General Article

Healthy Eating Means You Have to Stop Giving Caffeine to Your Child

If you asked any mom if she would dare give her young child a cup of coffee for breakfast, she would stare at you in shock that you would even dare to suggest such a thing. Caffeine is definitely not something healthy to give a child, yet children consume caffeine everyday, some in large quantities.

Parents are just unaware, or unconcerned that there kids are eating and drinking food items that contain caffeine because it looks like normal everyday food and drink items. Caffeine lurks in everyday food items, and parents need to be aware not only of which items contain caffeine but why caffeine is so unhealthy for children to consume.

The United States does not have guidelines for caffeine consumption in children yet. Canada guidelines for caffeine recommend that preschool children get no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day. Do you know how much caffeine that is? A 12-ounce can of soda contains 45 milligrams of caffeine so does four 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bars.

Why is caffeine unhealthy for children to consume?

Caffeine is a drug, a stimulant to be exact. It stimulates the central nervous system. When taken at small amounts it makes people feel more alert. When taken in larger amounts caffeine can make you feel jittery, nervous, have an upset stomach, or have headaches, difficulty in concentrating, or have difficulty sleeping, or experience an increased heart rate or have increased blood pressure. In children it does not take much caffeine to achieve these effects. Do you want your child to experience difficulty concentrating at school? Do you want your child to have difficulty sleeping at bedtime? Would you like your child to have an increased heart rate or high blood pressure, or to experience headaches or upset stomachs?

These symptoms are not the only reason to make sure your child does not consume caffeinated products.

Statistics show that just one 12-ounce sweetened soft drink per day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60%.

When kids drink soda they get filled up on the drink and then do not eat the healthy foods that they should be eating. They can fill up on soda and not take in any nutrients that their growing bodies need. Drinking soda also means that they do not drink enough milk and are missing out on the calcium for teeth and bones.

When children drink too many sugary drinks such as soda, they are prone to dental cavities from the erosion of the enamel of the teeth from the acidity in the soda. Do you know how much sugar is contained in a one 12-ounce can of soda? A 12-ounce non-diet carbonated soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar (49 milliliters), which is 150 calories.

When a person’s body is used to a certain amount of caffeine and then all of a sudden doesn’t receive the caffeine anymore there can be withdrawal symptoms …

Buy Locally Grown Food

This fall, go eco crazy-learn the lingo, shop local, eat in season and dine in your garden with these great tips!

Going green isn’t just good for the environment; it’s good for your body. Natural, free range, organic -these are all terms you need to understand if you are to feed your body the nutrients it needs to look and feel its best. By supporting local producers of fruits, vegetables and meats, you support your local economy and provide your family with the freshest choices. The more you know about what’s real and what’s not, the more you’ll come over to the green side.

Buy Locally Grown Food

A great and inexpensive day trip with the kids or friends is to head out to an organic farm. See how the fruits and veggies grown there can benefit our environment. The added bonus – fresh and local tastes better!

Why Buying Local is Important

Did you know the average distance that food travels from pasture to plate ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 miles? Furthermore, that may only be within our borders! Extra energy is used to freeze and refrigerate that food, and energy is used to transport it all those miles. If you really want to take a bite out of the energy expended between you and your food, eat locally. Locally grown means that your food was grown no more than 250 miles away.

Not only does the food taste better, but there’s the added bonus of higher nutrition value-fresh fruits and vegetables have more vitamin content than older produce. Consider how much time is needed to drive 2000 miles and know that vitamins are depleted with each day that passes from the time the fruit and vegetables have been picked. Keep in mind that weaker environmental and control standards may exist in some foreign countries.

Look For Organic

Even local farms may use synthetic fertilizers (petroleum-based), sewage waste (including human feces) and chemical pesticides. Smaller family-run farms tend to be more environmentally conscious than factory farms when it comes to dousing their land with chemicals. Look for the organic certification label, unless you know the farm and feel confident that they are farming the old fashioned way.

In summary Shop for locally grown food-it supports our farmers, reduces energy and you get fresher, more flavorful and more nutritious produce, meats and dairy products.

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Weight Loss Food That Works Fast – 5 Powerful Foods That Will Guarantee Your Results Fast!

There are several diet plans available over the internet but do you know which of these actually result to weight loss that works fast? Many people have different opinions about dieting, and even nutritionists sometimes argue as to which diet plan actually induce weight loss.

Several of these diet plans tell you to do a lot of different things, and they usually end up forgetting the one thing that matter the most when it comes to weight loss strategies that work fast: EATING RIGHT. With that said, here are some of the healthiest food that could help you lose weight quickly as well.

Salmon

Salmon is a good substitute for meat. It contains a lot of protein that can help tone your body to build up muscles instead of fat. Proteins are important in our diet as these foods produce the hormone glucagon, which stimulates the body to get rid of the calories taken up in the body by burning them as energy. As an added benefit, salmons also help lower the body’s cholesterol level because of the omega 3 fatty acids found in it.

Green Vegetables

Eating vegetables is also a good strategy for weight loss that works fast. Vegetables contain antioxidants and water that help cleanse the body while helping you lose weight. Vegetables are low in calories, but they also fill up the stomach very quickly so that you feel fuller faster than when eating other types of food. Also, the fibers found in vegetables help improve our metabolism so the calories we take up will burn efficiently and, as a result, there will be lesser chance for it to be stored as fat.

Berries, Apples, and Fresh Fruits

These fruits are fat-burning food contain the chemical pectin, which helps prevent the build-up of fat in the cells. Pectin limits the amount of fat the cells can absorb. Also, this chemical help reduce fatty deposits in the body by pulverizing them out of the system,

Soybeans

Soybeans also help the body get rid of fat by breaking don fatty deposits. Also it contains the chemical lecithin, which forms a sort of “shield” around the cells that prevent fat from building up in the cells.

Wheat and Grains

Wheat, grains, bread, and rice are considered the good types of carbohydrates. These carbohydrates contain fiber, which help improve our body’s metabolic processes. Carbohydrates also contain lesser calories as compared to fatty foods and alcohol, so these foods help us control our weight without having to starve ourselves.

The foods mentioned above are not only among the healthiest foods we could find in the market, but they also effectively help us lose weight. So, they should definitely be included in our daily meal plan as weight loss strategy that works fast.

Business Week

Business Week…

Here’s Looking At You Kid – Easy Ways To Protect Your Eyesight

The health of your eyes depends on your vigilance every season of the year so take advantage of Autumn’s bounty to keep your eyes bright and healthy. We are very fortunate here in New York to have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables produced by local farmers and available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores alike.

The health of our eyes can be improved with the addition of antioxidant fruits and vegetables to our diet. Research cited by the American Optometric Association has concluded that Vitamins A, C and E, essential fatty acids and zinc will reduce the risk of many eye diseases including macular degeneration and cataracts.

Vitamin A provides us with Beta Carotene which protects the surface of the eye from infection. Kale, spinach, cantaloupe, carrots, pumpkin, winter squash and sweet potato are good sources of vitamin A. Try combining carrots and squash with chopped greens in a soup or stew for a delicious Fall dinner.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to nourish the blood vessels and capillaries to the cornea and retina thereby keeping our eyes clear and healthy. Spinach, tomatoes, peaches, apples, prunes, bell peppers and broccoli help to keep the blood flowing smoothly. Apple orchards are a great place to visit right now. Pick a few and enjoy them sliced with a tablespoon of nut butter.

Vitamin E, also an antioxidant, protects our eyes from free radicals which result from smoking cigarettes and being exposed to various environmental pollutants. Consuming foods such as sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, kiwi, mango and tomatoes may help prevent cataracts and the development of macular degeneration. Grab a handful of seeds or make a fruit salad with kiwi, mango and peaches, topped with a sprinkle of coconut to detox your system of pollutants.

Zinc is an antioxidant which helps our bodies absorb vitamin A, reduce free radicals and has been found to improve night vision. You can get these benefits by eating eggs, peas and baked beans. Make sure the eggs are free-range/cage-free to get the optimal nutritional value.

Essential fatty acids help the drainage system in our eyes by decreasing the risk of a build up of intraocular pressure which may result in glaucoma and, if not treated, blindness. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds and green leafy vegetables will also help dry eye syndrome. Combine the seeds and a variety of lettuces for an interesting and easy nutrition packed salad.

To limit your intake of pesticides and herbicides, look for organic or locally grown produce. Add some of these brightly colored fruits and vegetables to your family meals this Fall to improve the health of your eyes and give your body the nutrients it needs.

Our vision is a treasure that can last a lifetime and is too important to squander with poor food choices. Enjoy the many colors of the harvest! See you in the Fall.

Business Week

Business Week…

How to Cook Quinoa – Lunch Recipes

There are a lot of ways on how to cook quinoa but for this article, I’ll share a few of my favorite scrumptious lunch recipes. I grew up eating rice every single day and when I found out about quinoa and the many benefits it offers, I never went back to rice anymore.

Shrimp and quinoa is probably my favorite, fills me up really good and I just love the combination of the ingredients. It’s also easy to whip it up so I make this recipe a lot. To make this, you need 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, 1 ½ cups of water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 red bell pepper, ½ cup sliced mushrooms, 6 chopped fresh asparagus spears, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, salt and pepper to taste, 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp and 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

Cook the quinoa and then set it aside. Sautee the onion and bell pepper in olive oil, mix in the mushrooms, asparagus and ginger, continue cooking until everything is tender. Season with salt and pepper and then add the shrimp. If the shrimp turns into C-form then it means it’s done. In a large bowl, mix the shrimp with quinoa and toss it with parsley.

Another way on how to cook quinoa for lunch is to mix black beans with it. All you need is 2 ½ to 3 cups of cooked quinoa, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic, pinch of ground cumin, pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cans of drained black beans and chopped cilantro.

Heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion, mix the quinoa and season it with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir for about 5 minutes and put the rest of the ingredients.

You can find more ways on how to cook quinoa by searching over the internet and joining in some forums.

Business Week

Business Week…

6 Best Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating

There are some best healthy foods that are so good for you that they end up on any nutritionists’ list of top bets, and others that just don’t get the attention they deserve. Until now.

All the foods you’ll see here are whole foods that are widely available, affordable, full of natural nutrients and taste good too.

Let us take you beyond blueberries, nuts and salmon, and introduce you to some others that are loaded with nutritional goodness and might just make it into your diet once you learn more about them.

First up, beans and lentils… two of the most overlooked options you’ll find. Beans are rich in protein, fiber, complex carbs, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Even if you use the canned variety, you can make them healthier by looking for lower sodium options or rinsing the beans with water.

Most of us don’t come close to eating the three cups of beans a week recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. To help, add beans to soups, stews, salads or grain medleys. There are other recipes you might consider; the internet is a great source of new ideas.

Second on the list is watermelon, the favorite of summer. It’s sweet, fun to eat and juicy, but best of all low in calories and full of vitamin C, A, potassium and lycopene. Being high in water, it even helps meet your fluid needs for the day. The thick peel protects the flesh from pests which has earned it a place on the Environmental Working Groups “clean 15” produce.

Next are sweet potatoes, a staple of Thanksgiving dinner, and though often thought of as high in calories and carbs, these are really nutritional all stars. They’re a great source of beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber and potassium. What’s more, this veggie is versatile and sweet tasting, so it doesn’t need much to make it great.

Try topping a sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon, applesauce or crushed pineapple, or black beans and salsa. Also delicious mashed, sliced into French fries or baked until golden.

Fourth on the list is red cabbage, a cruciferous veggie that’s a great source of fiber, vitamins A, D and K, folate and trace minerals. What’s more, there’s only 22 calories in one cup of chopped cabbage. It can be eaten raw, cooked, sweet or savory, as a coleslaw. It can be added to soups, salads, casseroles, burgers or sandwiches. This veggie can boost cancer fighting enzymes.

Fifth on the list are canned tomatoes because cooking tomatoes releases some of the lycopene, a disease fighter.

A 2009 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that a diet rich in tomatoes might help prevent prostate cancer, and maybe other types of cancer as well. Use canned tomatoes for pizza, sauces, and homemade salsa. You can add some into soups, stews, casseroles, or pasta dishes. If you don’t like canned veggies, consider low sodium veggie juices.

The sixth …

Healthy Snack Food For Excellent Well-Being and Balance

The thought of eating health snack food may sound new to you. Then again, the truth is, if you even do a little investigation on the net, you’ll find that it is a common as well as efficient way to keep your metabolism going strong while you’re shedding those pounds on a diet or workout plan. An example of nutritious snacks you will discover that you can buy is celery with some peanut butter to dip it in. Aside from celery you can get all kinds of other varieties of healthy and balanced food snacks.

Nutritious goodies have a great effect on your well-being. Plus wholesome treats are specifically great for youngsters. Consequently, as a substitute for permitting your kids to eat unhealthy food that is so damaging to their overall health, you need to get them in the habit of eating healthy food so that they make better and healthier diet choices throughout their lives.

Most people in our society just seem to eat too much food through out the day as well. Nowadays most people are not satisfied with the normal three meals a day. Just because everyone else is eating “3 squares” a day doesn’t mean its the best way to eat. Let’s talk about what makes more sense. A lot of people just eat three meals a day because it’s just part of our societal norm, but I want to tell you that there is a much more reasonable eating pattern you can adopt.

We must always make sure we give our body enough nutrition. You’ll be able to get this done simply by ingesting low-fat foodstuff; these foods include beneficial protein and also adequate carbs.

When you have taken care of your meals, you can now carry on exchanging sweet goodies for healthy snacks like fruit and vegetables. Fruits include normal sugars, a great deal of vitamins and also another essential aspect in an excellent eating routine: fiber. If have a sweet tooth you just can’t control, you can include dark chocolate in order to make the foods tastier. Chocolate on the whole is detrimental for your diet. Yet, dark chocolate is excellent. Maybe you would even like to try natural yogurt in order to diversify your meals while making sure that your snacks don’t get too dull and boring after awhile.

Right now is the time to swap the crispy treats with crackers. Try to choose crackers that are low in fat and maybe some no-salt pretzels can be good too. Should you be bored with your meals, try to add a piece of cheese (low-fat) to make your snack taste much better. This can be an easy way to please your taste buds instead of relying on french fries and salty treats.

Yet another great way to get yourself a wholesome everyday life is to reduce high calorie pop. You can painlessly do this if you simply substitute the soda for something else. If you …

A Healthy Well-Balanced Diet – Why is it So Important and How Can it Help Me Lose Weight?

We hear it over and over again, that a well-balanced breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it’s true! There are many benefits to eating a healthy breakfast every single morning, the main three are:

Faster Weight loss: Due to an increased metabolism, losing weight and maintaining that weight is much easier.

Less sickness: Due to a breakfast rich in vitamins and minerals, your body has a tendency to increase your immune system against certain viruses.

A Stronger Heart: A breakfast rich in fibers and healthy carbohydrates will increase your alertness and allow your body to distribute energy evenly throughout the day. Also, it has been proven that a well-balanced breakfast decreases chances of heart disease.

Well it’s great to know all of this, but it is not by eating 3 donuts and drinking a coffee every morning that will give you these results. There are certain rules that apply.

First and most importantly, eating breakfast should be the first thing that you do in the morning. Preferably, within 45 minutes of waking, even if you are not hungry.

Your second goal is to eat breakfast every single day. This will create a routine that your body will eventually recognize, thus, boosting your metabolism and digestive system.

Your third goal, is to higher the source of fibers, vitamins, and proteins. Well, let me explain, by boosting fiber intake, such as, whole wheat bread and high-fiber fruits like apples and berries, you will feel fuller for longer, and increasing protein intake early in the day provides you with long lasting energy. It is recommended to eat at least 20% of your daily protein within the first hour of your day.

So the next time you go breakfast food shopping, check the food labels for fiber, sugar, fat and protein before buying anything. And just remember that a well balanced breakfast is HIGH in fiber, protein and vitamins, and LOW in sugars and saturated fats.…

The Fallacy in the Food Pyramid

I’m sure you’ve seen the food pyramid put out by the US Department of Agriculture. The version put out in the 1970s had fats and sweets at the top meaning you ate little of it, and grains and complex carbohydrates at the bottom meaning you ate these the most. There are a few things you need to know about what these recommendations have done for… or in detriment to… health.

The Origins of the Food Pyramid

The government has taken an interest in what the people eat since 1894. The major evolution of what is now the food pyramid is:

1894 the US Department of Agriculture’s first dietary recommendations

1916 “Food for Young Children” was published

1941 the recommended daily allowances were established

1943, to deal with food rationing, “The Basic 7” was established

1970 added an “unhealthy group” of fats, sweets and alcohol

1988 the graphic food pyramid was developed

1992 the graphic food guide pyramid, the one now, was released

Problems in the Food Pyramid

One major difficulty is that the original recommendations for the current pyramid back in the 1980s were disregarded. Dr. Luis Light was one of the highly educated and knowledgeable people asked to develop the food pyramid. She was horrified to discover that the recommendations of the esteemed panel were changed to make it more palatable (pun intended) to the food industry.

The commission recommended that grains and other carbohydrates be eaten less often and not as the foundation of the eating plan. There were a few other changes as well. Dr. Light was afraid that these changes would lead to obesity… which is now a huge health problem in the United States.

Carbohydrates Can Be a Problem

Brian Peskin in The 24-Hour Diet quotes many textbooks and studies that have been around for years. About carbohydrates he quotes from the massive Basic Medical Biochemistry – A Clinical Approach… which I’m naming here to demonstrate its medical relevance. There is this chemical I never heard of before that is contained in carbohydrates. It’s called, for short, G3P… which stands for, if your eyes don’t glaze over… glycerol-3 phosphate.

Before I give you the important quote, know this about G3P:

It’s made from carbohydrates

It’s only in carbohydrates

Here’s the Food Pyramid shattering quote: “Only if G3P from eating carbohydrates is abundant will any of the fat you eat convert to body fat.”The problem is the carbohydrates

All those carbs the US Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid has been recommending you eat is the primary cause of the fat on your body.…

Eat Fruits and Vegetables For A Longer, Healthier Life

Did you know that diet and nutritional deficiencies are the major cause of most health conditions? The top 3 leading causes of death in this country – heart disease, cancer and stroke – are mostly preventable with diet and nutrition alone! This is why many people are seeking alternative healthcare today.

It is important that you eat properly. Although you may be taking some sort of nutritional supplementation, it is in no way a replacement for food. Human beings require food. We can’t manufacture our own food. It would be wonderful if we could, however, we are required to actually eat and process foods to get the appropriate nutrients necessary for life.

We have all been instructed to follow a good diet or told to eat right, but we are never told exactly what that is. That could be interpreted differently for each individual person. It could mean don’t eat fried foods for one person and for another it could mean to eat a vegetarian type diet. Let’s take a look at nutrition. You are what to eat!

Nutrition is the science of the relationship of foods and nutrients to health and disease. It is a very complex science involving over 40 different nutrients. Nutrition is vitally important for every age group. It is essential for resistance to disease and the ability of the body to heal and repair. Optimal nutrition is also needed for normal development, reproduction and for growth.

Nutrients fall into six groups: carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Let’s talk about vitamins. Vitamins are essential for growth, protection and the regulation of energy within the body. They must be supplied by diet. A deficiency in a particular vitamin can ultimately result in the expression of symptoms. Vitamins perform specific roles within the body and can be further divided into two groups, fat-soluble and water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat-soluble vitamin A was the first vitamin identified. The body more readily absorbs this group when consumed with fat or oils. These vitamins are stored in the body and need not necessarily be consumed daily. The water-soluble group consists of the B vitamins, which encompass the entire B complex including B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin as well as vitamin C.

As vitally important as it is for you to consume appropriate foods, it may also be necessary for you to likewise commit to taking some form of vitamin supplementation. The food that we eat today does not have the same vitamin and mineral content that it did years ago. There is a steady and rapid depletion of the soil upon which crops are grown creating deficiency of vitamins and minerals. As a matter fact to get the same amount of iron that was in one cup of spinach in 1945 you would have to eat 65 cups today! Also many crops cannot even absorb trace minerals …