sure it wasn't often.

The key to everything is planning and organising and this is not different with shopping. People don't organise and plan their shopping at all and is the reason why they always buy more both on each shopping trip and each week than they need. Look how much money you are wasting each week on needless purchases? Look at how you are sabotaging your nutrition programme by bringing unplanned temptations into your cupboards that are begging to be eaten.

An important realistion for you to be aware of is that supermarkets are strategically designed to ensure shoppers buy much more than they had planned on each visit. Have you noticed that in order to get to the healthy aisles you have to pass the sweet aisles, deli etc You must pass these aisles in order to get to what you want - and these are never the fruit and vegetable aisles!!!

You get lured by the smell from the deli, or the rows and rows of biscuits, sweets and cakes. Shop designers know the psychology of people and feed off it. You must plan your shopping trip just like your exercise, work project etc Write your list of exactly what you need and when you hit the shop conduct your trip with military precision going to just where you have planned to go and GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!

It is the simple, and often most obvious, strategies that when adhered to ensure that you create a lean sculpted body and live the life of your dreams. By having a full shop done you will have everything you need in supply and there will be no excuse for deviating from your nutrition path.

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.