The Excellence of Butternut Squash and Why it Should be in Your Diet

 

Though butternut squash is native to North America, this versatile, healthy food has achieved acceptance throughout the world. Because butternut squash (BSQ) is loaded with vitamins and minerals, this food benefits human health in quite a few ways. Here are some of the proven benefits of eating BSQ:

1. Better Eye Health
If you are determined to keep your vision strong throughout your life, you'd be well-advised to eat plenty of BSQ. This food contains four separate chemicals in the carotenoid family. Besides protecting your eyes from macular degeneration, carotenoids get converted into vitamin A within your body. 

2. Better Digestion
Keeping your digestive system working well is important if you hope to maintain your quality of life over the decades. Because it contains plenty of fiber, BSQ ensures that your digestion will remain regular and reliable. Furthermore, a diet high in fiber can help reduce your chances for having a painfully inflamed colon. 

3. Reduced Birth Defect Risk
Dietary experts advise pregnant women to eat BSQ and reduce their chances of experiencing birth defects. Because it contains plenty of folic acid and vitamin B, BSQ can reduce the occurrence of neural tube problems and spina bifida. 

4. Circulation Benefits
As medical science has clearly demonstrated, good circulation promotes a healthier body in several ways. BSQ contains a lot of iron, a mineral that helps your body produce more red blood cells. In modern society, too many people have undiagnosed cases of anemia. Caused by an iron deficiency, anemia is a potentially dangerous condition. Symptoms of anemia include physical weakness, feelings of fatigue and confused thinking. If you eat plenty of BSQ, you can keep your blood healthy and circulating properly. 

5. Denser, Healthier Bones
BSQ contains a variety of minerals that encourage healthier, stronger bones. These important minerals include potassium, manganese and all-important calcium. Though healthy foods like BSQ are helpful in all stages of your life, strong bones are particularly important for people who are 50 or older. For older people, osteoporosis and bone breakage are two things that can dramatically reduce quality of life. Far too many retired individuals break bones in the course of routine activities. These injuries can take incredibly long to heal in the later stages of your life. In fact, breaking a bone is a major predictor of mortality in senior citizens. Along with other types of gourds, BSQ is a mineral-rich food that can help you stay strong and mobile. 

6. A Stronger Immune System
As most people know, having a strong immune system (IS) is critical for living a long and successful life. Although many different factors go into maintaining your IS, it is difficult to overemphasize the IS benefits of vitamin-rich gourds. The plentiful vitamin C in BSQ stimulates your system to produce white blood cells, which are the heavy hitters of the human IS. If you keep a strong IS, your body can routinely eliminate infections that might otherwise cause serious disability or death. 

7. Smoother, Healthier Skin 
With its high levels of beta-carotene, BSQ affects your skin in a way that is ideal for your self-esteem and your health. If you consume plenty of beta-carotene, you will maintain a more youthful appearance as you age. Even more critically, healthier skin is less vulnerable to the dangerous side effects of UV ray exposure. If you enjoy spending time at the tanning salon or recreating outdoors, BSQ can help you maintain your routine without undue risk of skin cancer.

Finding the Right Food Plan and What it Means for You

We have all heard that eating right and getting enough exercise are the keys to maintaining a healthy weight and staying healthy in general. Rather than simply going on a crash diet plan or deciding that you are going to only eat a select few foods, the way to make sure you are starting out with a sustainable eating plan. While one of the reasons you may be considering ways to improve your diet is that you want to lose weight, there are also many other health benefits of sticking with healthy eating, such as higher energy levels, improved overall mood and lowering your risk for many preventable diseases.

When you are picking the right food plan, you need to do more than simply figure out the unhealthy foods to eliminate from your diet. In addition to this, you need to find the specific foods that will boost your nutrient intake and help you fight off cravings throughout the day. As you find foods to eliminate, make sure to replace them with healthy, low-calorie alternatives. Along with eliminating unhealthy foods, you should pay attention to your portion control. Eating too much of relatively healthy foods can still contribute to weight gain. If you need help with portion control, you can try preparing your meals ahead of time using containers with the correct proportion sizes for your needs.

You should also think about your daily schedule and ask yourself if you are eating at the right times during the day. For example, if you are skipping breakfast every day and then snacking before lunch, this could be an opportunity to adjust your meal time and save on unhealthy calories. One of the best methods for portion control and a healthy eating schedule is to make sure that you eat breakfast during the day and then consume more frequent, smaller-sized meals rather than a massive lunch and dinner. Another cardinal rule is to avoid eating late at night because your metabolism will be slower.

While everyone may have different specific nutrient needs, a good general rule of thumb is to reduce the amount of sugar that you are eating during the day. Consider replacing sugary drinks with water and sugary foods with fruit as healthier alternatives. This will also help you stay fuller longer and avoid snacking on unhealthy choices in between meals. If you need a good transition from sugary drinks like soda to water, try switching to unsweetened iced tea first.

Smart Advertising May Mean Healthier Food Choices for Kids

If your child is an unhealthy eater – the key to getting him or her to eat more fruits and veggies may lie in a little bit of strategic marketing.

According to a study that was recently published in the journal Pediatrics, advertising methods such as television commercials and banners can triple the chances of a child choosing healthier options during lunchtime.

The study, which took place in New York, experimented with 3 different advertising approaches in public elementary schools over the course of six weeks. A control group was first established (this group was not exposed to any marketing tactics). The first approach utilized vinyl banners, displaying animated characters in the form of vegetables with super powers. Brian Broccoli, one of the characters, is shown flexing his arms, while Colby Carrot shoots laser beams out of his eyes.

The second marketing approach involved quick video segments narrated by the characters regarding health-related topics, and the third combined both the video and the banners.

Results concluded that, when exposed to the banners alone, almost 100% more students chose vegetables from the salad bar during lunchtime. Before seeing the banners, 12% of students put veggies on their plates; after seeing the banners this number jumped up to 24%.

The third approach proved to be the most successful – by combining both the banners and the videos, there was a 239% increase in students who visited the salad bar. (The number of students who took vegetables jumped from 10% to 34%)!

Surprisingly, the video clips did not affect students’ choices. Andrew Hanks, an assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University and the study’s lead author, believes the banners were most successful as they were front-and-center at the salad bar and served as an easy reminder for students to make wise choices.

A similar and separate study conducted by Canadian researchers analyzed 26 previous studies regarding the link between advertising and children’s food intake. The study concluded that children who were exposed to marketing of unhealthy foods consumed more; they ate about 30 calories more of junk food than children who were not exposed.

Children under the age of 8 are very impressionable when it comes to marketing, and advertisements for low-nutrition, sugar-filled foods and beverages are essentially putting them in danger for obesity and diseases later in life. While it’s suggested that parents lead by example through eating and cooking healthy foods with their children, researchers would love to see what would happen if marketing focused on healthy foods instead of low-quality treats. 

Smaller Wine Glasses Could Help You Drink a Bit Less

If you’re trying to cut back on the amount of wine you drink, the solution may be as simple as using a smaller glass.

A study was conducted by the University of Cambridge at a British restaurant/bar over a 16-week period. During that time, researchers tracked customers’ wine orders, while changing the size of the restaurant’s wine glasses every two weeks. Sizes alternated between a 10-ounce size (which is standard at most restaurants), 12-ounce size (a bit bigger) and 8-ounce size (a bit smaller).

The amount of wine served in each glass remained the same – about 5.9 ounces or 175 milliliters. Results showed that when the wine was sold in the larger 12-ounce size, the restaurant sold 9.4% more wine than when it was sold in the standard 10-ounce glasses. Unfortunately, findings related to the 8-ounce glass size were inconclusive, according to researchers.

However, the study’s lead researcher, Rachel Pechey, who works in the University of Cambridge’s Behavior and Health Research unit, said a conclusion could be made. By increasing the size of wine glasses, people drink more – even though the amount of wine in the glasses remained the same. While the reasoning behind this is certainly not obvious, it could be that larger glasses change peoples’ perceptions about the amount of wine in front of them – causing them to drink quickly, and then go for another glass.

Similar, separate studies suggest that other environmental factors can affect the amount of alcohol consumed. For someone pouring his or her own glass, a wider glass was linked with more wine being poured. If someone holds his or her own glass vs. pouring the wine into a glass on the table, he or she is more likely to pour a larger amount.

Theresa Marteau, who directs the research unit at the University, suggests that people can limit the amount of wine they are drinking by using smaller glasses. She said that more research is needed in order to substantiate this idea, however.

If further research validates the study, there could be interesting ways to implement changes in restaurants – such as making it a requirement for wine glasses to be within a certain size.

The study’s findings revealed similar results by the same group of researchers who analyzed the size of plates and utensils in regards to the amount of food people consume (the size of plate can indeed affect how much someone eats). Even the color of a plate can affect the taste of food, other studies suggest.

Quick and Easy Healthy Snacks

Veggie Flowers: Evenly slice one cucumber, then cut each slice in half. Evenly slice one carrot, then make triangle cutouts along the edge of each slice. Cut your favorite cheese into cubes and slide each cube onto a toothpick. Slide a cucumber onto each toothpick, with the rounded side down. Top each toothpick with a carrot flower and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies: Combine one cup of peanut butter, one cup of sugar, and one egg in a bowl. Stir, then shape into patties and arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Place one Hershey’s kiss in the center of each patty, then allow to cool.

Sunny Day Smoothie: In a blender, add a half cup of orange juice, a half cup of chopped carrot, a half cup of frozen pineapple chunks, one cup of vanilla yogurt, and one tablespoon of honey. Blend, pour, enjoy.

Chocolate Bananas: Peel one banana and place on a plate. Melt semisweet chocolate in microwave-safe bowl then pour over banana. Decorate with nuts, sprinkles, or raisins.

Yummy Fruit Pizza: Cut a tortilla into 4-6 triangular pieces. Brush each side with oil, sprinkle with vanilla sugar, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow slices to cool, then cover with layer of vanilla yogurt. Slice banana, kiwi, pineapple, strawberry, or any other fruits, and arrange on tortilla slices. Sprinkle slices with cinnamon before serving.

Homemade Potato Chips: Thinly slice one potato. Sprinkle slices with salt water, arrange on baking paper and cover with another piece of baking paper. Microwave for 5 minutes, then enjoy.

Tasty Purple Popsicles: In a blender, combine ¼ cup blueberries, ¼ cup strawberries, ¼ cup raspberries, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, and ½ cup ice. Blend, pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups, then freeze.

Strawberry Summer Lemonade: Boil two cups of water and one cup of sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves, then add one tablespoon of grated lemon peel and one cup of lemon juice. Stir and let cool. Add one pint of pureed strawberries. Stir and refrigerate. Before serving, add two cups of sparkling water, stir, and add ice.

Fruity Squares: Break graham crackers into squares and spread with vanilla or plain yogurt. Top with chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, or berries.

Easy Cheesy Crackers: Buy your favorite type of cracker. Peel string cheese into strips and arrange on crackers. 

7 Reasons to Eat Bananas

Bananas are full of important nutrients and are among the most popular fruits around the world. They grow in 107 countries, and Americans eat more bananas than oranges and apples combined.

There are many potential benefits of eating bananas.

1.   Blood Pressure

Increasing potassium intake can be just as important for blood pressure as decreasing sodium intake. What's more? Consuming large amounts of potassium is associated with a 20 percent lower risk of dying early from any cause.

2.   Asthma

According to a study conducted in London, children who consume just one banana a day were 34 percent less at risk of developing asthma.

3.   Cancer

Eating oranges and bananas during your first two years can reduce the likelihood of childhood leukemia. Bananas are a good source of vitamin C and thus help fight the free radicals that cause cancer. In addition, the fiver provided by bananas helps reduce risk of colorectal cancer.

4.   Heart Health

The vitamin C and B6, potassium, and fiver all work together to support cardiovascular health. High potassium intake is also associated with lower risk for stroke, as well as reduction in kidney stones, and preservation of bone mineral density.

5.   Diabetes

The fiber types found in bananas help lower and moderate blood sugar, lipid, and insulin levels.

6.   Memory and Mood

It's not just your Thanksgiving turkey that has tryptophan. Bananas are also a great source of this amino acid which is believed to help preserve memory and boost mood.

7.   Treating Diarrhea

The electrolytes are lost in large quantities when someone has diarrhea. Bananas help promote regularity in the digestive system and also help replenish potassium in the body.