Posts Tagged ‘diet’
Eat On Exam Day
Monday, November 9th, 2009Healthy eating is probably the last thing on the minds of the more than 200,000 school students preparing for exams this month. But according to Australia’s leading nutrition organisation, eating the right food is one of the keys to exam success.
Clare Evangelista, Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) said eating a balanced diet can help improve concentration.
‘What we eat has a big impact on mental performance, so we need to give our brain the right fuel to help it perform at its peak. Eating energy bars, lollies and chocolates will give students a short-term spike in energy, but this doesn’t last,’ said Ms Evangelista, an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Clare has these top five tips for improving energy and concentration levels on exam day:
Eat breakfast – Stick with familiar foods and serve sizes on the morning of an exam as this is not the time to try anything new. Breakfast provides your brain with carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Try: – A bowl of cereal with reduced-fat milk, topped with chopped fruit and a sprinkle of almonds – Wholegrain or wholemeal toast with reduced-fat cheese and tomato, and a small fruit juice.
Eat regularly throughout the day – Eating energy-sustaining foods at meals and snacks will help to fuel the brain, maintain energy levels, and avoid dips in concentration. Try: – Sandwich, roll or wrap filled with salad vegetables, reduced-fat cheese, lean meat or tinned tuna – Fruit smoothies made with reduced-fat milk and/or yoghurt – Fruit (fresh, tinned or dried) or fruit and nut snack packs – Crackers with tomato and reduced-fat cheese, toast and spreads, fruit bread, cereal with reduced-fat milk.
Drink plenty of water – This will hydrate your body, help reduce fatigue and help your brain work. If possible, take a water bottle in to the exam with you.
Limit excess caffeine – Limit coffee, caffeinated soft drinks or guarana-containing drinks. Caffeine can act as a mild stimulant, boosting alertness and staving off fatigue, but too much can make you feel nervous and restless, and may affect how well you sleep.
Exercise – Schedule in some physical activity before or in between exams. Exercise can help reduce stress, clear your mind and improve sleep patterns.
Pumpkin Nutrition in a Nutshell
Monday, November 9th, 2009Did you know that pumpkins are really nutritious? You may be surprised to learn that these orange harbingers of fall are plumb full of beta-carotene, just like other red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables. Pumpkins are also a great source of calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. The seeds and the oil made from them are good sources of zinc and the unsaturated fatty acids that we need to maintain our health.
For the calories you are consuming, pumpkin gives you a lot of nutrition. Even if you ate it for fiber alone, it is known to fill you up so you can naturally curb your appetite without harmful pharmaceuticals. Fiber is also good for your bowels. This squash is also full of potassium.
We all need iron to help our red blood cells oxygenate our bodies. Pumpkin will give you what you need! In addition, the zinc will help prevent osteoporosis. Did you know it can affect the hips as well as the spine? Zinc is also beneficial to your reproductive system… especially if you are trying for a baby.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are important compounds found in pumpkin that help neutralize the free radicals that can damage the lenses in your eyes. This can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts as you get older. Isn’t it amazing that this simple vegetable can protect your eyes, your bones, and your reproductive system? It is also good for your skin. How many vegetables can do all this and still taste great in both sweet and savory dishes?
When you add more of this healthy food to your diet, it does not matter if you use a canned pumpkin soup recipe or use fresh pumpkin. Both are healthy and full of nutrients your body needs to remain healthy. Pumpkin soup can be prepared so it is low in calories or you can make it rich in cream and other luxurious ingredients. It is a simple food that is elegant and rustic all at the same time.
By adding pumpkin to your diet, you not only add all these fabulous nutrients that your body needs to stay well and thrive, you are making the choice to add a good food to your diet that is mostly overlooked in this country. Instead of regulating pumpkins to the celebration of Halloween and the occasional pie during the holidays, pumpkin should be allowed to take its place in the culinary world and shine.
The versatile pumpkin needs to be celebrated. It is one of the few foods that are equally good in both sweet or savory dishes. Add pumpkin to your menu several times a month using various recipes. Try it as a bread, as a soup or as a roasted vegetable. Do not relegate pumpkins to being a novelty-serving dish. Eat some!
Once you have added more pumpkin to your diet, you will wonder what you did without this delicious vegetable. You will notice that you begin to feel and look better because you are providing your body with important nutrients that it needs. Pumpkin provides you with stronger bones, helps maintain your figure and keeps your insides working properly. Not bad for a holiday decoration.
The Three Enigmas to Lose Fat Easily
Sunday, November 8th, 20091) Prepare realistic Goals
You must set some virtual goals to work for. It is important for us to view results and get a sense of accomplishment. When you set goals you should prepare both long-full term and short-full term goals.
Firstly you should have a final actual like say you wish to lose 50 pounds, which is obviously a long-term goal. A great weekly goal would be to lose 5 pounds. You don’t wish to depart out with a goal that is unrealistic because if you don’t achieve it then you drop off confidence and don’t feel like you are reaching anything so you’ll dispirit on yourself.
You must pen this down in your planner and treat it like any other critical appointment you have. You may need to talk over this with your family so they know that time of the day you are busy and unavailable, if they need something during that time then they ought to do it themselves. You need 3 – 5 hours a week for you; your family will need to understand. If you want to drop off weight fast you would really need to stay dedicated.
2) Lift Weights The secret to natural weight loss is building lean muscle. If you realize that and you work towards that particular goal then you would start to lose fat quickly. In fact lifting weights, doing aerobic exercise and having a good, nutritious diet is in reality the just fast way to drop off fat. If you think you may just run on a treadmill or elliptical machine and the fat would just melt away, think again. Lean muscle is what burns the most calories and you need to life weights to create bigger muscles that would burn more calories.
3) change Your Diet This is obviously a very critical piece of the puzzle if you wish to drop off fat fast. Our food choices contribute directly to being overweight, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. We all know the dangers of eating fatty foods and yet Americans still get 40% of their calories from fat. So we know that exercise is critical for burning calories and our nutrition is the fuel.
You need to consume the right foods to feed the machine and drop off fat quick. You need to Choose lean meats and poultry for protein. You need protein to build your muscles which helps you to drop off fat fast as it increases your metabolism. When you are attempting to build lean muscle try to eat about 1 gram of protein for every pound of your desired fat. So if you weight 160 pounds but you should weight 125 pounds then try to eat 125 grams of protein.
You Can Buy Wholesale Gourmet Coffee Online
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Coffee lovers the world over are incredibly grateful regarding the fact that they are able to enjoy the benefits of wholesale gourmet coffee. Coffee is regarded as a commodity because it is so highly sought after, and after all, supply and demand rule commercial commodities in this world we live in. All coffee, regardless of where it is grown has to undergo a similar process to shape it into the gourmet coffee we all know and love.
Coffee beans are grown throughout the world, with a few major coffee producing countries bearing the bulk of production. Various agricultural factor influence the flavor of the coffee, but the most essential influence over the flavor of any gourmet coffee is the roasting process. Gourmet coffee must be roasted and ground fresh if it is to be at its absolute best.
It is without a doubt that roasting coffee beans to perfection is an art-form that not just anyone can perform. It would not make good sense to buy a bunch of green coffee beans, fire up the oven to the highest setting and put them in to roast without knowing what you are doing. Best leave this to the people with the know-how, and buy your wholesale gourmet coffee already roasted.
One of the most sought after types of gourmet coffee bean in the world is the “Jamaican Blue Mountain”, it is difficult to get hold of because of the hurricane season typically experienced in the Gulf of Mexico. This makes this particular cultivar, supposedly the best in the world, incredibly expensive and hard to come by.
It has become more difficult to decide which wholesale gourmet coffee beans to buy, and this is because there are such a wide range of coffee varieties available. As far as we know, there are over 6 000 coffee variations known throughout the world. These are all blended from a pool of 25 different varieties of coffee bean with the most commercially imported types being Robusta and Arabica.
The most widely produced cultivar is the Arabica coffee bean; it is an expensive product as the plant is quite delicate. It does account for 60% of the world-wide production of coffee bean for it distinctive delicate flavor and full body, however the plant easily falls prey to frost, disease and pests. Arabica coffee beans form a great base for a blend, but they are also able to be ground and brewed on their own for a delicious cup of gourmet coffee.
The Robust coffee bean accounts for the other 40% of world-wide coffee production. It is a hardy plant which is immune to pests, diseases, frost and many other kinds of unfavorable conditions, and can be grown in virtually any climate. This coffee bean has a flavor which varies depending on which country it is grown, but the most prized Robusta beans are grown in the Sumatra and Java regions of Indonesia.
Why You Are Not Able To Reduce Fat
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Are you attempting to drop off fat by taking some miracle diet pill or following some fat loss program which is suppose to work for everyone regardless of their physical circumstances For years we have trained our mind and body to acquire offensive eating habits and lifestyles which have resulted in our being plump.
It is time which you stop trying to just drop off weight but instead change those things which caused you to become overweight in the first place. How manytimes have you started a fat loss or diet plan just to end up losing those nutrients required for a healthy life, or giving up on the plan, or even gaining all your fat back if not more? Don’t worry. You are not alone.
Most of us know the weight loss or diet industry lends in billions of dollars by telling us…take this pill…don’t eat this or that drink this shake…eat this meal…exercise this means…follow this plan etc. You are blasted with… before and after pictures… but when you look at yourself in the mirror what have you really done?
Lost water weight through sweat and dehydration just to gain it back Starved yourself without a program to change your eating habits Divested yourself of the essential nutrition for good health Taken pills with well-known side effects Had beverages with synthetic chemicals and too Manycalories
Well you shouldn’t be thinking about losing fat, you should be thinking about things that cause you to burn calories or burn fat. You need to understand metabolism and how to increase yours.
You should know the foods that cause your metabolism to speed up. You need to alter your eating habits You need to be more active. You basically need to burn more calories than you consume.
Since everything we do begins with how we think, it’s obvious that we must change the way we think when it comes to losing fat. We should first understand that to get the body we desire we must take certain steps and further weight loss is the direct result of taking those steps. Success comes when you know for sure what you should be doing and then doing it.
How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part Two – Cheese
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Produce.
CHEESE.
Cheeses are manufactured from milk which has been naturally or artificially turned sour. The first method is achieved by standing the milk in a warm place and allowing natural, beneficial bacteria to turn the milk’s natural sugars into lactic acid. The latter method is effected by adding an agent, usually in to form of rennet.
Salt and colouring and frequently put in too. The whey is then allowed to drain away and the curds are pressed into moulds where they are kept until ripened or cured. Some cheeses, usually hard ones, are subjected to pressure; soft cheeses are not. Curds are ripened or cured by various means. The way it’s done, the quality of the milk, the breed of cow, sheep or other animal and its pasture, and the type of bacteria all govern the end result.
Some local environmental conditions are unique and those areas are capable of producing cheeses that are not successfully copied anywhere else: for instance Roquefort and Camembert, although factories do attempt it. Some even have a measure of success: remember that most of the world’s Cheddar cheese now derives from the United States and Canada.
The constituents of cheese are typically: 33% fat, 33% protein and 33% water with salt, colouring, sugar etc making up the rest. These percentages vary from region to region as some producers use full-cream milk, others skimmed-milk and yet others add extra cream. Some add extra sugar, most do not. All cheeses have a high calcium content and may be considered ‘concentrated milk’ and stored as such.
Many people say that cheese should not be kept in a fridge and while storing in water, as for milk, is not an option, a cool larder is ideal. Try the traditional method of hanging it up in cheesecloth in a cool, airy place. If the weather is hot, dampen the cloth with water to which a little vinegar has been added.
in Europe, cheese is frequently served with a salad or/and bread and is often presented after or instead of the dessert course. Hard cheese can be nigh-on impossible for children to digest and grating it first will make it more edible for them. After being grated the cheese can be scattered on vegetables or fish soups or sauces; combined with egg, pasta, rice and oatmeal dishes; put on baked potatoes or pastry; toasted on bread or put in sandwiches or salads.
How To Cook Cheese: A not well known fact is that a lot of people find cooked cheese indigestible. The reason lies in its molecular structure. Here is why: cooked starch can be digested by the saliva in the mouth but other foods must pass to the stomach or intestines for this process. They are, however, broken up in the mouth. Digestion of protein begins in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine, while fat is not rendered soluble until it reaches the small intestine.
Cheese possesses a high fat and protein mixture, but when melted, the fat frequently covers the protein and prevents the digestive juices reaching it in the stomach. This results in, its digestion is delayed until the fat has been absorbed in the intestines. Cheese can be made more digestible in the following way:
1] Combining it with some starchy food, because the starch will absorb the fat, not allowing it to cover the protein.
2] Using seasoning: Cayenne Pepper or mustard will irritate the intestinal lining, causing the release of extra digestive juices.
3] Cooking quickly at high temperature. This prevents the protein from becoming tough and stringy and therefore, harder to digest. Add cheese late to sauces.
4] Adding alkali: so, large pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda per 75g (3 ozs) will help neutralize the fatty acids and make the proteins more easily digestible.
Truths Every Health Freak Needs To Hear
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Every once in a while you just have to vent. I had to get the following off my chest;
You can’t spot reduce. If you could, people who chewed gum would have skinny faces and Jillian Michaels wouldn’t have “kankles”.
Stop telling us that all fat isn’t bad like you just discovered penicillin. Calories matter: They always have, they still do and they always will. Creatine is still the best performance supplement on the market. The “next creatine” is still creatine.
Dear gym guy: Please stop doing the following; Bicep curls in the squat rack Any exercise other than the bench press on the bench press Resting for 8 minutes between sets and not letting others “work in” Leaving your weights all over the floor The “secret” to fat loss is good nutrition and hard work. That’s it.
Don’t ask me about intermittent fasting, macro-patterning, cyclical ketogenic diets or meal replacements if you aren’t eating enough vegetables. Learn to prioritize if you can do 45 hard minutes on the elliptical while still easily belting out every song on your iPod but crumple under the weight of mauve-colored dumbbells – focus more on weight.
If you can bench press 350lbs (or could in high school) but can’t walk up a flight of stairs without coughing up radial snow tires – mix in a bike ride or a hike in place of your 4th “chest day” of the week.
If you can put your knees in your ears – quit stretching and build some strength and stability. If you are “bench press guy” from above and have posture that would make Quasimodo cringe, add some mobility and postural work. (Sorry to pick on bench press guy again but) if you can bench press small buildings but can’t deadlift your birth weight – try deadlifting. You won’t likely be able to out-exercise a poor diet.
If you are losing weight by diet alone – you will look like a different kind of crap. Your way isn’t the “best way” it just may be the best way for you. You can live a very healthy life eating both vegetarian and Atkins and most things in between provided you are eating healthy, mostly un/minimally processed foods that provide adequate nutrients.
The most likely reason you aren’t getting results: Trying to “fix” something that requires a lifestyle makeover that starts with changing habits. Have a beef about health trends? Rant away!
Things You Should Know For A Good Ribeye Steak Marinade
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Lots of people believe that a tough piece of meat will be made tender by a good marinade, so they buy cheaper grades than they should. Unfortunately, that is not really the case. Good meat has to start out as good meat, and while many marinades taste great, they do not tenderize all that much. Let us look at three major categories of marinade and see how they work.
The major types of marinade are acid, enzyme, and dairy. Overly acidic marinades can actually toughen meat, while overly strong enzymatic marinades can overdo the tenderizing and result in mush. Dairy has been put forth as a tenderizer, but it does not work for every kind of cooking.
One family of marinades relies on vinegar, wine, citrus and similar acids to denature proteins. This will unwind the proteins in the steak you are cooking. Once they run into other unwound proteins, they will bind back together. This happens when we heat proteins, as well. Water molecules start out trapped in this new mesh of proteins, creating a really tender steak. However, if the marinade is highly acidic, the bonds will tighten and the liquid will be squeezed out, actually toughening the tissues. That is bad news.
Because of this, a marinade that is mildly acidic is usually a better choice than one that is extremely sour. A good marinade should be there mostly for flavor, and will tenderize best if relatively week. Stronger marinades are good for tightly grained meats, but those meats are not usually put on the grill.
Enzyme marinades actually have the ability to break down animal tissue, including muscle fiber and connective tissue. Many fruits contain enzymes that can break down protein, but papaya and pineapple are probably the most common. Overuse them, and they will create a mushy, unappealing piece of meat. The same thing happens if you use them too long. This kind of activity is present in commercial meat tenderizers, too.
The last category of ingredients you can use in a steak tips marinade is dairy products. Usually mildly acidic and including yogurt and buttermilk, this is the kind of marinade you will find in a lot of Indian foods, as well as in southern fried chicken recipes.
Steaks can be interesting in this kind of marinade, but you may need to take a look at how you are cooking them, since this is not the most common type of marinade used for them. Try curry flavors along with your marinade for a good result.
A marinade does not have to be complicated if you know what it is likely to do. Knowing your ingredients will help you routinely end up with a great product. Take a while to look at all the different options out there when it comes to marinades, and you will get the one that will work best for your steak, no matter what kind you choose.
Why To Eat Nuts
Saturday, November 7th, 2009Nuts are tasty, loaded with good fat, protein, fiber, nutrients and phytochemicals that are heart healthy and potentially good for the waistline. Barring allergies, there aren’t many reasons not to include nuts in your diet. Let’s take a look at some interesting studies, tips and tidbits about nuts.
Nuts and the Heart
A study of 31000 Seventh Day Adventists that ate nuts more than 4 times per week were half as likely to die of a heart attack than those who ate nuts less than once a week. The Iowa Women’s Health Study came to a similar conclusion: Women who ate nuts or seeds 4 times per week were 40% less likely to die from heart disease than similar women who didn’t eat nuts. The Nurses’ Health Study showed that those who ate at least 140g/week of nuts were 35% less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than those who ate less than 30g/month. Nuts and Weight
Most studies have shown that adding nuts to the diet does not cause people to gain much weight, if any at all. As an example, researchers gave participants 45-70g of almonds every day (320 calories worth) and gave them no further instructions about food intake. After 6 months, participants gained a very miniscule amount of weight (.2 lbs in women, 1.4 lbs in men). This study was funded by the almond industry.
There aren’t many studies that show nut consumption to help people lose weight, but one study showed that a low calorie diet that included almonds led to greater weight loss than an equal calorie diet that did not include almonds.
The Seventh Day Adventist and Nurses Health Study showed that those who regularly ate nuts weighed less than those who did not.
The Best Nuts
Are some nuts better than others when it comes to health benefits? All nuts contain good fats, fiber and proteins, but different kinds of nuts have different nutrient profiles.
Almonds are richest in vitamin E (35% recommended daily intake) and calcium (8%) per 1 oz. (30g) serving. Brazil nuts are highest in selenium with just 1 supplying a days worth. Cashews are richest in copper and zinc Peanuts (technically a legume) contain the antioxidant resveratrol, and are highest in protein and arginine content Walnuts have the most alpha linolenic acids (plant-based omega-3’s) How much?
Nuts are healthy but are a dense source of calories. 1oz/30g of nuts supply about 170-180 calories. Here is a chart that shows how many nuts are in 30g.
Number of Nuts in 30 grams (1oz)
Almonds: 20-24 Brazil nuts: 6-8 Pecans: 18-20 (halves) Cashews: 16-18 Pine Nuts: 150-157 Pistachios: 45-47 Walnuts: 8-11 Hazelnuts: 18-20
Severe Liver Disease In Offspring
Saturday, November 7th, 2009Scientists have discovered a previously unknown link between a mother’s diet in pregnancy and a severe form of liver disease in her child.
In a study, published in the journal Hepatology, researchers at the University of Southampton found that a high fat diet during a woman’s pregnancy makes her offspring more likely to develop a severe form of fatty liver disease when they reach adulthood. The findings are another piece in the jigsaw for scientists who believe diets containing too high levels of saturated fat may have an adverse effect on our health.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition associated with obesity and caused by the build up of fat in the liver. The condition advances in some people and it is important to understand the factors that contribute to disease progression. Until recently, NAFLD was considered rare and relatively harmless but now it is one of the most common forms of liver disease that may progress to cirrhosis a serious life threatening chronic liver disease.
Professor Christopher Byrne, with colleagues Dr Felino Cagampang and Dr Kim Bruce, of the University’s School of Medicine and researchers at King’s College London, conducted the study, funded by the BBSRC. Prof Byrne explained: “This research shows that too much saturated fat in a mother’s diet can affect the developing liver of a fetus, making it more susceptible to developing fatty liver disease later in life. An unhealthy saturated fat-enriched diet in the child and young adult compounds the problem further causing a severe form of the fatty liver disease later in adult life.”
The next stage of this research, also funded by the BBSRC, will be to understand, more precisely, the reason why fatty liver disease develops and to intervene to prevent the fatty liver disease occurring.
The University’s School of Medicine has a worldwide reputation for its pioneering research into the relationship between mothers’ diets in pregnancy and future health problems in their offspring.