13 Keys to a Healthy Diet

Developing healthy eating habits isn't as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine. The first principle of a healthy diet is simply to eat a wide variety of foods. This is important because different foods make different nutritional contributions.

Secondly, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol—should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.

You should also try to maintain a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body can utilize. Otherwise, you will gain weight. The more active you are, therefore, the more you can eat and still maintain this balance.

Following these three basic steps doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite foods. As long as your overall diet is balanced and rich in nutrients and fiber, there is nothing wrong with an occasional cheeseburger. Just be sure to limit how frequently you eat such foods, and try to eat small portions of them.

You can also view healthy eating as an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat. A healthy diet doesn't have to mean eating foods that are bland or unappealing.

The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet.

1 Eat plenty of high-fiber foods—that is, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These are the "good" carbohydrates—nutritious, filling, and relatively low in calories. They should supply the 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber you need each day, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates, so there’s less effect on insulin and blood sugar, and provides other health benefits as well. Such foods also provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals essential to good health).

2 Make sure to include green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables—such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods may help protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases. Eat five or more servings a day.

3 Limit your intake of sugary foods, refined-grain products such as white bread, and salty snack foods. Sugar, our No.1 additive, is added to a vast array of foods. Just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can add up to 16 pounds over the course of a year. Many sugary foods are also high in fat, so they’re calorie-dense.

4 Cut down on animal fat. It’s rich in saturated fat, which boosts blood cholesterol levels and has other adverse health effects. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry, and nonfat or low-fat or nonfat dairy products.

5 Cut way down on trans fats, supplied by hydrogenated vegetable oils used in most processed foods in the supermarket and in many fast foods.

6 Eat more fish and nuts, which contain healthy unsaturated fats. Substitute olive or canola oil for butter or stick margarine.

7 Keep portions moderate, especially of high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.

8 Keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meats, poultry, dairy products, and egg yolks.

9 Eat a variety of foods. Don't try to fill your nutrient requirements by eating the same foods day in, day out. It is possible that not every essential nutrient has been identified, and so eating a wide assortment of foods helps to ensure that you will get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, this will limit your exposure to any pesticides or toxic substances that may be present in one particular food.

10 Maintain an adequate calcium intake. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Get your calcium from low-fat sources, such as skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If you can't get the optimal amount from foods, take supplements.

11 Try to get your vitamins and minerals from foods, not from supplements. Supplements cannot substitute for a healthy diet, which supplies nutrients and other compounds besides vitamins and minerals. Foods also provide the "synergy" that many nutrients require to be efficiently used in the body.

12 Maintain a desirable weight. Balance energy (calorie) intake with energy output. Exercise and other physical activity are essential.

13 If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That is one drink a day for women, two a day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. Excess alcohol consumption leads to a variety of health problems. And alcoholic beverages can add many calories to your diet without supplying nutrients.

Read More

Exercise, healthy diet to combat diabetes

With the largest number of diabetes patients in the world, India needs to promote a healthier lifestyle among its citizens if it has any chance of battling the disease, experts said Sunday.

"Diabetes is either hereditary or lifestyle-related in our country. So now the need is to move away from the sedentary lifestyle," S.K. Wangnoo, senior consultant of endocrinology at the capital's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said in an Interview.

According the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, there are about 220 million diabetes patients worldwide. Nearly 50.9 million of them are in India. Around 9 per cent of the country's population is expected to be affected by the disease by 2030, he said.

"Awareness on issues like obesity and proper nutrition is lacking in the country. Right now, we need to emphasise on nutrition-related education in schools," Wangnoo added.

Diabetes, a metabolic disorder, usually occurs when the body does not produce insulin -- a hormone that is required to convert sugar and carbohydrates into energy.

Avoiding fatty food, regular exercise, and health check-ups are some of the ways to avoid diabetes, doctors say.

The sentiment was echoed by former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram, who was in the capital to inaugurate a sugar clinic at Apollo Hospital.

"When I found out I was diebetic, I was stunned. However, the disease can be fought. Awareness can prevent the disease," he said.

"We need to have more diabetes awareness clinics. That is how we can spread awareness among youths," he added.

Experts also suggest keeping a watch on the symptoms.

"Increased fatigue, frequent urination, weight fluctuation, blurry vision, and poor wound healing are the common symptoms," said Anoop Misra, director and head, department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals in the capital.

Doctors also expressed concern at the growing instances of childhood obesity.

"There has been an alarming increase in diabetes among children, especially Type 2 diabetes, which is lifestyle-oriented. We need to work together with government, schools, health departments, and civil societies," said N.K. Pandey, chairman and managing director of Asian Institute of Medical Sciences in Faridabad.

But experts remain optimistic, saying that the disease can be defeated.

"Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. It's never too late to start," Wangoo said.

Read More

Top 10 Natural Weight Loss Tips

Dieters love weight loss tips. They are great reminders and tiny shoves to keep us on our way to reach our weight loss goals.

These 10 natural tips will help you get on the losing end of your weight loss and work for teens to seniors. So no matter what your age, these tips to get losing today.

Weight Loss Tips #1

Want It!

This may seem a bit redundant, but to really be successful at weight loss you have to want it. To really want it you have to go above just saying you want it, you have to commit to weight loss. The best way to commit to losing weight is to build a goal and jot it down.

A goal does not have to be in terminology of losing weight. Instead you could write your goal as measurements or body fat % lost or even clothing size. Make your goal reachable and quantifiable. Write it in terms that you can relate to and review often. For instance your goal can be ?I want to drop 2 dress sizes by the end of the year? or ?I want to lose 5% body fat in 4 months? or ?I want to weigh 135 pounds by this New Year’s Eve?.

Plan smaller goals that you can use along the way to ensure you are on schedule to achieve your final goal. Track your goals and your improvement by using weight loss tools such as a calorie chart, exercise chart or weight loss chart. Search for or develop a weight loss journal. Journalizing is a great way to track your foods, water, workouts and feelings for the day and a wonderful method for you to stay committed to your weight loss.

Weight Loss Tip #2

Stop Bad Habits

Learned habits can be hard to let loose. Let’s face it, some things we do are because we have always done them that way. This is the time to change. Get rid of the idea that you have to eat it all. If you are in the ?baby boomer? age then you know what I am talking about. We were led to believe to finish our plates and could not leave the kitchen until they were clean.

Well that was then this is now. Instead of scarfing it down stop when you are full. Take smaller portion sizes and if you are still hungry go back for seconds but make it a smaller piece. When eating away from home order from the kid’s menu for smaller sizes or ask for a ?baggie? and keep the rest for another time.

Weight Loss Tip #3

Keep it in the Kitchen

This is one habit worth talking about as its own tip. Many people have a bad habit of chowing down on the move or squatting in front of the television set when eating. Experts say people who eat in front of the T.V. tend to eat bigger servings. This is primarily because of being focused on the boob tube and not focused on what you are consuming.

So take your meal out of|away from} the family room and into the kitchen. Take advantage of this time to not only eat better and wiser but to find out how the kids are doing in school. By using your eating time as a nice family time you are also slowing down your eating. This will allow your stomach time to tell your brain that you are full and will likely consume fewer calories.

Weight Loss Tip #4

Throw Out Temptation

If it is out of the question to stay away from tempting foods, then just remove these from harms way. The old saying ?out of sight, out of mind? may just do the trick for you. Go through your cabinets and fridge and throw it out. Replace the too sweet or too fatty foods with the right foods. Sugar free jell-o is a wonderful way to get your sweet tooth satisfied without piling on the calories. Instead of potato chips get low fat popcorn.

Try going your first two weeks with no unhealthy snacks at all. You will be surprised at how your yearnings will fade by going without for a few weeks. Have a bag of carrots or celery near by. These veggies help gratify the need to crunch on something and are low in calories.

Weight Loss Tip #5

Get Support

Weight loss is a monstrous challenge for many of us, so go it on your own. Look for a weight loss support group online or on-site or start your own support group. All of the really successful weight loss companies offer a groups or one on one support.

But if you are planning to go without a weight loss plan then create your own support plan by including friends, family members, coworkers and neighbors. Your group can be as big or as small as you need. Let everyone know you are embarking on a weight loss journey and ask for their support and encouragement.

Weight Loss Tip #6

Track Your Weight Loss

In order to make sure you are on the right road to reaching your goals you need to record your progress. By recording how you are doing you can make modifications as needed to ensure you keep losing weight and reach your goals.

Keep track of the foods you eat and how many calories you have in a day. Track your exercise routines and how many calories you burned during exercise. This will help ensure you create a calorie deficit for losing weight. Measure or weigh yourself once a week and record your weight. Review your progress and weigh against your goal. If you see your progress headed in the wrong direction, make adjustments to your foods and/or workout routines.

Weight Loss Tip #7

Add Variety

You need a variety of foods to keep your meals interesting and fun. Don’t burn yourself out by eating the same things day in and day out. Eat from all the food groups by including whole grains, protein, dairy, fats and veggies and fruits.

Try eating 5 to 6 mini meals every day to help your metabolism stay energized. Eat protein with each meal by including lean cuts of meat and fish and beans and eggs in your diet plan. Aim for 5 ? 9 servings a day of vegetables and fruits. Make your choices colorful by having dark green leafy veggies, red or orange peppers, etc. Vary your fruit selection as well consuming citrus fruits and non-citrus fruits.

Your dairy products should be fat free and low fat choices. Make your bread and pasta selections whole grains. The complex carbohydrates and high fiber in whole grain breads and cereals help to speed up your metabolism. Additionally you want to consume some the good fats in your food selection. This is because your body needs some vital fatty acids from the foods you eat as it cannot make these fats itself. Just read the labels and choose foods that have the healthy fats and try to eliminate or reduce trans fats.

Weight Loss Tip #8

Watch What You Drink

Several people do not track or think about the amount of calories in their beverages. A regular flavored cola has more than 100 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugars. Fruit drinks are also high in sugar and calories. Switch to diet drinks and drink more green tea and water.

Watch the alcohol consumption as well. A lot of alcoholic drinks are high in calories and alcohol tends to turn to fat and sugar in your body. You should try to eliminate or reduce your alcohol intake while trying to lose weight. However, if you have a special occasion, beer and wine are lower calorie drinks.

Weight Loss Tip #9

Satisfy the Sweet Tooth

As you continue on your weight loss journey there will be times when you need a sweet treat. If you let your cravings go unchecked for too long then there is a good chance it will overcome you and lead to “binge eating”. So go ahead and treat yourself to that tempting snack once in awhile.

Moderation is the key here. It’s okay to sneak a snack and not feel bad. Just make sure it doesn’t become a common thing but is just every now and then change from your diet. One of the main reasons people stop strict diets is their constant cravings eventually gets the better of them. So go ahead and give in and make your snack small but enough to calm your sweet tooth. Then get right back on track with your weight loss journey.

Weight Loss Tip #10

Get Active

There are a lot of people who are exercise fanatics and then there are those people who flinch at the very word exercise. However, if you want to lose weight, and here’s the important part, keep it off then you need to include exercise to your weight loss plan.

By exercising you are burning excess fat and calories. You are also increasing lean muscle mass. The more lean muscles you have the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR). The higher your metabolism the more calories and fat you burn in a given day.

If you are just starting out, then start slow by going for a brisk walk 20 minutes 3 times a week. Also add some strength training 2 or 3 times a week. As you get used to this workout routine then improve your speed and duration. Increase the resistance during your strength training as well. It doesn’t matter what you start with just so long as you start to get active.

Read More

Diet Tips and Myths

The first diet myth is that you do not have to eat too much at night because you will gain more weight. People believe that because you do not do much at night, you do not burn much of what you eat during that time. An experiment done by Dunn Nutrition Center showed that it does not matter how much you eat at night. What matters is how much food you eat in the whole day that will determine if you will really gain weight.

The second diet myth is that cholesterol is bad for you. The truth is there are good cholesterols and there are bad cholesterols. Cholesterols, just like any other fat, do not dissolve in our blood. That can be dangerous because they can clog the arteries or the passages in our hearts. The good cholesterols drive away bad cholesterols from the arteries. Instead, they displace the bad cholesterols back to the liver.

Protein is essential to build muscles in the body. Because vegetarians do not eat meat, the third diet myth states that people who are more into vegetables cannot have muscles. This is untrue because they can also get their protein fix from non-meat products such as cheese, grains and nuts.

Some smokers reason out that they do not want to gain weight that is why they do not go cold turkey. This is another diet myth. There are people who have gone cold turkey and they even lost weight. It is a well-known fact that nicotine, which is found in cigarettes, boosts a person?s metabolic capability. But it is also a well-known fact that smoking is very dangerous to our health.

Another diet myth tells that people should suppress themselves to lose weight. It is true that there are people who think that dieting is a form of punishment. This, however, is not always the case. Most diet programs tell dieters to avoid certain kinds of food, but not to stop eating altogether. There are even diet programs which boats of food that are extremely delicious you will not even think you are going on a diet.

If busting those myths are still not enough for you to not fear or question going on a diet, then here are some diet tips for you:

First tip is for you to determine what your motivation is for going on a diet. Do you just want to look stunning in a swimsuit? Do you have an ideal weight? Do you want to join a contest? Are you tired of not minding what you eat, and in turn, also your body? Your motivation shall keep you going with the diet during times when you feel like you can no longer continue the program. Another tip is for you to talk to people who are also on a diet. Share stories, tips, and recipes with each other. You can even have a friendly contest on who loses more weight after a certain period of time. Another diet tip is for you to drink plenty of water. Drinking water is very important when you are in a diet because it gives you the feeling that you are already full, and you will eat less afterwards. Drinking water also drives away the toxins from the body.

Read More

How Can I Follow a Low Sodium Diet?

Salt -- a crystalline substance made of sodium and chlorine that's used for seasoning food. Sounds rather benign, right? So why do so many healthcare providers tell us to follow a low sodium diet?

The truth is, eating a diet high in sodium contributes to many health concerns, such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart attack. And, because excess sodium may cause fluid retention and weight gain, COPD patients may experience a worsening of dypsnea, or shortness of breath if they consume a diet high in sodium.

While a low-sodium diet isn't specifically recommended for people who have ONLY COPD, it may be recommended if you have, or are at risk for, these other issues, as many people with COPD often are (oftentimes due to a history of smoking).

Here are some tips to reduce sodium in your diet and improve your health:

Subdue Your Salt Shaker

Oh, the temptation of shaking that salt shaker into every meal that we make. Don't do it. Many of the foods we eat contain an over-abundance of salt to begin with. Adding more only increases your risk of sodium-related complications.

Use Alternative Flavoring

You'd be surprised at how delicious your foods can taste when sprinkled with some sweet basil or aromatic anise. Experiment with different herbs and spices until you find one that suits your fancy. For an added treat, grow your own herb garden.

Read Labels With a Discerning Eye

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily reference value (DRV) for sodium is a mere 2,400 milligrams. Keep in mind, however, that this generally applies to healthy adults and not those who have a chronic illness. The next time you go shopping, use a discerning eye when reading food labels. Avoid foods that contain a sodium content of greater than 300 milligrams per serving.

Pick Apart the Ingredients in Food

High sodium foods may not always be labeled as containing salt or sodium. Some may contain sodium compounds such as:

• Monosodium glutamate (more commonly known as MSG)
• Baking soda or baking powder
• Disodium phosphate
• Sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite
• Sodium alginate

Be mindful of these ingredients and try to make healthier food choices.

Choose Fresh as Opposed to Processed

Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over highly processed foods, such as canned goods or luncheon meats. Buy fresh and frozen meat, chicken or fish that has not been injected with a sodium type of solution. If you're not sure, ask your butcher for help.

Contain Your Condiments

Did you know that one tablespoon of ketchup (my favorite) contains 190 milligrams of sodium? Condiments like dips, relishes, mustard, ketchup and salad dressings are packed with sodium -- something to keep in mind when you are adorning your favorite foods with them.

In addition to following a low sodium diet, remember that water is a natural diuretic and generally speaking, wherever water goes, sodium follows. Be sure to drink at least 8, eight ounce glasses every day, unless you are told otherwise.

Read More

6 Ways to Change How You Eat - Forever

Avoid foods you see advertised on television. Food marketers are ingenious at turning criticisms of their products—and rules like these—into new ways to sell slightly different versions of the same processed foods: They simply reformulate (to be low-fat, have no HFCS [high fructose corn syrup] or trans fats, or to contain fewer ingredients) and then boast about their implied healthfulness, whether the boast is meaningful or not.

The best way to escape these marketing ploys is to tune out the marketing itself, by refusing to buy heavily promoted foods. Only the biggest food manufacturers can afford to advertise their products on television: More than two thirds of food advertising is spent promoting processed foods (and alcohol), so if you avoid products with big ad budgets, you’ll automatically be avoiding edible foodlike substances. As for the 5 percent of food ads that promote whole foods (the prune or walnut growers or the beef ranchers), common sense will, one hopes, keep you from tarring them with the same brush. These are the exceptions that prove the rule.

If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant [a factory], don’t.

Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk. Such cereals are highly processed and full of refined carbohydrates as well as chemical additives.

Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. There is nothing wrong with eating sweets, fried foods, pastries, even drinking soda every now and then, but food manufacturers have made eating these formerly expensive and hard-to-make treats so cheap and easy that we’re eating them every day. The french fry did not become America’s most popular vegetable until the industry took over the jobs of washing, peeling, cutting, and frying the potatoes—and cleaning up the mess. If you made all the french fries you ate, you would eat them much less often, if only because they’re so much work. The same holds true for fried chicken, chips, cakes, pies, and ice cream. Enjoy these treats as often as you’re willing to prepare them—chances are good it won’t be every day.

Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored. For many of us, eating has surprisingly little to do with hunger. We eat out of boredom, for entertainment, to comfort or reward ourselves. Try to be aware of why you’re eating, and ask yourself if you’re really hungry—before you eat and then again along the way. (One old wives’ test: If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you’re not hungry.) Food is a costly antidepressant.

Do all your eating at a table. No, a desk is not a table. If we eat while we’re working, or while watching TV or driving, we eat mindlessly—and as a result eat a lot more than we would if we were eating at a table, paying attention to what we’re doing. This phenomenon can be tested (and put to good use): Place a child in front of a television set and put a bowl of fresh vegetables in front of him or her. The child will eat everything in the bowl, often even vegetables that he or she doesn’t ordinarily touch, without noticing what’s going on. Which suggests an exception to the rule: When eating somewhere other than at a table, stick to fruits and vegetables.

Michael Pollan from shine

Read More

Nutrition and Health Diet

The basic foundation for a healthy individual starts from his foetal stage with proper and healthy nutrition derived from his or her mother. Hence, a pregnant woman's diet stands atop all diets.

Your food shall be your medicine. Ayurveda has postulated the rold of food and especially nutritive foods for maintaining health as well as cure of diseases. Nutrients are necessary for the proper functioning of mental, physical, metabolic, chemical and hormonal activities. The body is like a machine that will repair and rebuild itself provided proper nutrition is provided by way of food.

Sumptous nutrition is available in fruits and vegetables. Fruits have the capacity to give all that a body needs.

Read More