If you need to drop and few kilos and don’t know where to get started, stop counting calories and start counting colours. When it comes to losing weight, make sure your plate is piled high with a range of colourful fruit and vegetables. You’ll naturally create more balance and health-filled menus. Why? Colour not only brightens your mood – but also your diet. Load your plate with fruit and veges like a box of crayons in colours such as red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, white and green and you’ll also be filling up on power packed phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring chemicals which combat disease, including cancer. Go easy on the beige and brown foods such as pasta and startchy carbs. When there are too many of these drab colours on your plate, weight gain is almost certain. That’s because these beige foods often are high in calories and can leave you feeling hungry later. A cup of beige or brown beans can be over 200 calories….but a cup of red or green vegetables is under a hundred! Add fresh greens, deep purple-reds and bright yellow-orange to a meal, and water the nutrient content go up, while calories go down! Plus, you’ll get more enjoyment from eating when there’s a variety of colours and flavours on your plate. According to Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of “What Color Is Your Diet” the key to designing your colourful diet is to choose from a range of different colour groups: Blue/purple fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. Choose from a range including blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, raisins. These assist in memory function. Green group includes broccoli; Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and bok choi. These foods stimulate the genes in your liver to turn on the production of enzymes that break down the cancer-causing chemicals in the body. The yellow/green group includes green peas, avocado and honeydew melon. These promote eye health. The yellow/orange group includes carrots, mangoes, apricots, rock melon and pumpkin. These contain carotenoids (beta carotene is one), fierce antioxidants that help prevent cancer and assist to lower heart-attack risk. The white group includes bananas, white peaches, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and are helpful to maintain heart health. The red group includes tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon all of which contain lycopene. Lycopene is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. The red/purple group includes grapes, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, strawberries and red apples. These foods contain anthocyanins which have a beneficial effect on heart disease by inhibiting blood clot formation.
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If only we could solve this question, the world (for many) would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off! Justification? Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your “weight problem”, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure. Eating Without Thinking? If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you don’t have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full. Cravings? The famous “Pavlov’s dogs” were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn….think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps. Indulging? Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress. If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.
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1. Go for a walk even when the weather is really cold – your body has to work overtime to get warm and you may burn up to 50% more calories than you would on the same walk in summer! But remember, go a little slower until you get warm and keep up the hydration. 2. If you find it hard to get motivated to exercise in winter…just think of spring and how much harder it is to get back into shape rather than maintain your fitness throughout the winter. 3. Be aware of tendonitis and stress fracture if you don’t exercise in winter and expect to pick up where you left off after a whole winter with no exercise. 4. Instead of picking up a cup of hot chocolate to keep yourself warm, try a herbal beverage. 5. Gain an interest in indoor sports as opposed to cycling and jogging outdoors. Don’t forget that swimming at an indoor pool is an option for a great cardio workout! 6. The cold air and indoor heaters can dry out your skin. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and use moisturizers throughout winter. 7. Buy some indoor plants to soften up the dry atmosphere caused through heating. Indoor plants give off moisture and oxygen and the colours will brighten up a dull day outside. 8. Caught a cold or flu? If the infection is above the neck (nose, throat) you could be OK to complete a low intensity workout. However, if you have symptoms that are worse than an average cold (chest congestion, muscle aches), exercise will only make you worse and delay your recovery. Rest is the best medicine. 9. Wear the right clothes when exercising in winter. Polypropylene is the perfect fabric to wear underneath a tracksuit, which will provide great insulation but minimise moisture loss. Gore-Tex is a fabric used widely for providing protection from the rain and wind. 10. Feel like sitting on the couch with a video and snacking on a cold, wet day? Reach for a protein bar or packet of soy nuts instead of high energy, high fat snacks.
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Great skin is something that nearly everyone can cultivate. Our skin is affected by our: . Genes . Inner nutrition – what we eat and drink . Exercise . General health and well-being . Emotional health, and . Outer nutrition – how we take care of our skin While we can’t alter our genes, we can improve our skin by making the necessary adjustments in the areas we can influence. Read on to discover the basic components of a healthy outer nutritional plan for your skin. If you seriously want great skin the very first thing to do and wear a hat and good quality sunscreen when out in the sunshine. Having said that, let’s move on to understand the next three basic foundations to great skin. If you want your skin to look and feel great, careful cleansing is very important. This should be done first thing in the morning and last thing at night to remove pore-clogging dirt. Don’t cleanse enough and you could find yourself prone to spots. Cleanse to often and you could be stripping away essential oils and be susceptible to dry skin or even eczema. Understanding your skin type (normal, dry or oily) and using a cleanser to match is the best foundation for great looking skin. Remember to rinse your face with warm water after using a cleanser, as any residue will continue to work on the skin if not completely removed. Our grandmother’s used soap and water…isn’t that good enough? Soap is not very good at removing makeup because it does not contain enough oils to dissolve the staying power that most cosmetics have today. Remember the ‘tight’ feeling after your have washed your fact with soap? Soap can be very drying on your skin and may wash away essential oils. Another reason not to use soap is that it is not matched to the natural balance of our skin. Soap is generally alkaline, whilst skin is naturally acidic. The second step to great outer nutrition for your skin is to tone. Toners are designed to remove any last traces of cleanser, while also helping to tighten and refine pores and prevent the build-up of dead skin cells. After toning your skin should fee and look revitalised and refreshed, and ready to be moisturised. Again you will need to apply a toner that matches your skin type. The third foundation step is to apply moisturiser to help restore the moisture loss caused by the drying effects of sunlight, central heating, wind, cold and pollution. A good daytime moisturiser would contain a sunscreen and will be easily absorbed into the skin. At night you should use a richer, more nourishing cream, as this is when your skin more readily absorbs moisture. Despite the plethora of products on the market and the myriad of additives…. the most important ingredient of any moisturiser is water! If water is just splashed on the skin it will not say there. Moisturisers are basically oil and water emulsions which contain a humectant (a substance added to another to make it moist), which attracts water and helps ‘fix’ it in the upper layers of the skin. Moisture that is lost firm the skin needs to be replaced quickly so that the surface of the skin is kept both soft and smooth. The living cells in the layers need water so that they will not shrivel up and die. A moisturiser can protect the skin by providing a varier between the skin and the external environment. It also prevents the loss of moisture from the deeper layers of the skin. Should people who have oily skin use a moisturiser? Moisturisers are particularly recommended for people with dry skin but everyone can benefit from using a moisturiser. You simply need to ensure that you choose the correct moisturiser for your skin type. People with oily skin should choose a moisturiser that hydrates their skin whilst helping absorb any excess oil. (c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore
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Life expectancy for Americans has risen dramatically in the last century. Now we can expect to live 77 years, which is 30 years longer than formerly. By taking care of our bodies we could easily live a long, healthy life. People are Living Longer There are more people in the United States over 100 years old than ever before, approximately 50,000. There are three times as many centenarians as there were 20 years ago. Since all of these people are not related, they do not have the same genes. Some have thought that was a big factor in longevity, but it only plays a small part. Other factors that play a big part in our life are environment, jobs, exercise, family relationships, social contacts and emotional health. Of course, living longer does not always mean a healthy, happy life. Make Some Positive Life Changes There are no pills to make us live longer, or guaranteed treatments. For many people, the way their body ages is up to them. There are practical steps you can take to make yourself feel better as well as live longer. People who age gracefully are not just lucky – they work at staying healthy! You must have the motivation to take these steps and be consistent. Many times people wait until they are past middle age and in a health crisis before taking steps to insure a healthier life. For some, this is too late. Others can benefit from a drastic change and give themselves a chance to enjoy the golden years. Alternative medicines are also available to help combat many common illnesses. Practical Steps for Everyone Doctors have told us for years to exercise. As a whole we do not get enough exercise because of higher technology and improvements in all aspects of work. For better health, it is recommended to have 30 minutes of exercise a day. This helps with many health issues such as keeping weight down and strengthening the heart and other areas of the body. If you don’t like to exercise alone, get a friend to walk or go to the gym with you. Eating the right foods, high fiber, low fat with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables has been a big factor in civilizations where people have a longer life span. Don’t smoke, or stop smoking if you do to prevent diseases caused by tobacco. Drink plenty of water and less soft drinks or alcohol. Mental and emotional health contributes to general health too. People with large extended families or many social contacts don’t have much time to feel alone or hopeless. Others volunteer their time or service somewhere to feel useful and productive. Someone who is always looking for new things to learn will be active and more likely to stay involved in life. People with a sense of fulfillment and purpose are generally healthier and happier. Be Healthy Now Watch for signs of health problems. If you are having a problem, go to the doctor and have it checked. If you let something go you will have less chance of a cure. Have regular checkups so issues can be dealt with early. Start changing your habits now – don’t wait. If you are overweight, change your diet. If you do not get any exercise, make yourself start exercising. If you have a health issue, see a doctor and get treatment. If you are lonely find a way to meet or help people. If you have bad habits, start changing them today. Someday you might be able to join the other centenarians as they enjoy a long, healthy, fulfilled life!
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Keywords:
healthy, food, nutrition
Healthy eating is one of those things that everyone wants to do, but no-one is quite sure how to. Food companies all want you to believe that all you have to do to be healthy is buy whatever you’re selling, and people will pay high prices for ‘health in a bottle’ type products. The reality of healthy eating, however, is much more complicated than that.
The key to healthy eating is one little word: balance. You need to balance all the different food groups in your diet (that’s diet as in things you eat, not diet as in weight loss). That means carbohydrates, fats and proteins should all feature equally in each meal you eat. Start paying attention to the backs of labels, where it should be clearly marked how much of each nutrient your food contains, and steer clear of foods that are very high in any one thing unless you are planning to mix them with something else to make a meal.
The average person eats too much carbohydrate (in the form of sugar and pasta) and fat (unhealthy snacks), but nowhere near enough protein. If you want to balance your diet, in most cases, the first thing you should do is cut back on the sweets and snacks and eat more meat and dairy instead – it might sound obvious, but it is surprising how people will go out of their way to balance their meals and then ruin it all with snacks.
Apart from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, the other things you need to worry about are vitamins. Most vitamins are necessary in at least small quantities for your body to function properly. While it might seem tempting to just take vitamin pills, it is pointlessly expensive when you could just as easily eat fruit and vegetables and get all your vitamins that way. Also, don’t skip breakfast, as most cereals have many vitamins added and can be a good way to make sure you get enough.