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Food and Drink
Finding a Way to Fit in a Healthy Breakfast Each Day
Aug 28th
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Although we have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us skip it for one reason or another. We may not be in the mood to eat early in the morning, we might not have time, or we might be trying to cut back on calories. However, this isn’t really a good idea. There are a lot of reasons why it is important to get a healthy breakfast.
After sleeping the night, your body needs a healthy breakfast to help fuel it so it can get through the day. Think how long it has been since your last meal; that is a long time to go without food. It is better to eat something healthy so you don’t end up eating junk a little later because you are starving.
For those who are worried about calories, it has actually been shown that people who eat breakfast generally end up eating fewer calories in the course of the day than those who skip breakfast. Why is this? Most likely because if you skip breakfast you are starving later in the day so you end up eating a huge lunch and dinner to make up for it. Or you feel virtuous because of the calories you “saved” so you allow yourself an extra treat or two.
Benefits of eating a healthy breakfast include being better able to concentrate, getting more vitamins and minerals, being more productive and having lower cholesterol, among others. This really is the most important meal of the day.
Aim to get a combination of lean protein, low fat dairy, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains in your breakfast. It is best if you choose a breakfast containing foods from three of these groups.
Breakfast can be a very quick meal if you need it to be. You can even find a lot of healthy options that you can bring with you to eat on your way to your destination, or once you get there. Whole grain toast with peanut butter and an apple would be a good healthy breakfast, especially if you drink a glass of milk along with it.
People who tend to be rushed in the morning should plan ahead the night before. That way they can have breakfast all ready to go in no time at all. Breakfast can be cooked the night before and just quickly heated in the morning for the ultimate time saver.
For those who don’t like typical breakfast foods, there are lots of other healthy options available. You can eat leftovers from dinner, a sandwich made from whole wheat bread, or even leftover vegetable pizza.
About the Author:
If you would like to start the day off right it is vital to eat a healthy breakfast. A good pancake mix can be the perfect center for your breakfast, along with fruit, eggs, and milk.
What Makes A Healthy Diet?
Apr 30th
3 Simple, Healthy Meal Plans You Can Start Right Now
Is it possible to put together a simple and healthy meal plan? One that is not going to be complicated and hard to follow? Yes. It is possible and I will show you how. The healthy meal plans below will help you achieve your health goals while simultaneously shedding fat off your body.
Here are 3 healthy meal plans you can get started on right now.
Breakfast
Protein should be included in every meal throughout the day and breakfast is no exception. Make sure to include organic eggs, cottage cheese, raw nut butter or smoked fish as one component of your healthy breakfast. Carbohydrates should also be included in the form of oatmeal, sprouted grain bread, fruit and/or vegetables.
3 great sample breakfasts are:
Oatmeal with almond butter, topped with fresh berries and a bit of Stevia to sweeten.
2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice sprouted grain toast and ½ grapefruit
Smoked salmon over sliced tomato and 1 green apple
Lunch
The same rules apply as breakfast. An easy way to ensure that you always have a healthy protein available for lunch is to pack leftovers from dinner the night before. Leftover hamburger, chicken legs or wild fish are all great to include in a salad or over vegetables.
3 great sample lunches are:
Baked Tilapia over sautéed spinach, green salad with chick peas (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by ½ cup of pineapple.
Leftover chicken legs with ½ sweet potato and broccoli.
Lean hamburger over portabella mushroom and brown rice. Cooked vegetables or a green salad. 1 orange.
Dinner
You can really be creative with dinner. Look for recipes that are quick and easy and modify them with your own healthy ingredients as needed. Again, always remember to include protein and carbohydrates.
3 great sample dinners are:
Mexican salad: Ground beef over shredded lettuce and tomato, guacamole and brown rice.
Grilled Salmon over asparagus, green salad (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by a fresh fruit salad.
Buffalo meat balls over rice pasta with sautéed broccoli.
Snacks
You never want to let your body get too hungry. Hunger often leads to binge eating of unhealthy food and makes sticking to a healthy eating regimen much more difficult. It’s important to keep snacks handy so you never experience hunger or a blood sugar low without having a healthy option nearby.
3 great snacks are:
2 Tbsp almond butter on ½ apple
Trail mix made up of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit (no sugar added)
Cottage cheese and pineapple
Incorporate just a few of these meals into your daily eating regimen and you will see an incredible difference in your weight loss results. Following simple and healthy meal plans like these is the first step in achieving your health and fitness goals.
To get started right away on your own fat loss goals , download these Simple and Healthy Meal Plans right now.
Healthy Restaurant Eating
Apr 29th
Healthy restaurant eating is possible and can be much easier than you think. If your schedule has your traveling a lot or opting for take out often, use the ideas below to stick to your healthy meal plans while still enjoying your meal out.
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Here is my plan of attack when ever I am on vacation, traveling for business or just in a situation that has me ordering out more than I am able to cook. I do what I call “damage control”: Do the best I can, with what I’ve got and have an awesome time on my trip! Prepare my “emergency kit”. I will pack and take with me: walnuts, almonds, almond butter, organic turkey and beef jerky, apples and pears. None of these need refrigeration so they will keep well wherever you are. If I’m in a situation where there is no protein handy (like when it’s time for a snack), I’ve got my nuts and jerky to tie me over. |
If you don’t have something handy, you just may find yourself grabbing pretzels and potato chips (or whatever other horrid food people eat while away).
Breakfast
There is always a protein on the menu, no matter what. Omelets, or smoked salmon are my favorite choices but I’ve even gone to places that now carry turkey bacon and turkey sausage on the menu. Stay away from the heavy and deadly pancakes and waffles. This is a blood sugar disaster waiting to happen. Eating a sugar loaded breakfast like this will only set you up for hunger and cravings the rest of the day. And, just may ruin an otherwise great day.
Lunch and Dinner
I have said this before. Most of us know what is healthy on the menu but we still continue to order the crappy stuff. Yes, I do believe in a treat and a cheat meal once or twice a week, but definitely not every night of your vacation. Some people eat and choose items off the menu like they are being sent to starvation camp when they get home. This is not an “all or nothing” deal. You’ve committed to eating healthy for a lifetime. Don’t worry. The food will always be there whether you eat it all at once or space it out over a lifetime.
Ok, back to my point. First, items on the menu that you know are drenched in heavy sauces are an instant No-No. Fettuccine Alfredo? Come on now. Are you serious? Can you get the steak, veggies and salad instead and be just as happy? Or, the Chicken Cacciatore with a side of broccoli rabe? (Yes, we’re at an Italian restaurant). Often times, our taste buds are really just as happy with a healthier choice. No, this is not deprivation. This is choosing to feel good, be healthy and eat good food at the same time. Comprende?
Desserts
I love desserts too and I will definitely get myself a yummy piece of apple pie or chocolaty treat while I am away. But if the piece of dessert is bigger than the size of my head, I will not eat the whole thing. There is no need. My taste buds are just as happy with a few bites (and my body is happier too). Remember, we’re not going to starvation camp after this. Trust me, there is enough apple pie, chocolate or (insert your favorite dessert here) to have a small amount at a time for the rest of your life.
The Trolls
The who? Yes, you know who the trolls are. Those people who tell you to “just eat what you want”, or “don’t torture yourself”. These people always seem to come out of hiding when dining with you at a restaurant. (They are also present at parties and family functions. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid). Don’t let anybody else tell you that taking care of yourself and feeling great is a bad thing. I don’t mean to talk bad about your family and friends, but chances are they are not too thrilled with their current weight and health and really just upset that you actually started to eat healthy and take control of your life.
Remember, there is no need to avoid restaurants and vacations (but please do avoid fast food joints). You just need to focus on the healthier options and have a great time!
Get started on your own Healthy Meal Plans right away. Download this free, eye-opening Weight Loss Report now.
Heart Healthy Foods
Apr 24th
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Eating Healthy for your Heart Your heart is one of the most important organs in the body, and the foods you put into your mouth effect how your heart operates. If you want your heart to be strong and able to pump blood as well as possible all over your body, it is important for you to eat a healthy diet. Heart-healthy foods are readily available in the supermarket, so choose some that work for your personal likes and you should be able to help prevent heart disease in your own body. |
Cholesterol is the most important thing when it comes to eating heart-healthy foods. There are both good cholesterols and bad cholesterols. Good cholesterols are called HDL, and their job in the body is to take excess bad cholesterol (LDL) to the liver, where it can be broken down and then will leave the body. LDL is actually not needed by your body at all from foods. Our bodies make enough of this kind of cholesterol on its own. It is the LDL cholesterol that hurts our hearts, not the HDL cholesterol, which actually helps our hearts be reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol in the body.
LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. Because this substance has a low density, it does not flow through the blood stream as readily as it should. The red blood cells easily release the LDL cholesterol and it sticks to the walls of your blood vessels, especially in the arteries leading to your heart. This is bad for a number of reasons.
First, when the LDL cholesterol builds up on your arteries, it reduces the amount of blood that can fit through at a time, since the artery becomes smaller. That means your heart has to pump harder and faster in order to allow the same amount of blood to flow through your body. Over time, this makes your heart tired and not as strong. In the worst-case scenario, the blood vessel becomes so built up with LDL cholesterol that your artery could close completely. When this happens, your heart essentially panics because it is not getting the blood it needs and it starts beating rapidly to try to pump the blood. This causes a heart attack.
You can also have a heart attack from LDL cholesterol build up if a piece of the build-up, called plaque, breaks off and floats down the blood stream. When it reaches a smaller part of the blood vessel, it will get stuck and block the blood, which again causes a heart attack. If the piece of plaque travels to the brain instead of the heart, it will cause a blockage in this area of the body, which in turn causes a stroke. Therefore, it is simply important to cut out of your diet the foods high in cholesterol so that you can prevent heart disease and other problems in the body.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Terry Hopkins is an expert and has been helping people loose weight the healthy and natural way. He is an author for http://Natural Life Choices.com blog. To learn how you can loose weight and get off these fad diets once and for all check out the internet’s #1 source for Diet Solution Programs.
J. Walker’s Healthy Recommendations:
Eat fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains daily. Fiber reduces dietary cholesterol amounts the body absorbs. Fiber can help lower the risk of heart attack.
Pay attention to the color of your fruit and veggies. Eat yellow or orange fruits or vegetables and green leafy veggies every day. They are rich in betacarotene.
Love them blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries or strawberries on a regular basis. They contain substances that slow the process of atherosclerosis and really give your cardiovascular system some time to compensate for any blockages in your blood vessels!
Consume omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed, fish, and evening primrose oils are really great sources.
Avoid saturated fats, those that are found in butter, lard and other types of solid fats. A quote worth mentioning:
Men who eat 30 grams of saturated fat daily have twice the risk of heart attack as men who eat only 10 grams daily, in women, the risk increases by 50 percent.
Vitamin E does not reduce the risk of having a heart attack, but there are some laboratory studies with animals that suggest Vitamin E helps increase the likelihood of surviving a heart attack. I have also read that Vitamin E also reduces the risk of heart attack in type 2 diabetics.
So for more information on heart healthy food and healthy diets I strongly suggest you visit Diet Solution Programs and I have a surprise free Gift for everyone who visits today! Hurry before they are all gone!
Healthy Eating On A Budget
Apr 21st
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Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating does not have to inflict damage to your wallet. In challenging economic times, many people tend to go for the “cheapest” food options and sometimes these options are far from healthy. Just recently my husband and I put ourselves on a serious “budget” and of course this meant a “food budget” as well. Below are the simple steps we took to continue to live our healthy lifestyle while saving a few dollars in the process. |
1. We drastically cut out eating out. It’s shocking to discover how much you are really spending by buying a quick pizza and ordering quick take out every once in a while. What we often don’t realize is that every once in a while is much more often than we think. We are now cooking at home a lot more and discovering quick, easy and delicious recipes that cost very little when made at home. Now we are no chefs by any means but it’s amazing what you can put together in 20 minutes or less by just getting a bit creative and seeking out new recipes.
2. My husband is now packing his lunch. Truth be told, I pack it for him. I often take leftovers from the night before and put them together in a salad or a sandwich. He was spending an average of $7-$10 each day on lunch and taking his lunch instead will save us over $280 a month.
3. Bargain shop. I have become a master of seeking out the sale. I know which grocery stores will put their fruits and vegetables on sale and where I can get the best bargains. If the weather permits, I always go to the local farmers markets to get fresh fruit and veggies. Not only will you save a ton of money at a farmers market, the produce is fresh and delicious.
4. We have learned to love and embrace leftovers. It is amazing what you can do with leftovers once you get a bit creative. Don’t let food go to waste. Use leftovers from the night before for lunch or re-heat for dinner.
5. Cut out the expensive junk food. It’s shocking how expensive cereal, crackers and packaged snacks are. You can get 10x’s more for your money and value by buying plain oatmeal, making your own bread, and snacking on fresh fruit.
Healthy eating does not have to break the bank. Find good deals, learn to embrace cooking and discover the power of the leftover and you will be well on your way to a healthy, cost effective eating plan.
Get started on your own Fat Loss and Healthy eating plan right away with these Simple and Healthy Meal Plans.
