For anyone who is trying to eat healthier it is important that what you do eat is the best choice. Sometimes products may look healthy but are actually packed in sugar syrup or high in salt. Here are some tips to help make sure what you are eating really is healthy.
Yogurt is a good source of calcium but double check how much sugar is in each serving. Many types of yogurt are packed full of sugar so that the nutritional value is lost. Fresh fruit versus canned fruit. Fresh fruit is always the best choice. Canned fruit has be boiled, canned and processed most times canned with heavy syrup. Stick with fresh fruit for the best option. Frozen fruit would be second best. Fresh vegetables versus canned. Again go with fresh as much as possible as the canned variety has been processed and lost some nutritional value. Avoid boxed meals or frozen meals. They may seem like a quick and easy meal but are high in calories and salt. By preparing your own version at home it will be healthier and better for your family. Fruit juice. When buying fruit juice make sure it is 100% juice. Some juice is actually only 30-40% juice and the rest is sugar, corn syrup and water. Read the label before you buy.

A great general tip for buying healthy food is to avoid the middle aisle of the grocery store. This is where you will find processed foods. The outside walls of the store are where you will find the healthiest and freshest selection of food. We all want to live healthy and happy lives and making sure what we eat is the best quality, is a great start.

Natural healthy food organic recipes are usually tasty. Nutritionists tell us that there is more nutrition in the cardboard box that packages your cornflakes than there is in your cornflakes. But even if cornflakes were nutritious, they can’t compare with the flavor of strawberries straight from your organic garden.

I’ve spent many happy hours gathering mulberries from the roadside trees, and blackberries, and carob beans, and raspberries, and strawberries, and English gooseberries. Some of these delicious fruit even reached the container because I couldn’t eat them as fast as I picked them.

Of course your healthy food breakfast should have a bit more than just fruit. Vegetables are also great. I used to wander my organic garden and gather whatever struck my fancy. Some of it was suitable for breakfast such as Daikon radish, Florence fennel, purslane, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, nasturtium flowers, pansy flowers, day lily flowers, parsley, garlic greens and so on.

Of course your healthy food breakfast should have a bit more than just fruit. Vegetables are also great. I used to wander my organic garden and gather whatever struck my fancy. Some of it was suitable for breakfast such as Daikon radish, Florence fennel, purslane, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, nasturtium flowers, pansy flowers, day lily flowers, parsley, garlic greens and so on.

Now I have hardly any teeth left I prepare this healthy food breakfast. It doesn’t take me very long at all. I start by drinking 1.2 litres of water.

Into my 1.5litre blender I put three driied shiitake mushrooms, half an orange with the skin still on it, a tomato, a carrot, three florets of broccoli, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons powdered ginger root, 2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast, one apple, handful of raisins, 50ml coconut oil, 600 ml (1pint) water. While it is blending I crack 2 jumbo-size eggs into a glass ready to pour into the blender.

When everything is blended to my satisfaction I add the two eggs and blend for another ten seconds, then drink everything from the blender, to save on washing up.

I finish my breakfast with a good handful of dried bananas. Not only are these cheaper than fresh bananas, but recent research indicates that they are more healthy than fresh bananas.

In the middle of the morning I snack on a tablespoon of apricot kernels, because even if they don’t protect me from cancer, I like their flavor.

For lunch I have 200 gm red cabbage and some fruit. In the middle of the afternoon I drink 400 ml of water, and a mug full of cocoa with dried stevia powder as a sweetener. The cocoa makes me feel good and suppresses any pangs of hunger, just as chocolate does, but the stevia is a better sweetener than sugar.

For the evening meal I have a stew made of kangaroo mince, and seaweed, and garlic, and onions, and 1.5 litres of coconut oil. In the evening I munch of almond nuts and three Brazil nuts, and perhaps some raisins.

If your children don’t like natural healthy food organic recipes, get them interested in growing vegetables, and in preparing meals with the fruit and vegetables they have harvested themselves. They will suddenly start enjoying good food
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Food is an important element for the health of our body. Pollution, hereditary factors, noise, the environment where we are born, others’ behavior do not depend on us, but we can always decide what to eat or not to eat.

Four Basic Nutrients

Water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the main elements of a healthy diet. If you choose the healthiest version of these nutrients and you eat them moderately, you can help your body function at an optimal level.

1. Water – it is recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water per day (2 liters).

2. Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates: sugar in milk, honey, and sweet fruit

Complex carbohydrates include fibers and starch, in bread and pasta, in beans or in potatoes.

3. Proteins – Complete proteins that can be found in meat, fish, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk, products based on soya – tofu, soya oil, and soya meat – contain complete proteins. Incomplete proteins can be found in cereals and vegetables.

4. Fats
Saturate fat acids are found in beef, lamb, pork, ham, and dairy products. Poly saturate fat acids can be found in different types of fish (tuna, salmon, and mackerel) and in vegetable oils – sunflower oil, soya oil or maize oil.

Essential Food for your Health

Money saved to eat at a fast food restaurant are not actually saved because you will use them after some time to treat your cold or other diseases that are consequences of unhealthy eating. Food should be the healthiest investment for your family. Here you can find a short list including the healthiest foods.

1. Fish Oil

It is healthier than fish and it can bring you many advantages:
• It prevents heart diseases, cancer, depression, arthritis, diabetes, ulcer and Alzheimer syndrome;
• It amplifies the energy level and the concentration capacity;
• It offers the greatest resistance against common diseases like flu and cold;
• It can help pregnant women avoid premature birth and other complications.

2. Fresh Vegetables
Nothing compares to the nutritional value of fresh vegetables. Apart from many nutrients, folic acid in green leafed vegetables prevent diseases, especially neurodegenerative ones, like Parkinson, and antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E) can help you keep your wit. If you eat especially animal proteins, you must opt for vegetables that are low in potassium – cauliflower, green peas, spinach, lettuce, and mushrooms.

3. Raw Eggs
Raw egg is an amazing food for your mind and your immune system. Even though it can take you quite long until you get used to it, do not forget that proteins and fats contained by eggs are essential for your body. Cooked eggs do not bring the same benefits from the nutritional point of view. There are more methods to eat raw eggs. You can simply swallow it quickly, or you can mix it with milk and banana shake or with vegetables juice.

4. Fresh Milk
Fresh milk is an amazing source of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Pasteurized milk does not offer the same benefits as fresh milk does
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Children everywhere in the world have an on-going love affair with junk food such as hamburgers, pizza, candy, soda and salty foods like potato chips and french fries. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a single child who has these same strong feeling for the healthy food that they need such as grains, vegetables, fruits and foods reach in nutrients such as meat, beans, fish and nuts.

Fortunately, there is one tied and tested strategy to make kids eat the kind of healthy food that some of them may not want — that’s by making it fun.

That’s right, make eating healthy food fun. And how do you do that? Here are some tips:

(1) The Sneak Attack. Try sneaking in some of those fruits and vegetables along with the kind of food they like, say, making muffins out of bananas or apples. There are lots of vegetables the you can throw in when you’re serving the kids pizza. You could also make them look funny by arranging them creatively on a plate or making them stand up like people. Sure, some people don’t want their kids playing with food, but if it will help them get healthier, it may be worth the effort.

(2) Funny Name Game. If your kids are below the age of four, here’s a nifty trick that gets them every time. Give the fruits and vegetables funny names and concoct elaborate stories. Some stories will end with these funny-named vegetables getting swallowed alive by the giant child. In another version, the vegetables run for cover and hide from their enemies by entering a big cave that happens to be your child’s mouth where they quickly get gulped down.

(3) The Taste Test. Kids dislike vegetables because they don’t like the taste. Therefore, make the healthy foods taste better and your child will love them. For instance, put peanut butter on celery or add a dash of flavor to broccoli with ranch dressing. I’m sure you can think of dozens of ways to spruce up healthy food.

The key is to find creative ways to make your children enjoy eating healthy food. And once they’ve acquired a taste for it, eating healthy foods will be second nature to them.

Mexican cuisine is a style of food that began in Mexico, and is widely known for its vibrant flavor and amazing decoration. Rice, beans, tortillas, and a wide variety of spices are commonly used in many Mexican dishes, along with beef, pork, chicken, and a range of different peppers. Mexican recipes vary from region to region, but many of the same original ideas are still seen all over the globe today. Mexican cuisine is typically cooked in large amounts of grease and fat, making it one of the most fattening styles of food in the world.

Although authentic Mexican food can be unhealthy, there are many great recipes available for healthy Mexican meals. One ingredient that can easily be replaced is grease, which is usually a staple when making dishes prepared with tortillas. Many Mexican recipes involve frying tortillas, such as taquitos, tacos, and even tostadas. While the fried tortillas are usually the main portion of the dish, using oil to prepare them adds unhealthy fat and caloric intake. One alternative would be using soft tortillas, such as making soft tacos rather than frying the tortillas. There are also several recipes that involve tortillas without being fried, such as quesadillas or baked tortilla chips.

Another problem that can make Mexican food unhealthy is the amount of sodium in the dishes, which gives the food the strong flavor many love. The excessive use of salt and salt-based spices can be eliminated, but the flavor can still remain with the use of hot chili peppers and fresh vegetables such as onions and bell peppers. Rice can be prepared with low sodium chicken broth rather than using salt, and bean dishes can be prepared with the use of fresh ingredients as well.

Milk is another popular ingredient used in Mexican cooking, along with other high fat dairy products such as cheese and sour cream. While these are key ingredients in many popular recipes, the dairy products can be replaced with low-fat or fat-free versions in order to lower the fat intake. Using low-fat milk in a recipes rather than whole milk can reduce the caloric intake by almost half, depending on the amount of milk and other dairy products used in the dish.

Eggs are a main ingredient found in various breakfast dishes, and although they are healthy, many egg recipes are packed full of fat and calories. Huevos rancheros, a popular dish around the world, are typically prepared using whole eggs, oil, various salsas, and fried tortillas. Egg whites can be used rather than whole eggs, and tortillas can be prepared in the oven rather than in a frying pan with oil. Fresh salsas and peppers can be added in place of salt and seasonings, and the dish will still come out tasting amazing.

With the rising incidence of obesity occurring, it is best to find healthier alternatives for many popular dishes. Because Mexican food is well known for its high fat and calorie total, it is important to try low-fat and fat-free alternatives since they still contain the bold flavor most Mexican cuisine is known for. A delicious meal doesn’t have to be full of fat, and healthy Mexican food can still taste amazing with the help of low-fat ingredients and fresh vegetables and spices.

Dr. Anca Martalog N.D. asked:




Holidays are a time for tradition and family gatherings. And if everyone takes
the time to enjoy that, then the food is not as important.

There you are: sitting at the table, taking in all the sights and smells of the smorgasbord of delicious and enticing holiday foods lying before you. Turkey, ham, your aunt’s famous casserole, creamy mashed potatoes, fresh salads, and piping hot dinner rolls with melted butter… before your brain can even comprehend your countless choices, you see the dessert table, full of pies, tortes, cookies and cakes.

And before you even take your first helping of mashed potatoes, that little voice inside pipes up – ‘You’d better watch what you eat!’, ‘Might as well just put that piece of pie right on your hips.’, and ‘Well, there goes your diet!’ Then you feel bad, guilty about the thought of enjoying the wonderful food, made with love for loved ones. Fear not! There are ways to quiet that little voice – here are several:

1. First thing – control what you can control – eat a healthy breakfast (lots of fruit!) and a light lunch( preferably containing some protein), before the holiday meal. That will take the edge off so you won’t be starving when you get to the dinner table. The stomach usually secrets acid for digestion, therefore it’s not indicated to run on empty. Many people make the mistake of starving during the day until the dinner time, and then engulfing everything in site; too much food at once is a sure recipe for indigestion, not to mention the heavy combinations, that will drain your energy away from the more important fun times after dinner…

2. Eat slowly and savor each and every bite. Don’t put more than one spoonful in your mouth at any given time and set your fork/spoon down while you savor the flavors of the delicious foods you are tasting.

3. Chew each mouthful of food thoroughly and take in all the flavors and textures of the food you are eating.

4. Don’ t eat too much at one sitting. Yoga recommends eating two double handfuls of food( considering the size of the stomach), and leaving the stomach one third empty at the end of a meal. Stuffing yourself doesn’t allow room for mixing the food, and overloads the whole system.

5. Take time and socialize at the table.
Slowing down the eating pace will give you time to properly digest, and also get the fullness feeling to the brain when you get full. The satiety centre (situated in the part of the brain behind the ears) that controls your appetite needs time to process the information coming from the gut.

6. For optimal digestion, one should always observe food combining principles. This usually works in your everyday life, but falls by the side during the holidays…..

However, there are two loop-holes that allow you to enjoy the festive table while still staying true to these principles:

1. Have raw vegetables with your holiday dinner combinations; vegetables contain their own digestive enzymes, therefore helping you digest the mixed foods easier, without too much strain on the system.

2. Food combining principles also state that starches shouldn’t be largely combined with proteins.
During the holidays, when faced with making this combination, choose one as your main food while minimizing the other; for example, if the mashed potatoes and turkey look both appetizing, choose more turkey and less mashed potatoes at one sitting, or vice versa.

7. Have dessert on its own, away from the main meals; the sugar usually present in desert causes increased fermentation and even inflammation when combined with proteins. When you do have dessert, have a small piece, sit down and enjoy it and take extra enzymes.
The holidays are more than just the food – take in the company of those around you and share your experiences as well as your recipes. And don’t forget, no one gets out of balance from one holiday meal. It’s what you do the day after and the entire year that will make a difference.

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Adam Tijerina asked:




With so much advice and research out there on nutrition and dieting, how do you know what to listen to and how to eat healthy? This article will give you some general tips about eating healthier.

If you’re like most people you don’t want to eat bland foods that taste like cardboard. If those are your only options then dieting and eating better are likely not to be your top priorities. You want flavor and taste. There are not too many people who can go eating the same things for the rest of their lives that have no flavor.

1. Fruits like strawberries, watermelon, oranges, bananas and blueberries are all loaded with vitamins and minerals and taste good. You can eat as many of these as you want. Add them into your meals as side items. Add some frozen blueberries into your morning oatmeal or cereal to add some healthy taste to your breakfast.

2. Have you tried granola? Granola is a healthy combination of whole grains, nuts, honey and dried fruits like cranberries and raising and coconut. Some flavors of granola also combine flax seed which contains omega 3 fatty acids which are essential to your body’s daily functioning. At Sam’s Club they sell a brand of granola called Bear Naked that contains no high fructose corn syrup and tastes good. You can combine it with yogurt to give it some crunch. Eating granola instead of a candy bar is a healthy snack alternative.

3. Sodas and diet sodas. Neither one is good for you. So avoid them. Replace them with healthy drinks – the best one being water. But water can be bland. Try adding some 100% grape juice to give it a sweet flavor. Or try adding some lemon juice to give it a bit of a sour flavor. You can dilute any fruit juice with water to get the sweetness you want without all the calories. Even though grape juice is healthy for you, it does contain a lot of sugars.

4. Avoid empty calorie foods. This includes most alcoholic drinks. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram compared to 9 calories per gram for fat and 4 calories per gram for carbs. Red wine is the only alcoholic drink you can consume due to its health benefits. One to two glasses a day is enough to get the health benefits.

5. Read the labels. Be sure to read the food labels and see just exactly how much you can eat that constitutes as a serving. Here’s an example: eating a piece of dark chocolate everyday is good for your heart but the serving size on a Hershey’s bag is 4 pieces which adds up to over 200 calories when all you need is half of one piece to get the heart benefits. Take the time to read the labels and watch the calories.

The advice on how to eat healthy is not new. It is the same now as it has been in the past. Yes, there is plenty of conflicting information out there but if you make the simple choices then you’ll be on your way to a healthier lifestyle and a slimmer waistline. These tips are just a start.

Eat Healthy