Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts

7 Best Healthy Foods To Eat In 2018




If you want to improve your well-being in 2018, then begin to buy healthy foods at the supermarket. Many people want to lose weight and prevent illness, and by consuming a nutritious diet, it is possible to do both of these things. Make sure to shop for these healthy foods this year. 

Food 1: Quinoa

Quinoa is a protein-rich seed that is boiled in the same way as brown rice. Not only does this seed provide a lot of protein and fiber, but also, it is gluten free, making it a safe food choice for many individuals. Today, you can find this food in the rice section of a store. 

Food 2: Fermented Vegetables and Fruits

Several types of fermented vegetables are high in probiotics. If you want to improve the condition of your digestive tract, then it is essential to consume more good bacteria. In addition to eating pickles, you can consume sauerkraut, watermelon rinds or cauliflower. 

Food 3: Kale

Instead of eating spinach in 2018, you will want to have kale. This dark leafy green vegetable is high in several vitamins, including A, B6 and C. By consuming kale, you are ingesting calcium and iron. You can use raw kale in salads and on sandwiches, but it is also possible to boil kale, or you can make baked kale chips. 

Food 4: Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is becoming more popular because it has a denser and richer texture. You can find plain Greek yogurt that is lower in calories so that you can add your own fresh fruit to avoid consuming too much sugar. 

Food 5: Artichokes

Artichokes are an edible thistle that has a dark green color, and you must snip the edges of this vegetable’s leaves before steaming it in a pan with a small amount of water. The traditional way to eat an artichoke is by peeling off its leaves to dip into melted butter, and you must pull a leaf through your teeth to remove the tender flesh. 

Food 6: Edible Flowers

Some varieties of flowers are edible, and these foods can provide several nutrients. You can decorate baked goods with edible flowers, or you can add these foods to salads. Some of the most popular edible flowers are daisies, lilacs and tulips. 

Food 7: Mushrooms

You can find packaged or loose mushrooms at your local grocery store, but make sure to choose different varieties to use in casseroles, soups or as pizza toppings. There are also recipes for fried or stuffed mushrooms that use cheese, seasonings or batter. 

5 Healthy Uses for Natural Sweeteners



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Natural sweeteners are defined as a number of plant or animal-derived items that provide sweetness in an unprocessed form. They are a great way to get all of the flavor of sugar or corn syrup without the level of processing that both of these items require. There are a number of different sweeteners to try. Here are five popular sweeteners and a healthy use for each one. 

Dates
This fruit that comes from the palm tree is a sweetener that has popularity dating back before Ancient Egypt. Dates are an excellent sweetening choice for baked goods. Dates can be separated from the pit and blended into a sweet paste. They can be mashed and added to cinnamon or granola bars to provide a sweet, decadent treat. 

Honey
One of the best-known natural sweeteners, honey has a number of great uses. It can be used to sweeten drinks and salad dressings. Raw, unpasteurized honey also serves as an antimicrobial in food preservation and wound care. Eating local, raw honey every day has also been shown to help to reduce the severity of seasonal allergies.

Agave
The syrup in the agave plant is the precursor to quality tequila when fermented and an excellent honey or maple syrup substitute when used in its raw form. Agave comes in both light and dark formulations and can be used like white and brown sugar or dark and light molasses. It offers a mild taste and is a great choice for marinades, as it can help flavors to stick to the meat without causing a lot of charring and burning over a grill. 

Stevia
This sweetener is the lowest-calorie of all of the known natural sweeteners and is often used as a sugar substitute for those who want to purge sugar from their diet. It is most commonly eaten as a powder, like sugar, but it is very light and more similar to powdered sugar. It can be used in drinks and baking, but be aware that it is actually much more sweet than sugar, so you need much less of it in your coffee or tea. If you are doing a cleanse that includes lemon water, a pinch of this can help to make it taste more like lemonade. 

Maple Syrup
Another of the best-known natural sweeteners, maple syrup is a staple on breakfast tables worldwide. It is important to note that natural maple syrup is not the same as artificial brands, which consist of maple-flavored corn syrup. Maple is an excellent sweetener substitute in pies, a good glaze base for meats, and a good addition to salad dressing. 

Making the Switch
If you are unsure which kind of sweetener is best for you, it's a good idea to experiment. For some, you may find that you can easily make the switch with some things but other foods are not as good with a sugar substitute. Other people may be trying to remove most of the sweet things from their lives, and this is a way to wean off of the addictive nature of sugar a little bit more easily. 

Remember that not all sweeteners taste quite the same. If you don't like the flavor of one, keep trying others until you find a taste that you enjoy. Even as you experiment, in increase in your energy levels and a reduction in your waistline may help to tip the scales in favor of your new sweetening regime.

How Healthy Eating Can Stave off Kidney Disease




Eating More of These Foods May Help Prevent Kidney Disease

People that have kidney disease or are at risk for the disorder can stave the disease off by following a certain diet.


According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, eating certain foods can help slow down chronic kidney disease. These foods may even be able to help prevent kidney disease if you have risk factors. Generally, it is best to eat whole foods that are prepared at home. As everyone is different, it is always important to consult with your doctor or dietician to determine which foods are the best for you.

Foods to Eat


These foods, in general, are healthy for those at risk for chronic kidney disease. They can also be valuable in helping current kidney issues from getting worse.

Whole Fruits and Vegetables
A study presented at the 2016 American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions found that people with chronic kidney disease that added more vegetables and fruits to their diet had better blood pressure and used fewer medications than their counterparts that were treated with a baking soda regimen. The research subjects did not have to completely change their diet to achieve these results. They simply added more whole fruits and vegetables to their daily diet. Blood pressure is directly related to kidney failure. According to The American Kidney Fund, controlling high blood pressure may prevent kidney failure from getting worse.

Foods to Avoid


Here are foods that you should avoid if you are at risk for kidney disease or have chronic kidney disease

Red Meat
If you have chronic kidney disease or are at risk, you should limit red meat. High-protein diets are a no-no for those with kidney disease. In addition, red meats typically contain a lot of saturated fat, which is not good for someone with kidney disease. So, stay away from large quantities of animal protein.

Salt
Most foods are laden with salt, especially processed foods. Even the so-called healthy processed frozen meals have a lot of salt. If you are at risk for kidney disease, it is important to pay attention to how much salt you are getting in your diet. Definitely limit your salt intake to less than 2,300 mg a day. This equals about one teaspoon.

Soda
Sugar-sweetened sodas, whether sweetened with real sugar or artificial, are not healthy for someone that has kidney disease. These sodas contain phosphorus additives, which damage the kidneys. In addition, these drinks contain no nutritious value.

If you are at risk for kidney disease or already have chronic kidney disease, it is important to know that following a kidney-healthy diet can help prevent kidney problems or keep existing issues from getting worse. Always consult with your health care practitioner to find the best diet for your health needs.

Healthy Habits can Fight Even Genetic Heart Disease

A new study involving more than 55,000 adults looked at the effect of four lifestyle factors on the incidence of heart disease. The conclusion: Even those with a known genetic predisposition to heart disease can influence the outcome by avoiding unhealthy habits and pro-actively developing healthy ones.

The study assigned a risk factor based in part on whether or not participants carried any of 50 genes known to be associated with increased risk of heart disease. It also looked at the four following healthy lifestyle factors:

  1. No current smoking
  2. Lack of obesity (BMI less than 30)
  3. If they engaged in physical exercise at least once a week
  4. Healthy dietary pattern

Participants were ranked based on the number of healthy lifestyle factors they had. The study found that although genetic factors can dramatically increase the risk of heart disease -- by as much as 90 percent in some cases -- every health lifestyle factor helped reduce the risk.

This runs counter to what many people believe about genetic health factors. Most people wrongly believe that if you have "bad" genes, there is no fighting it. You might as well throw in the towel.

But this is not true. Diet and lifestyle make a significant impact on health outcomes, even for those individuals born at high risk due to known genetic factors. The more positive lifestyle factors, the more positive impact.

If you have genetic factors for heart disease, you can work on reducing your risk by doing the following things:

Eat Healthy
This means fewer processed foods and more fresh fruits and vegetables. It also means avoiding saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol. Limit salt and sugar and eat a high fiber diet.

Be Active
You should exercise at least once a week. But you should also avoid sitting for excessive periods of time. If you work a desk job, get up and walk around a little every hour or so. Your heart will thank you.

Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are underweight or overweight, work on gradually getting to a healthy weight. Then work at maintaining a healthy weight. Yo-yo dieting -- losing weight and then packing it back on -- is worse than just carrying a few too many pounds.

Avoid Tobacco and Limit Alcohol Use
If you smoke or use other tobacco products, give it up. Drink alcohol only in moderation.

Contrary the popular belief that genetic predisposition to heart disease is destiny, new studies are showing that lifestyle factors can help mitigate genetic risk. If you are at high risk, eat right, exercise, keep your weight down and avoid tobacco.

Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Higher Intelligence

Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Higher Intelligence
When you lead a healthy lifestyle, you can look forward to all types of bodily benefits. Everything from an improved metabolism to better muscular growth, proper nutrition and dieting can have overt benefits on your sense of well-being. Research also shows that a healthy lifestyle could be linked to a higher intelligence.

Better Nutrition Leads to Stronger Cellular Performance

When the body has the proper level of nutrition it needs, all operations work better on a cellular level. The cells have the fuel and energy they need to carry out their tasks without being bogged down by any number of problems. This efficiency results in a better metabolic function that gets rid of waste materials more quickly and provides the body with more energy. This becomes crucial in the brain, where the removal of waste materials and better functioning of cells means that cognitive functions are sped up and optimized. Studies also show that a healthier lifestyle through nutrition can help get rid of mental sluggishness. Drinking more water can lead to reduced migraines as well, which can optimize mental activities in the future, particularly in those who struggle with migraines and similar issues.

Better Exercising Habits Leads to Circulatory Solutions

As you exercise more frequently, your metabolism speeds up and optimizes blood flow through your organs. This increased blood flow can allow nutrients to reach necessary processes much more quickly, which can result in better long-term functioning. This results in a compounding effect, where all of the benefits build on top of each other to provide the body with the boost it needs to provide the individual with better movements and health. This extends to the brain as well, as the better fed the mind is, the better cognitive function the individual retains. Those who lead a healthier lifestyle will find themselves enjoying greater mental clarity and better memory function. Like any other lifestyle changes, however, it is important to make sure that you take it slow at first. Make the gradual changes you need to lead into healthier routines for your future.

Tips to Find the Tastiest Ways to Eat Healthy

As you get older, eating healthy becomes increasingly important. A lot of people view this as a dreaded chore and see it as the end of enjoying food, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can continue to enjoy food, even while learning to up your game nutritionally.

1) Learn to Shop
Learn how to choose good quality produce. Many fruits and veggies taste good raw or with minimum preparation, assuming they are of good quality to begin with. Melons can often be checked by feeling how firm the rind is. Generally speaking, the flesh of berries and other fruits should be firm, but not hard. If you aren't good at this, ask a friend to teach you all about it.

2) Learn to Store Food Properly
Fresh produce is best if consumed fairly promptly, but if you don't shop daily, you need to learn to store it so it stays fresh. Rinse fruits and vegetables before putting them in the fridge to remove any pesticide residue. Grapes should be pulled off the stem before being put away. Celery should be placed in a glass of water to keep it crisp. Bananas should be hung from a hook to forestall spoilage. Apples should be stored separately from other items because they give off a gas that can hasten spoilage for some items.

3) Learn to Stir Fry
Stir fry involves cutting foods up into relatively small pieces -- because small pieces cook quickly -- and cooking them on high heat for a short period of time. If you aren't a fan of oriental foods, you do not have to eat anything you find weird. You can use the same technique to make familiar foods healthier because stir frying involves less oil and less exposure to heat, thus helping to preserve nutrients and reduce the amount of fat in your diet. If you adapt familiar recipes to a stir fry version, you can improve your nutrition and cut fat from your diet without making big changes to the kinds of foods you like to eat.

4) Learn to Spice
Generally speaking, most healthy diets require you to cut fat and sugar. These are both big sources of flavor for many people. Learning to use spices can help add flavor to your diet so you don't miss the fats and sugars so much. Stir fry some sweet potato slices with cinnamon and nutmeg and you may be happy with just a pinch of brown sugar instead of a spoonful. Add onions, chives or black pepper to your baked potato and you may be less grumpy about cutting back on the butter, cheese and bacon.

Contrary to popular opinion, eating healthy does not have to be a fate worse than death. If you learn to up your game on food selection, storage, and preparation, it is possible to not only enjoy healthy foods, but to enjoy them even more than low quality junk food while also doing your body some good.

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. 

Benefits of Exfoliation for Skin During Cold Winter Months



Exfoliation is the act of scrubbing away dead skin cells on the scalp and body. Exfoliation and pore cleaning are common beauty regimens that are great in the wintertime when low humidity, arid rooms and cold air add to the havoc on the body.

Dry cells left on the surface of the body cause itchy, tight, dull and flaky appearance. Flaked epidermis can develop red patches and is vulnerable to cracking and injury. Bathing isn’t enough to get rid of the red patches or flaky cells. In fact, bathing and washing in excess can aggravate the situation worse. The trick is to draw out moisture from deep inside and help the epidermis rejuvenate naturally.

Regular soaps are also drying agents that can cause more dead cells, however there are soaps especially made to help draw out moisture and lubricate the surface area.

Hydroxyl Acid Exfoliant and Scrubs


There are many things people can do to speed up the exfoliation process. Hydroxyl acid exfoliant and salt scrubs all help increase the benefits of cleansing agents. Some preparations can be applied to a cold wearer and others need to be applied to a warm or damp surface to be useful.

Some need to be repeated regularly, applying once a week to a cold wearer, or once a week to a warm body. Olive oil is a common home products that can help the body keep its supple, soft appearance, although many commercial scalp and body products increase the likelihood of a glowing complexion and provide collagen stimulation.

When rooms have low humidity, a humidifier helps keep air quality better for the inside and outside of the body. Even with air improvements, the skin is still vulnerable, and anti-aging products are helpful at any time of the year. Even though wintertime is the most part of the year that people think about needing to relieve dryness, it is also a good idea in the summer time.

Other Benefits of Exfoliation

People sometimes try to combat these issues with moisturizers. Cold weather can make moisturizer disappear quickly, and cause it to lose its effectiveness. Along with looking better, providing anti-aging properties, removing dead cells, giving people a glowing complexion and increasing cell turnover, exfoliation improves circulation to the upper layers of the body. It is what gives the face and other areas of the body a youthful, healthy glow.

By avoiding washing in excess and using hydroxyl acid exfoliant agents, olive oil, salt scrubs or other collagen stimulation products people can relive itchy and red areas, prevent moisture and moisturizer absorption and get better pore cleaning.

Improving Cell Turnover and Circulation


Exfoliation products help the body look better, but most are best used with warm water. The heat of warm water further opens pores and allows dull, tight epidermis to feel better, and reduces moisturizer absorption and the havoc cold weather causes.