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Top 10 Foods Women Should Eat More Often

(Fruits, Veggies, Fats, Omegas, Nuts)

This evening I presented a free Seminar at the Healthy Being Wellness Boutique- the topic was: Top 10 Foods Women Should Eat More Often.

I'd like to share with you the major points of my presentation:

1. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement or wild salmon
The omega-3s in fish and quality fish oil help your body burn fat more efficiently, make your mind more focused and spiritually inclined, and improve your mood. Fish oil raises serotonin levels which is especially important for women because women have half the level of serotonin in their brains as compared to men. This explains why women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression. As a bonus, fish oil also makes your hair and skin healthy.

2. Old fashioned or steel cut oatmeal
In addition to being inexpensive, oats have a low glycemic index, are high in fiber, and contain GLA. GLA in the right amounts helps regulate female hormone levels.

Oats contain a lot of fiber, both insoluble and soluble, the latter has a beneficial effects on cholesterol. Without going into detailed mechanisms, oats lower cholesterol, and can lower blood pressure, which lowers the chances of cardiovascular disease. This soluble fiber (with other constituents) also helps to keep our blood sugar stable by releasing its energy slowly, preventing some of the complications associated with diabetes. Oats reduce our risk of getting cancer, help prevent constipation, maintain a healthy digestive function and keep us at a healthy weight. Oats are a good source of thiamine, folic acid and vitamin E. They contain zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium and have a higher concentration of well-balanced protein than any other cereal.

3. Berries
Berries contain huge amounts of anti oxidants and other phytochemicals (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and more) which help prevent cancer, aging, maintain healthy vision, lower cholesterol and total blood lipids and keep the circulatory system healthy. Berries may prevent and treat urinary tract infections, help age related cognitive decline and lower amounts of brain damage in strokes. They also contain large amounts of vitamins, minerals and fiber with very few calories and no fat.

Berries are easy to eat just as they are, add to yoghurt, muesli, make a smoothie, add to fruit salads and frozen are just as good for you as fresh - just get them down you!

Blueberries contain many antioxidants and have a very low glycemic index. I recommend buying large bags of frozen blueberries from Costco, since blueberries tend to be pricey. You can always enjoy fresh blueberries in season but buy them in small quantities because they are very perishable compared to frozen.

4. Organic sweet potatoes
The deep orange color of an organic sweet potato shouts vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The average commercial sweet potato grown in depleted soil are not so vibrant. I believe the best multivitamin is to have a sweet potato three to four times per week. Sweet potatoes are also low glycemic.

5. Nuts
There are so many types of nuts, each with their own unique health benefits so this one is a bit general. However all nuts are a great source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Eating a wide variety of nuts is best and stick to the plain ones, roasting and salting make them much less healthy! Women in a Harvard School of Public Health study who reported eating 5 or more 1 ounce servings of nuts/peanuts per week reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts.

Almonds contain high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium.

Brazil nuts contain selenium and may protect against breast cancer. They are also high in zinc, which is a vital mineral for digestion and metabolism. People with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis are often low in zinc and it is essential for immune system function.

Walnuts contain omega 3 (and 6) which prevent heart disease, maintain healthy joints and brain function and provide anti-inflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.

Cashews are lower in fat than most nuts and contain good levels of iron copper, magnesium, zinc which are essential for optimal bodily functioning.

Eating a variety of nuts can certainly help us keep healthy, do remember though, they are very nutrient dense so a couple of handfuls a day is plenty!

Cashews are a great source of monounsaturated fat and they are a nutrient-packed super food because they are grown in warm and humid environments close to the equator.

6. Avocados
These luscious green fruits are high in monounsaturated fat, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are good for your metabolism and for promoting vibrant skin.

Those on weight loss diets will often avoid avocados because of the fat content; but we must remember that is some fat is essential; some fats are actively good for us and actually help, rather than hinder weight loss. Monounsaturated fats can speed up metabolic rate, help us feel fuller for longer and prevent binges on high sugar or saturated fat foods. Its low sugar content and absence of starch make avocado an ideal food for diabetics.

Avocados have a high nutritional density, containing many vitamins and minerals, protein and fibre. They are very high in anti-oxidants so helping to prevent cancer, cataracts and aging. Some of the constituents have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels. When eaten with other fruit and vegetables, avocados increase absorption of other nutrients.

They are perfect, mashed, for babies who are just starting on solids. Add to salads, pasta, prawns, tuna or just eat as they are! Avocados can also be used externally for skin complaints.

7. Farm raised eggs
Few foods can match the nutritional power of an egg yolk. The modern philosophy of balanced eating has overturned the fear of cholesterol because balanced insulin and blood sugar decreases cholesterol production in the body. People feed yolks to make their dogs coat healthy: eggs can do the same for human skin and hair. Plus, egg whites are an excellent source of protein.

8. Stem, stalk and leafy vegetables
Greens, such as broccoli, kale, spinach and other leafy greens offer roughage, water, and many essential phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals.

9. Raw cacao
Women usually crave chocolate during the menstrual cycle to escape the hormonal storm. Raw cacao contains anandamide, a substance that mimics marijuana, thus giving women a sensation of bliss. (10 tips to prevent PMS - naturally)

10. Organic yogurt
Yogurt has probiotics for good digestive health and calcium for strong bones. It is also quite versatile and can be eaten for any meal of the day.

Bonus: 11. Olive oil and sesame oil
These delicious unsaturated fats are heart-healthy and can reduce your cholesterol levels as well as reduce inflammation. Rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamin E and other nutrients, these healthy oils can be used in many cooking applications.

Olive oil Olive oil has been around for 1000's of years and is one of the main components of a Mediterranean diet which is widely thought of as one of the healthiest diets in the world.

Olive oil has high levels of monounsaturated fats (like avocados) which help prevent heart disease by lowering bad' cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good' cholesterol (HDL). It can lower blood pressure, possibly due to constituents called Phenols, and one study shows regular consumption of olive oil can reduce the need for hypertensive medication by 48%.

Olive oil is also high in Vitamin E, a powerful anti oxidant which protects the heart, slows down the aging process (hurrah!!) and is even considered an aphrodisiac!

A US study has found olive oil may act in a similar way to painkillers such as ibuprofen which are anti-inflammatory. Inflammation has been linked with a wide range of diseases from cancer to heart disease to rheumatoid arthritis. In fact studies have shown that regular consumption of olive oil lowers the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in later life.

Extra virgin olive oil is best and as we only use small quantities it is worth the extra money.

Use for stir fries, as a dip with balsamic vinegar for ciabatta or granary bread, pour over salads, vegetables or pasta, add to sauces, just have a bit of olive oil every day!

Healthy Weight Loss Food Plan

If you intend to be on a weight loss diet, then observing a few rules gets you started. With these rules you can go ahead with a healthy weight loss diet plan.

• Diversify your food at every meal to get a combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat.

• Make sure to stuff protein into your snacks.

• Drink enough water. At least 8 glasses to maintain proper metabolism inside the body.

• Introduce enough fibre in your diet
  
  

With these basic rules, you can go ahead with your natural and healthy weight loss diet plan. The weight loss food may include the following ones.

• Egg white: The protein rich egg white builds muscle and burns fat. The protein found in eggs has the highest biological value of protein of nay food. This biological value is a measure of how well it supports your body’s protein needs. Eggs also contain vitamin B12 which is necessary for fat breakdown.

• Whey protein: Protein contains essential amino acids that build muscle and burn fat. The advantage of whey protein over other proteins like soy is that it has highest amount of protein for the fewest number of calories.

• Whole grains and cereals: Whole grain carbohydrates play an important role in healthy lifestyle. Whole grains keep insulin levels low, which keeps you from storing fat. Oatmeal contains soluble fibre. So it attracts fluid and stays in your stomach longer than insoluble fibre. Eating oatmeal raises the level of free testosterone, enhancing the body’s ability to build muscle and burn fat.

• Nuts and seeds: Peanuts, almonds, walnut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, til; all help in fighting your food cravings, burning fat and building muscle.

• Nuts despite with their fat content have high protein and unsaturated fats which clear your arteries and help you feel full. Your snacks may contain nuts daily which will help you taking fewer calories at the end of the day. Nuts with their high fibre, fat and protein content help reduce the appetite.

• Fruits and vegetables: Vegetables and fruits like carrot, french beans, cabbage, capsicum, gourds, leafy greens, orange, apple, banana, guava etc neutralize free radicals, fight heart disease and help prevent food cravings. The fibre they provide keeps you from overeating other calorific stuff.

• Vegetable oil: This unsaturated fat along with vitamin E will help keeping cholesterol in check and burn fat. This fights obesity, cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure.

There are no weight loss foods as labeled; you need to pick them up as you require depending upon your obesity. Casually picking up food is fine when you are just overweight, but you need to follow a proper weight loss food plan when you are obese.

Carefully Choosing a Healthy Weight Loss Plan

Choosing a healthy weight loss diet plan has many considerations and changes from individual to individual. Considering the disastrous effect of quick fix weight loss solution by an overhyped yo-yo weight loss diet plan, you need to find a plan that is suitable to you and by all parameters is a healthy weight loss diet plan meeting few specifications which are unique to you.

While choosing a best weight loss diet plan for you, you need to look for these basic things.

• It promotes and prescribes slow and healthy weight loss.

• It is created by credential professionals.

• It is suitable to your lifestyle and to your dietary taste. Extreme changes in taste are not going to be a stable diet for you.

• It includes a whole lot of variety in food. This is important because cutting down on variety hampers your health on long term.

• It does not depend heavily on weight loss supplements. These are effective but need to be used like medicines.

• It allows snacks between meals.

• It prescribes at least light exercise. A proper exercise plan is a must to be attached with a diet plan.

• It includes a maintenance plan after the initial fat loss.

• Recommends drinking plenty of water.

Nutrition: First Step to Correcting Your Food Habit

The most nutritious food diet basically combines three types of foods.

• Heat and energy yielding foods : Fats and carbohydrates

• Body building foods : Proteins ( Animal and vegetable proteins )

• Protective foods : Minerals and vitamins

All three types of foods serve two main purpose of the body

• Building structure of the organs in the body

• Building the function of the organs

A slight deviation in its defined purpose, body comes up with diseases. No need to say about the deficiency in structure of the organs. A very typical example of functional problem in digestive system is irritable bowel syndrome.

So the stress is not only on the quality of food, but on the total digestive process. The diet determines to a good extent the smoothness of the digestive process.

Carbohydrates

Proteins

Antioxidants

Natural Antioxident Rich Diet

One very obvious question that comes to mind is if free radicals and oxidants are so prevailing in the body, then why everyone isn’t falling apart. The answer is the natural antioxidants.

Your cells have their own defense system to fight off these free radicals. Scientists have reported evidence suggesting that certain vitamins and specially vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene can enhance body’s ability to fight these radical monsters and therefore prevent oxidation. These are a list of the best antioxidants.

Vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids (including beta carotene) and the mineral selenium are all powerful natural oxidants found in food.

But look at the problem in getting natural antioxidants to your body from vitamin C, E and selenium.

• Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and most of the vitamin C in the diet (90%) comes from fruits and vegetables. But being a water soluble vitamin, cooking can destroy vitamin C in food.

• Vitamin E is fat. As vitamin W is found in oils, people following a low fat diet may not get enough.

• The amount of selenium found in food is directly related to the amount of selenium found in the soil in which food was grown.

So it becomes essential for us to get natural antioxidants from natural food and fruits high in antioxidants.

Vegetables and fruits high in antioxidants:

Red, yellow, orange and leafy green vegetables and fruits are rich source of beta carotene.

This includes

Carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.

Vitamin E, another antioxidant is richly found in

Peanut butter, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and margarine, avocado, salad dressings.

Vitamin C rich foods that are antioxidants:

Peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices, berries, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, potatoes, mango, papaya.

It is enough for a normal person to get all the natural antioxidants from the food sources. Antioxidant supplementation may help people dealing with a lot of stress, people on a low fat diet, smokers, older adults, and dieters limiting their calories to 1200 per day or less, people with a family history of heart disease or cancer

Antioxidants-The Latest Medical Boon

We have heard all the buzz about antioxidants, so what exactly are antioxidants and how do they work? To understand antioxidants, oxidation and oxidants need to be understood.

We know how essential oxygen is to our life. Yet, this is also inherently dangerous to our existence. This is known as oxygen paradox. Recent research shows that oxidative stress, or cell damage by free radicals is the main cause of most of the chronic degenerative diseases. These free radicals are harmful by products of the process of oxygen consumption in our body. These free radicals are also created from environmental pollution, certain industrial chemicals, and smoking.

If still unclear of what is oxidation, then think of the process of oxidation outside the body; for which a sliced apple turns brown, the rusting of iron etc.

In fact, oxidative stress is now the leading theory behind the aging process. Stop the oxidative stress, counter the free radicals and be free from all diseases.

Now when you know the oxidants, antioxidants just counter them. They fight against the free radicals and save us from the dark side of oxygen. Considering the tremendous damage caused by the oxidative stress to the body, ample amount of antioxidants in form of food and supplements do a lot good for health and anti aging in long term.

Antioxidants advantages:

In the view of the damage by oxidative stress, the role of antioxidants in preserving health has come to the fore through recent research. The findings on antioxidants to prevent heart disease, the role of antioxidants to ward off cancer and the latest theory of anti aging through antioxidants; all point towards its huge role in maintaining health.

To list a few benefits of antioxidants

The research has shown and is now ongoing for future strategies on the role these antioxidants may play in heart disease prevention.

Antioxidants have a preventive role in several types of cancer. This is to be noticed that many factors induce the development of cancer including heredity, nutritional excesses and deficiencies, and the environment with all its pollutions.

Immunity is certain to get a boost if body is properly fed with adequate antioxidants.

Increased free radical activity during strenuous exercise and continuous stress can be countered with antioxidants. So vitamin E ( one antioxidant ) might play a role in reducing muscle inflammation and soreness after bouts of vigorous workouts.

Accelerated aging is halted and aging finally can be delayed by countering the ill effects of oxidative stress on the body.

Protiens: The Building of Block of the Body

The most important fact about protein is human body just cannot do well without it. The protein deficiency symptoms come as retardation of physical growth and mental abilities. Gradual protein deficiency in diet has some serious consequences on the body which are very difficult to reverse. Proteins are nitrogenous substances which repair waste and build new tissues. They are essential for the growth and maintenance of the body.

They are complex organic compounds which contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The protein molecule is composed of a number of simpler compounds called amino acids. All the wear and tear of the body caused by the continuous functions of the organs like heart, lungs, stomach, is made up by the proteins we take. Proteins provide the necessary material to build new cells for growth or replace those lost in wear and tear. So it becomes equally important for all age group to keep a strict eye on their daily protein intake, especially children, older citizens.

Proteins are present in foods obtained from animals and in foods from vegetables. Proteins from both animal kingdom and plant kingdom should be consumed. Vegetarians with a lacto vegetarian diet (milk and related product with vegetables) almost fulfill all the needs of the body. Some advocate for eggs also. This is known as lacto-oval-vegetarianism.

To answer, what is the daily recommended amount for protein, 40/50 grams of protein should be in our daily diet. Some are also of the view that one gram of protein should be taken for 1 kg of body weight.

High Protien Diet and How do Protien Diet Works

Unlike carbohydrate, an average meal poorly responds to the need of body for protein. So a high protein diet plan is prescribed to meet the protein demands of the body. It is a must irrespective of age or sex as they are the body building and body repairing materials in the form of tissues.

For a growing child, even a proper diet falls short of the daily requirement and gradual lacking shows in the retardation of growth. The protein requirement in the diet is higher when new tissues are being laid down for growth, development or repair. It rises during pregnancy and breast feeding and is higher in infants and children.

How the high protein diet work in the body:

Proteins are complex structures. They can be utilized by the body if they are split into simpler forms. These simpler nitrogenous compounds are called amino acids. Proteins differ in food value according to the amounts and types of amino acids which they contain.

Nutritionally, amino acids belong to two categories.

Essential amino acids: They cannot be synthesized in the animal body and must be supplied with foods full of protein in adequate amounts.
Non essential amino acids: These amino acids may be synthesized in the body . They need not be supplied in the diet.

Eight amino acids are considered essential for human nutrition. These are

• Methionine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Valine
• Leucine
• Isoleucine
• Lysine
• Phenylalanine

Ariginine and histidine are considered semi indispensable amino acids. Glycine, alanine, serine, cysteine, tyrosine, proline, aspartic acid and glutamic acid are some of the non essential amino acids.

Besides forming proteins, dietary amino acids are required for the formation of products like heme of hemoglobin, the hormones adrenalin and thyroxine, the skin pigment melanin, and essential parts of nucleic acids.

Some amino acids give rise to carbohydrates in the body. Amino acids are also catabolised to give energy.

Food proteins should include sufficient amount of animal proteins such as milk, egg, fish and meat proteins because they contain adequate amount of all the essential amino acids.

Healthy Eating Habits with a Concept Much Beyond Eating Healthy Only

Healthy Eating Habits without any major eating disorder, determine to a great extent the overall physical and mental health of a person. People are now crazy for healthy eating guide, a custom made healthy eating plan, healthy eating recipes, and Natural Health magazines- on to look younger, to lose weight and to lower cholesterol etc.

This is a very positive signal for the awareness of natural health building. “Food that feeds not fills” may be the right explanation for nutrition and eating healthy. Apart from the psychological reasons of eating disorder, the current life style contributes to a major extent in disturbing our diet and thus health.

But healthy eating habits go much beyond the concept of a mere eating a healthy diet. If you come to the finer level of the relation of food with health building, then things will appear a little more complex. Food is the material out of which the organism is constructed, repaired, maintained, reproduced and run smoothly.

Healthy eating habit is basically

• What to eat
• When to eat
• How to eat

Though all the attention goes to what to eat, rest two things are equally important. But “eating perfect” goes well beyond the concept of a mere eating a healthy diet.

Looking beyond…

• Good nutritious food in right proportion and at right times in the day ( Eating habits, Diet plan )
• Ability to digest that food
• The power of the body to assimilate that food to the cellular level
• A sound excretory system to flush out the undigested part of the food ( The Most Important Step )

When these bodily functions are corrected or taken care of, then you are guaranteed of all the benefits of a healthy eating plan and a surely disease free status.

The step 2 and 3 are not so visible to a normal person, but people who are sensitive to their body immediately sense something wrong even after taking a good meal. In fact the very purpose of this site is to make you more sensitive towards your body. Every good athlete and sportsperson is trained to listen to their body and thus they avoid injuries in long term because each “body” is unique in its perception and reaction to its environment. Once you learn this, YOU WILL NEED NOBODY TO TELL YOU WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. You will automatically know what is going well with your body and what needs to be cut down.

So if you are ready to rediscover your health through food, then you will find life changing knowledge here. You will see a dynamic and vibrant health with hardly ever any disease attacking you. A sound health in your side, you can go on enjoying your wealth and other precious moments of your life for long. Aging will seem a very distant process in your life.

But to realize this rosy picture of life, you need to work upon your habits and lifestyle. A few major and minor changes will take you a long road ahead without breaking down. You sow and you reap it. Now the responsibility lies on you, as at best this healthy eating website can do for you is show you the direction with knowledge

Small Change Huge Effects

As mentioned before, this healthy eating website goes beyond a balanced diet plan. Certain dietetic rules need to be observed prior to, during and after taking food. This is not a detail diet plan, but a few healthy eating guidelines.

Obsession with the quality of food often makes us avoid few general but important considerations regarding food. Try to make these healthy eating tips into habits and slip them into your lifestyle. Here only minor changes are mentioned which you can easily bring in your daily life. Start with this and gradually over days, months or years, move towards the major shifts in lifestyle.

• Eat only when you are hungry. Beware of false hunger as many people suffer from it.

• Do not eat when you are angry. Rest for a while till the mind becomes calm. The biochemical state of the body is not at all ready to take food and digest it, even if you force it down the stomach. Secretions of glands are harmful when you are angry and thrown into bloodstream.

• Try to take food at fixed hours.

• Take food as medicine. Very difficult but at least give up gluttony.

• Make a change in your diet gradually. Do not suddenly switch to excessive of non vegetarian food from vegetarian if you ever wish. If something disagrees with your body, then reduce the quantity. Do not eat anything which you do not like, but do not eat excessive of which you like most.

• Do not swallow your food. Eat less and masticate more. Taking your food hastily is just the beginning of the problem to come. Once in a while in hurry is all right, but if it is in your eating habits then change it immediately. It acts like a slow poison; you will never know why certain things are going wrong in your digestive system.

• Prefer to observe silence when you take your food.

• Do not drink water in between the meal. If that necessary take a sip or two, but do refrain from drinking water till at least half an hour after meal. This is very important for the digestion to take place. Do not ever use chilled water from freeze, as it is the first thing to act against a proper digestion.

• Do not overload the stomach. Best to get up when three quarter of the stomach is full. You do not need to measure in any way but you can certainly feel it.

• Do not do any strenuous work physical or mental after taking food. The blood supply to brain is reduced just after taking the meal. Digestion in stomach is not in any way a less important job for your body.

Effects of Eating Healthy and Implementing a Healthy Eating Plan

To know the effects of eating healthy, there should be a basic understanding of what food does to body. Food is any substance which the living body can make a part of itself. It is the usable material that can be made into living tissue. If your body can not accept certain materials as food, then it will react immediately in one form or other.

Now this food should be nutritious. Nutrition and eating healthy is all about a natural and well balanced food containing all nutrients needed for building the body and keeping it fit in functioning too.

To list a few benefits of healthy eating

• A man/woman is what he/she eats. If he eats wholesome, well balanced diet, he is healthy, strong and efficient. If the diet is faulty, he becomes weak, sickly and inefficient.

• Your youth gets longer. Who doesn’t want a glossy skin with a youthful vigor on a healthy body? Aging takes a backseat in a true sense and gets delayed.

• Apart from the other lifestyles, food is the single biggest reason for most of the disease. In fact the first things efficient doctors say in an illness is controlling food. There is a properly laid out plan for foods that heal. You underestimate the value of food, and soon your health will start underestimating you.

• Your mental health gets a big boost for following a well balanced nutritious diet plan. It pays immediately and the latest research even shows the food for brain and memory power.

• None but Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said “Your food must be your medicine, and medicine must be your food “.

• To quote Alexander Haig, To those who are free from disease, life presents a very different aspect: All is energy, labor is a glory, the power do is a pleasure. There is the healthy instinct for longevity and indolence offers no attraction at all.”

These are mere words for passively interested person, but he knows this who enjoys a blissful health. If these words cannot motivate you for a few minor and major lifestyle and food habit changes, then certainly you will leave this world without ever knowing this beautiful side of health and human life.

These words are never meant to offend anybody, but the value of health is known when it is lost. So why to wait for life to teach us a lesson and then correct everything. You may not even be allowed to do that, or may be at a costly deal. So minor changes now will make your life beautiful and blissful.

Eating healthy definitely solves the major problem, but a overall healthy eating habit which covers a little corrections in your lifestyle surely will take you long disease less.

Healthy Eating Plan 2

Fibre : The most important healthy eating diet for teens must contain ample fibre component. People think it is an issue for adult only. But proper bowel movement from teenage is a must for teens to develop a healthy eating habit in future. This habit should start from good food choices.

An ill fibre diet neutralizes all the good effect of a highly nutritious diet over a period of time. Because role of fibre lies in the proper functioning of intestinal tract ( digestive system ) to speed up the elimination of waste products from the body. It reduces toxicity in the body and elevates the value of all the nutritious diet we take.

There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Both are needed in your diet for proper health. The food sources of fibre include whole grain bread and cereals; raw fruits and berries such as apples, plums, cherries, grapes, oranges, bananas, apricots, strawberries, raisins and dried fruits and vegetables such as beans, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery cucumber, lettuce, onions, and spinach. Do not overdo it to prevent bloating, gas and flatulence.

All the vitamins: No need to say enough that a teen needs all the vitamins in optimal proportion in the body. A conscious meal with enough vegetables and dairy products well supplies all the vitamin needs. Many of the fortified foods have solved the problem of many vitamin deficiencies. To avoid any serious deficiency, you can go for quality vitamin supplements. But remember to go for only high quality vitamin supplements, because they have been found to be helping the bodily functions and in some cases quality supplements have therapeutic use.

Snacks: Foods or snacks in between the meals are the major points of concern as far as food habits are concerned. This is where the junk food slips quietly into our lifestyle. In fact here starts the major disorder in food habits.

These in between meal snacks are great way to meet your calorie needs during the day. The habit of healthy snacks avoids the major food problem in future. Some snack ideas are

Dried fruit
Bagels with cream cheese
Grilled cheese sandwich
Crackers with peanut butter
Soup with crackers
Yoghurt with granola
Nuts and seeds
Fruit milkshake
Fruit or vegetable juice
Pretzels
Popcorns

So any particular disliking is not going to affect health for teens if a particular nutrition is not out of balance. In fact the important thing to be monitored is balance of food. If a food is much disliked, then a replacement food is always there. Only thing to avoid is dependence on one particular food heavily which happens too often. This habit creates imbalance of nutrition.

Health supplements are often helpful if the child is very choosy in food. They help in filling any imbalance in health.

Healthy Eating Plan 1

If you plan a healthy eating for teens, then pay utmost importance to balance of food. People are crazy for calorie content of food and other statistics before they can prepare a food list that they will stick forever.

Be practical. Why? Well you may stick to a bookish “healthy diet for teens”, but your child will never. So a free style diet with a few regulations is the best compromise. Do not follow strict dieting, that is in fact not at all suitable for teens. You may retard growth and maturity in a strict diet.

If you expect a list of the vitamins and minerals for teens, then count all the nutrients discovered till date. The fact is teens need everything, every vitamins and minerals including all other nutrients.

Below is a list of nutrients they need most and demand a special mention.

Proteins: The most important nutrition a teen’s body requires. As protein is the building material of the body, they need it the most. Any shortage of this nutrient in the body, both physical and mental growth gets a serious damage.

Do not panic if red meat is not of liking. There are many foods which contain ample amount of protein. Proteins are found to some extent in nearly all foods, since life itself, both plants and animals cannot exist without them.

Both plant and animal proteins are available to us in our diet.40/50 grams of protein should be in our daily diet. Nuts and seeds, soya, and other grains including bread and pasta and legumes provide good amount of plant proteins. Animal proteins are more digestible, milk, egg, yoghurt, cheese, meat provide better value of protein to our body.

Vegetarians should depend on a lacto vegetarian food which includes milk and milk products to meet protein needs.

You can also supplement your food through protein supplements, protein shakes. That along with normal daily food meets the overall requirement of protein in the body.

Calcium: In fact this is more important than protein because protein is more or less available in all foods consumed daily. Bones and teeth require heavy amount of calcium in the body for proper growth. But apart from this common knowledge, calcium is also needed for contraction of heart muscle and other muscles of the body.

Calcium rich foods are cheese, milk, yoghurt, eggs, bread, nuts, pulses, fish with soft bones such as whitebait and tinned sardines, white beans, baked beans, brussel sprouts, sesame seeds, almonds etc.

Phosphorus: It is the main part of the brain and nerves and in its absence they are severely affected. To maintain proper nervous force in the body phosphorous level should be optimal in the body. Milk, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, whole grains, legumes, nuts are good sources of phosphorous.

A Healthy Diet is Simply Not Enought..Period!!

This over emphasis on a healthy diet, healthy eating by this upcoming alternative health care industry is very disturbing especially when they are nowhere near the truth. They are blind to the underlying principles of natural health care and only bother about riding on the recent wave of healthy eating or healthy diet craze to sale their products.

The people who are beating the drum rolls of natural remedy, natural healing or natural health care are again some companies selling some natural supplements having biased theories having commercial intent.

Ask any doctor in the world, He will agree that living body heals itself. Wounds heal, bones knit, cuts heal, bleeding stops and fevers come and go. Surgeon cuts, Orthopedic surgeon sets the bone but actual healing is done by the body itself. Surgeons would not be able to treat wounds if healing doesn’t exist. The medicines and surgeries only should supplement this amazingly intelligent human body healing. These healing processes are never at rest.

So Where from Disease Originates?

Let’s go a bit deeper. The human body is composed of tiny microscopic cells. They are wise. They cannot be deceived. When they are healthy we are healthy. When they fail, we fail.

They are we and we are they.

Three things are required to keep them happy.

1. Innervation – Constant and regular nerve supply
2. Food with Nutrition – Food that feeds not fills, Eating Healthy
3. Drainage – Elimination and Evacuation

When these 3 things are supplied to these tiny cells, they are structurally and functionally at their peak. Human body cells have 2 functions.

• Fundamental
• Specialized function

Fundamental function means they keep themselves alive by nutrition, elimination-drainage, repair and reproduction. Specialized function refer that cells of stomach will do the work of digestion, ear cells will hear, eye cells will see etc. Fundamental work means structure and structure means strength in the organs. When these two functions-fundamental and specialized go on working smoothly, there is a sense of ease and it is known as health.

Root Cause of Disease:

When there is disturbance in the cell’s environment as in the lack of nutrition, inefficient drainage and inefficient nerve supply, elimination is checked, causing retention of toxins in the blood and sense of ease is not felt.

Sense of discomfort are symptoms because of the awareness of the living body which is telling us that something wrong inside the body is going on and it should be corrected.

Initially all disease conditions are functional (no change in the organ structure but only function altered) and can be treated easily. If untreated gradually the structural change happens in the cells, like Kidney Stones, Ulcers, and Cancer. Cancer is the best example. Irregularities in the function of cells happen much before (years before) we could discover the arrival of cancer through modern diagnostics.

Human body cell is extremely intelligent and tolerant. It is said that more than 70% of the diseases are self limited, get well by themselves without treatment because of natural healing force within. The visible symptoms of disease are when the cells are beyond repair by themselves.

It doesn’t take much to infer that majority of people reading this article, buying health magazines, health supplements, eating healthy, those conscious of health, are plagued by the problems of cell Innervation and cell drainage than cell nutrition. As above there couldn’t be a better example than cancer.

Drink Water Plenty: A Free Wonder Health Tonic

Water has many therapeutic properties as it is involved in almost all process of the body. Daily requirement to healing effects, water does it all in our body. In cold countries the daily requirement is less than in hot climate countries as the water eliminated out of the body is less. But in any case the requirement is plenty inside.

We are seventy five percent made of water:

Every single cell in our body contains vital fluid. It is the main component of our spinal disks. Our nerves are basically microscopic tubes filled with water. Dehydration in the nerves is thought to be the main reason behind various degenerative and neurological diseases. Proper digestion and effective absorption of nutrients directly depend on a good water intake. Our energy levels and stamina are greatly affected by lack of water.

Medical research has proven that a mere drop of five percent in our body fluids drastically reduces our energy levels by thirty percent.

Take enough water with a few rules in mind:

Knowing what water can do to your body, cautious use of it can do miracle. Here are a few

• Drink at least 2 to 2.5 liters of water daily. Less intake is as dangerous as overconsumption of water. Avoid dehydration and be sensitive to your body. You will know how much water you need. The answer to recommended daily intake of water is not so easy. Drinking water at every opportunity is not good. But on an average depending upon hot or cold wealther, physical activity, 2-2.5 liters of water intake is good for an adult.

• Drinking less water is very dangerous. As you give less water to your body, the less toxins are thrown out of the body. One interesting fact is, under less consumption of water kidney cannot flush out the toxins and develops problems in its function. It may appear as kidney stone, kidney failure etc. But once you know this, then also you cannot take enough water, because your kidney is no more in a state to process enough water. So you are blocked in a deadlock. So message is clear, drink enough water.

• Do not drink immediately after taking food. Perhaps this is the single biggest mistake people should correct in their pursuit of healthy eating habit. After taking food of any sort, you r stomach goes into work to digest that food with all the salivary glands secreting their juices. Acids are secreted by the stomach to help in digestion. Once you drink water, those acids and gastric juices get diluted to great extent and the digestion is affected and remains incomplete. Then all the back to back process of digestion in your body is not completed. Indigestion, constipation, wind problem are the result.So drink water only after 40-45 minutes after taking the meal. You can take a sip or two during the meal if you feel like.

• Stop drinking cold refrigerated water after meal. For digestion, the stomach with all the gastric juices needs heat to churn the food and for the ultimate combustion the heat inside the stomach should be maintained. Drinking cold water after the meal brings the temperature down inside the stomach. Even serious diseases like cancer have been linked to this eating habit. Cold soft drinks during or after the meal has the same effect as cold water upon the stomach.

All Natural Energy Drink: Charged Water

This page will go against your very notion of healthy natural energy drink. The best energy drinks that are flooded into the market are soft drinks with Caffeine or Guarana added to them. They are slowly replacing tea or coffees for youth especially that were traditionally used for a temporary boost in energy.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system increasing the metabolic rate and Guarana contains the active constituent Guaranine, which is nearly identical to caffeine. Now even the sugar content of energy drinks made less. They all are added with nutritional supplements. Now that is your notion of healthy energy drink.

What if you get consistent energy from within your body over longer period of time? Here is a healthy drink which caters to your daily nutritional requirement and keeps you healthy and safe from various diseases. This is called charged water . It is used to cure many diseases by naturopaths and also used daily as health drink. If you are ready to break your traditional notions of energy drink, then here is a excellent version of one of the best natural energy drink.

Before coming onto the charged water, let’s see what these minerals do.

Copper: This is useful for all diseases and problems connected with the nervous system, e.g high blood pressure, arthritis, polio, tension and leprosy.

Silver: Ancient people used to make ample use of silver and gold in their daily life knowing their importance. The rich even used their utensils of silver and gold. Silver is useful for the diseases of the organs connected with the digestive system and urinary system.

Gold: This is useful for the disorders of the breathing system, lungs, heart, and brain. This acts as an anti biotic and is a very good general tonic.

How to prepare the charged water:

For preparing these charged water use stainless steel, copper or pyrex glass vessels.

Copper Charged Water: Put 60 gm of pure copper plate/wire or 6 to 8 copper coins in a vessel containing four glasses of water and boil it.

Silver Charged Water: Put 30 to 60 gm of silver pure bullion or pure coins (.999 purity) in a vessel containing four glasses of water and boil it. (Do not use silver ornaments).

Gold Charged Water: Put 15 to 30 gm of gold pure bullion gold coin of 20-22 carat gold in a vessel containing four glasses of water and boil it.

Iron Charged Water: Put 60 gm of unrusted, not galvanized, piece of iron in a vessel containing four glasses of water and boil it. ( In case of deficiency of iron in blood, anemia or during pregnancy)

All these metals can be put together in the proportion of gold 15 to 20 gm/ silver 30gm/ copper 60gm/ iron 60gm. Boil the water and reduce 25% of water. Retain 3 out of 4 glasses of water. Filter this water and keep in a thermos if possible. Drink this charged water lukewarm during the day.

It acts as a very good tonic and healthy drink. When 4 glasses of water is reduced to 2 glasses by boiling, it gets medicinal and is useful for all the types of serious and chronic diseases. In acute cases the water may be boiled down to 1 glass. Avoid sour things like lemon, sour buttermilk when you drink such concentrated water.

A Multipurpose Healthy Natural Energy Drink

If you can take some pain, then you can prepare at home a very healthy natural energy drink. In fact this is a health drink recipe that takes super care of your health with abundant nutritious supply.

Health drinks containing natural energy from nutrients plus an energy blend provide longer lasting energy and that is truly a healthy drink. Majority of healthy energy drinks are soft drinks, formulated specifically to increase energy levels. The ones available in the market are high caffeine beverages, enhanced fruit juices or fortified nutrients to improve health.

But you can prepare a healthy drink that caters to all purpose and has a therapeutic effect on body.

Recipe for energy drink

Take 300g of Amla powder and add 100 grams of dried ginger powder. Mix them. Now take one teaspoon of this powder with water twice daily or add it to fruit or vegetable juices.

You can also take four glasses of water adding two teaspoons each of amla and ginger powder. Boil it for some time and reduce it to three glasses. Filter the water and drink it during the day. Honey can also be added if you feel like.

Amla is highly concentrated form of vitamin ‘C’. It is so rich that it contains 16 times more vitamin that lemon. Such a drink will give protection to the body against common diseases like cold and increase digestive powers. Your body’s oxidative stress is countered to maximum by this drink. Being the richest source of vitamin ‘C’, this drink fights and gives resistance to free radicals generated daily within your body. This is also an anti aging formula improving your immune system

Human body can assimilate maximum vitamin and mineral from food sources than supplements. So always try to find them from natural sources. We revert to supplement only because even the most balanced diet does not cater to our daily requirement of vitamin and minerals.

Colon Hydrotherapy : Easy Colon Cleanes

Colon hydrotherapy is an alternative method used for a gradual and gentle colon cleanse. A special system is used to carry out the procedure which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Colon being the tail end of digestive tract moves the undigested food and waste along by a wave like motion known as peristalsis.

Being one of the organs of elimination and having vital role in bowel movements, colon carries a major role in toxin release out of the body. But the latest lifestyle and food habits have made it very difficult for colon to function properly, resulting in a high demand for colon cleanse.

Colon hydrotherapy is a procedure for colon cleanse where water is gently infused in and out of the colon, reaching four to five feet improving the health of colon. This is not a treatment in a true sense, but a preventive measure for more serious problems. Many minor complaints disappear automatically that have resulted from improper diet and elimination habits.

A colon hydrotherapy session is equal to 20-30 normal bowel movements. The patient lies on a treatment table and a small plastic tube is inserted into rectum. The therapist monitors the temperature of the water infused in and out of the large intestine, as well as the pressure within by way of the inbuilt precision equipment. Depending upon the condition and therapist, the infused water may contain some purifying substance such as herbs or natural enzymes.

The therapist may gently massage the abdomen to facilitate the release of fecal matters from the intestinal walls. When done, all of the water is vacuumed back using the same tube. The whole process is done gently and almost all the equipments are disposable and made sterile.

It releases all the waste that had been stuck in for years without causing any stress to the person. This process is clean, efficient, and simple. Colon hydrotherapy done once in a year is enough. Pregnant women in their third trimester should avoid this treatment especially with any herbs in the infused water. People having severe hemorrhoids, abdominal hernia, and amoebic dysentery should also consult before taking this treatment. It is best to discuss your medical condition with your therapist to make sure there would be no complications.

Healthy Colon and Healthy Cleanses in 3 to 7 Days

Quick colon cleanse? Well, It’s disturbing to think of what kind of filth is sticking to and clogging our intestines especially if most of you grew up on the SAD(Standard American Diet) diet. Possible food particles, preservatives, chemicals, addititves, de-natured foods, and/or other un-natural foods that are hard to digest or for the body to completely release, etc.

Is it really hard to get rid of these dirt in our rectal colon deposited over several years? This is especially worrying considering colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer. So many people die of colon cancer that this healthy colon and body cleanse concept becomes even more important from good health point of view.

A healthy colon and body cleanse helps you lose weight and give more energy making you feel great. How will you react if you feel light and energetic and free from weight and bloating in just a few days? So try it out once and feel it for yourself.

Well then, is quick colon cleanse really possible? In a way yes but give yourself at least 7 days to get best results. The market is flooded with numerous products and colon cleansing scam is surely bothering people having much less knowledge about colon cleanse products.

There are 3 and 7 day duration colon cleanse products available. But people have reported results in less time and also in more days depending upon the pace your body reacts to colon cleansing.

But in view of many products floating in the market, keep in mind the effectiveness of the colon cleanse product which should not be at the cost of quick colon cleanse. Give yourself at least 3 days or if possible 1 week to feel the impact of this cleansing method. Try natural colon cleanse which will have best results in short period of time.