Cipunce Health Tips

Archive for the ‘Healthy Food’ Category

Eating the right things is not just about avoiding high fat foods. Many foods have specific properties which will help you lose weight faster than other low calorie foods, due to properties such as increased appetite control, increased fat burning or even increased metabolism. The following are my best weight loss tips for the best foods to include in your diet to accelerate fat loss.

Nuts! – Because nuts are quite high in fat, dieters tend to avoid nuts. However, research suggests that it isn’t that straightforward. According to a review study published in the Journal of Nutrition (138:1741S-1745S, 2008), nuts are associated with a lower body fat. Also, when subjects add nuts to their diet, it did NOT cause weight gain The researchers believe that nuts help fill you up (thanks to the fiber) and it’s possible that not all of the calories from nuts are absorbed into your body. Some research also found that it was easier for people to stick to a diet when nuts were in their meal plan. More research has also shown that subjects lost more fat mass when they substituted almonds for complex carbohydrates in their diet.

Eggcelent Eggs! – Researchers from Louisiana State University in the U.S. looked at the eating habits of a group of overweight and obese women. The women, who were following a low-fat diet, were asked to eat either two eggs a day for breakfast, or have a bagel. The two meals contained the same number of calories and weighed roughly the same amount. However, after eight weeks of breakfasting, the slimmers who had eaten eggs had lost the most weight. As well as shedding 65 per cent more pounds than the bagel eaters, they had lost almost twice as many inches from their waistline, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s annual conference heard yesterday. Previous work by the same researchers showed that those who ate eggs for breakfast felt fuller for longer than those who had a bagel and cheese. As a result, they ate less during the rest of the day. It is not completely clear why eggs are so good at making us feel full but it is thought their high protein content could play a large part. Researcher Dr Nikhil Dhurandhar, an obesity expert, said: “Despite equal energy content and weight, an egg breakfast had a greater satiating effect compared to a bagel breakfast, which translated into a lower energy intake at lunch.” “The resulting decrease in energy consumption lasted for at least 24 hours after the egg breakfast.

Magic Mushrooms! – In one study, it was shown that volunteers who had mushrooms rather than meat, in four otherwise identical meals a week shed almost 13lbs (6kg) over five weeks, with one losing 1.5 stone (9.5kg). In another recent trial, reported in ‘The Telegraph’, Margaret Hill, a 25-year-old mother-of-two from Dagenham in Essex, went from 13st 6lbs to 11st 1lb. “I was amazed by my weight loss – it’s the most I have ever managed to lose. I never thought I’d get my body back after I had my kids so I am over the moon. I look and feel fantastic,” . Mushrooms contribute filling protein and are a low energy- dense meat substitute, meaning that they fill you up without contributing lots of calories.

Eat More Yogurt – A new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Tennessee, United States of America, suggests that eating yoghurt (curd) helps you lose fat. Researchers found that obese adults, who ate three servings of fat-free yoghurt a day as part of a reduced calorie diet, lost 22 per cent more weight and 61 per cent more body fat than those who simply cut calories. Yoghurt eaters also lost 81 per cent more fat in the stomach area than non-yoghurt eaters. “Not only did yoghurt help the study participants lose more weight — the average weight loss was 14 pounds (6.8 kilos) — they were about twice as effective at maintaining lean muscle mass,” said lead researcher Michael Zemel. Yoghurt is a source of protein with a high calcium content. Yoghurt as a food may also be beneficial in more ways than one. According to dietician Seema Talreja, yoghurt is recommended in diets because it has a lactic acid bacteria which cleanses the intestines, thus helping in detoxification. Try putting yogurt in soups; on tops of chillis, curries, kebabs, with roasts and casseroles etc. It may seem strange at first but in some regions of the mediterranean; they eat yogurt with nearly everything. Clever them! I add yogurt to most of my meat based meals now and I find it really helps to balance the taste of the meal.

Swap Fruit Juice for Milk (or Milk-Shake) – In a recent study, australian scientists found overweight people who downed about 2 1/2 cups of skim milk in the morning consumed 8.5 percent fewer calories at an all-you-can-eat lunch spread than people who drank the same amount of fruit juice. Both beverages had an equal number of calories, but the milk contained 25 grams of protein while the fruit juice had virtually no protein and 63 grams of sugar. Those may be big servings, but the principle remains: Protein helps you feel fuller throughout the morning.

Magic Beans! – Scientists found that people who consumed beans were 23 percent less likely to have large waists than those who said they never ate them. Legumes are top weight loss foods as they are a source of filling protein, without the fat calories of many meat protein foods, such as mince, bacon and lamb. They are also rich in belly filling fibre, keeping you fuller for longer and keeping those between meal cravings at bay.

An Apple A Day! – Penn State researchers discovered that people who ate a large apple 15 minutes before lunch took in 187 fewer calories during lunch than those who didn’t snack beforehand. (The apples had around 128 calories.) They saved 59 calories per meal. This would be an even larger saving if the apple where eaten as a substitute for high calorie chocolate bars, cakes or crisps. Apples are a great sweetness fix for when you have a sweet craving and they fill you up more than a chocolate bar would as they require lots of chewing, which tricks the brain and contain lots of belly filling fibre.

These are my best weight loss tips for the best foods to include in your diet to really accelerate your weight loss and maybe for the first time make it possible to actually reach those weight loss goals.

You can find a huge list of weight loss tips and tricks at weight loss tips and tricks; a site which brings together all the existing research relating to what works for and can help with weight loss.

An obvious downside when it comes to strawberries, is the fact that they don’t last long once they’ve matured and are picked up. It is truly a shame how fast they start to rot. The nutritional value found in fresh whole raw strawberries is that they have almost no fat of any kind or Cholesterol or salt. What they do have high quantities of, is minerals such as Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus and Manganese, as well as vitamin C and flavonoids, and last but not least, fiber. The largest portion of the calories they do contain is their natural sugars but these are the good kind.

Ways of preserving strawberries

Although fresh strawberries offer the best flavor, frozen berries are still very tasty and do retain the nutritional benefits of the fruit in the fresh form. When sugar is added to whole frozen strawberries you can depend on the calorie count to go from a decent 45 per 100 grams to a walloping 200 per 100 grams. Preserved in this manner, strawberries will continue to be a good source of vitamin C, but they certainly won’t help you slim down. For some reason, strawberries that are frozen and sweetened and also sliced are even higher in calories and jump to around 250 calories per average serving size. Canned strawberries that have been packed in heavy syrup have around 235 calories per serving size. They won’t suffer any nutritional value loss. However, the sugar will make their digestion more difficult.

Juice, another use for strawberries

Fixing a juice out of strawberries mixed with bananas and oranges will offer your senses a great flavor experience. This juice will provide the same nutritional value found in fresh strawberries plus added Potassium from the bananas and added Vitamin C from the oranges. This freshly squeezed juice will have an energetic value of approximately 120 calories per 100ml, and a fairly higher sugar content. As for heavily processed canned fruit juices, the sugar content is considerably higher and the nutritional values much lower than the freshly squeezed fruit juice.

More amazing benefits of strawberries:

*Raw strawberries are known to help with lowering the fat levels in the blood, or cholesterol.

*Strawberries can also help with dental hygiene and health. A raw-strawberry massage of your gums and teeth is useful for removing tartar and making your gums healthier.

*Being that they are so rich in fibers, strawberries can help you absorb nutrients more quickly.

*If you’re experiencing high blood pressure, all you need to do is dig in a bowl of strawberries to lower it.

*The potassium that is found in strawberries can help regulate the electrolytes in your body.

*Antioxidant levels are high in these berries, as they are in most berries, and this will help your body counter the ill effects of free radicals in the system. *If you want to detoxify your body, all you have to do is include strawberries in your daily menu and they’ll do the trick for you.

Get the best healthy living and healthy lifestyle ideas.

Recent developments in baking bread have shown that for a very, very long time mankind had lost the true art of making wheat bread. It now appears that there is an artistry and ritual involved in making bread the way it was meant to be made in a gluten free bakery.

The name used to refer to this new kind of non-reactive wheat bread is ‘Bible bread.’ This is due to the fact the modern bakers rediscovered the secret of making bread in the pages of the Bible. Grains are not harmful if cooked the way the ancients did it. The main technique that a gluten free bakery has in making really healthful loaves is to wash the grains thoroughly, soak them in water until they just begin to sprout and then take them out, rinse them and grind them to flour after throwing away the acidic water in the bowl.

Although there really are no harmful substances present, the antibodies have a different opinion. Destroying the villi lining the intestines and providing entry for nutrients into the blood is the only natural course of action the anti-bodies can take. To prevent this from happening, a gluten free bakery makes sure that the flour it uses is acid free.

The Biblical passage recommends the use of wheat, barley, millet and spelt (which is just another form of wheat), combined with beans and lentils of your choice. Beans and lentils increase the amino acid content of the product and are easily considered optional.

Use a fine sieve to drain the cereal grains. Throw away the water in the bowl and refill it with clean water. Place the grains back in the bowl, cover the bowl and leave to stand for one day. The very next day, remove water from the bowl by tilting it. The grains should remain inside. Slowly refill the bowl with water until the grains are just submerged.

There you have the method of a gluten free bakery for making non-toxic wheat bread. Other variations on the recipe are possible depending on the flavor you want your bread to have.

Marisca DeJolie is a normal housewife and mother who decided years ago to become a food expert for the sake of her health and that of her family. She has recently found The Gluten Free Family site and it excited about all the health benefits that a gluten free foods diet can have and invites you to learn more as well.

Italian cuisines have quite a reputation of being royal and inspirational. While mainly famous for its pizzas and pasta, Italian food also has an array of mouth watering sea food and meat dishes, apart from some wonderful desserts and cheeses.

Food in Italy is a way of spending quality time and bond with family and friends. Italian cuisine is all about attention to detail that goes to making each dish just perfect. Italian food varies from region to region and are generally simple and easy to prepare. A few of the popular ingredients used in various Italian recipes include potato, bell pepper and tomato. Cheese is considered a necessary ingredient and is used in the majority Italian dishes.

It has often been noted that Italy is a place of great regional variations – and that’s certainly true, indeed the country was only unified in 1861 – and this fact is reflected in the range of Italy’s regional cuisine. It should also be noted that Italy has been invaded often over the centuries, as well as involved trading with many other countries, and this too is reflected in the national cuisine.

Some of the regional variations that you may encounter include:

- Lasagna, balsamic vinegar, mortadella, polenta, polenta, tortellini are some of the native Italian cuisines. Before you ask let me give a short description of the all food mentioned. Mortadella is pork sausage that is cut, hear cured and served cold. Polenta is a dish made using boiled commeal and tortellini is stuffed pasta.

- Tuscan cuisine often features meat, white beans and unsalted bread.

- Pizzas and Mozzarellas originated from Naples.

- Roman cuisine often uses pecorino (cheese made from sheep’s milk) and offal. Rome is also known for its ultra-thin pizzas

- Salami, a well-liked Italian dish originated in southern Italy.

- Pecorinio is a sweet dish that is common and popular in Italy. It is essentially a variety of cheese and is made from sheep’s milk. Its especially favored in Sardinia.

- Sicilian cuisine is noted for its Arab influences in its cooking (with the use of lemon and pistachio), as well as for its seafood (including tuna and swordfish). Sicily is also the home of gelato (ice cream) and granita (a delicious semi-frozen dessert made using sugar, water and flavorings).

For additional information and videos on pasta recipes and other Italian dishes please visit Italian Cuisines

There are two sorts of devices and implementations for fighting plant enemies::

(1) those utilized to afford mechanical protection on the plants;

(2) those people used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

With the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists typically of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The 1st two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and guarding from cold, producing it feasible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They’re used extensively in getting an additional early and safe commence with cucumbers, melons as well as the other vine vegetables.

Simpler devices for guarding newly-set plants, including tomatoes or cabbage, through the cut-worm, are stiff, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are produced several inches high and large enough to become put around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.

For applying poison powders, the home gardener really should supply himself with a powder gun. If one must be restricted to a single implement, nevertheless, it will probably be ideal to get one of several hand-power, compressed-air sprayers. These are utilised for applying wet sprays, and should be supplied with among the a number of forms of mist-making nozzles, the non-cloggable automatic form being the finest. For much more extensive function a barrel pump, mounted on wheels, is going to be desirable, but one of many above will do a fantastic deal of perform in little time. Extension rods for use in spraying trees and vines may perhaps be obtained for either. For operations on a very smaller scale a fine hand-syringe may be utilized, but like a general thing it is going to be very best to invest a few dollars additional and get a modest tank sprayer, as this throws a continuous stream or spray and holds a much larger amount on the spraying solution. Whatever type is procured, get a brass machine it is going to out-wear three or four of individuals produced of less costly metal, which succumbs very swiftly on the, corroding action with the strong poisons and chemicals applied in them.

Of implements for harvesting, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading- fork, quite couple of are used inside the smaller garden, as most of them require not just extended rows to become economically utilized, but horse- power also. The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe, may well be utilized with benefit in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., in the soil or for cutting spinach. Running the hand- plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in receiving them out. For fruit picking, with tall trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured on the end of a lengthy handle, will probably be of good assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it won’t be required.

A different class of garden implements are individuals employed in pruning but where this is attended to properly in the commence, a excellent sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will quickly manage all the work with the kind required.

Still a different sort of garden device is that utilized for supporting the plants; for example stakes, trellises, wires, etc. Altogether too little attention usually is given these, as with correct care in storing over winter they won’t only last for years, but add greatly towards the convenience of cultivation and towards neat appearance with the garden.

Being a final word on the intending purchaser of garden resources, I would say: 1st thoroughly investigate the various sorts offered, and when buying, do not forget that a great tool or a well-made machine are going to be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor a single is often a constant source of discomfort. Get great resources, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a couple of dollars a year, judiciously spent, for resources afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden profit and pleasure.

If you want to know more about agriculture news and research or home gardening , here are his blogs about agriculture news and Home Gardening .

Consumers who purchase tender, delicious beef may not realize that the likelihood of the cattle being fed grass is quite high. In fact, the advantages of these natural foods when compared to mass-produced, chemical-laced varieties are quite great, as indicated by hundreds of years of research, believe it or not. Cattle fed with natural foods are a far healthier choice than those who consumed diets heavy with unnatural chemicals.

Despite the likelihood that the beef you purchase is grass fed, care must still be taken. Unless you go out of your way to be certain and do your research, you may be in for a surprise. The differences in cattle’s diets on consumers are not small ones. For starters, research in various nutrition journals indicates that grass fed beef is lower in fat, a major contributing factor to overall cardiac health, instance of heart attacks and early onset heart disease.

Those tracking cholesterol can certainly benefit from eating grass fed beef, but this isn’t its only major advantage, as the heart isn’t the only organ that benefits. Other nutrition suggests that grass fed beef is higher in vitamins A, E and a variety of other vital nutrients.

Of course, taste is another critical factor when selecting food. Fortunately, grass fed beef wins out here as well, as those who have tried it generally prefer it to the alternatives in taste tests, reporting that it tastes far superior to other types of beef. Not only did the food taste better, but those who ate it weren’t exposed to dangerous chemicals. While research along these lines is still ongoing, a growing body of evidence suggests that some of these hormones may be responsible for the earlier onset of puberty in many children. This is yet another powerful reason to choose grass fed beef.

True, chemical use may result in a beef product which is high in fat and believed to be more desirable by consumers. In fact, this practice was begun by beef producers to cut costs, not to promote the health of the consumers. As such, it is necessary to be proactive in selecting healthy beef for a good diet, as this focus on cutting costs comes at another, that to your health.

As grass fed cattle are allowed to graze on healthy, organic land, they also live less stressful lives. This lack of stress translates into tastier beef. They are also given fewer hormones and antibiotics in addition to those required by law, and who wants to eat these? These are not only unnecessary, but may do far more harm than good to consumers. The quantities that are administered usually are also far less than are given to chemically-fed cattle.

One major concern with antibiotics is that of acquired resistance to the medications. When the cattle given these excess antibiotics acquire resistance, diseases will spread far more rapidly, and some of these diseased cattle may be made into beef. This will result in higher beef recalls and greater risk to customers. This is far less likely to occur with grass fed cattle, and the meat tastes better besides, making it a win win situation for consumers.

If you interested about Grass Fed Beef go to www.brookersmeat.com to get more information and Great Recipes

There are few who wouldn’t be surprised by the abundance of health benefits walnuts have to offer us. Walnuts are packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and most commonly known of all, omega 3 fatty acids. All of these things lead to a decreased risk in high cholesterol and heart disease.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids :

This is a term that we all hear pretty frequently, but what does it mean? Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-unsaturated fats, which means they are the good fats that are essential to our daily nutritional intakes. They contribute to the decreased risk in heart disease and raise levels of HDL cholesterol, which is the good kind of cholesterol. Studies also show that omega 3’s may help in lowering high blood pressure and also could prevent blood clots due to anticoagulant properties.

Antioxidants :

When our bodies use oxygen, which they need, the cells will produce damaging by-products called free-radicals. This is the process known as oxidation and it contributes to diabetes, cancer, and also heart disease. Antioxidants prevent and treat damage to the body caused by oxidation by hunting down these harmful oxidizing free-radicals and strengthening our immune systems.

Fiber :

Fiber is linked to the prevention of seemingly countless diseases and health disorders. Although fiber is not a digestible element of the diet, it is absolutely crucial for helping to cleanse out the digestive tract. It therefore contributes to inhibiting constipation, colon cancer, high LDL cholesterol (also known as the bad cholesterol), heart disease, high blood sugar, and even breast cancer. To add even more to all of that, fiber can also help you lose weight.

Protein :

Protein is one of the most important aspects of our diets because it makes up the building blocks of our bones and cartilage, skin, blood, muscles, and hair and nails. It helps to make enzymes, hormones, and builds and repairs our tissues. But the body does not store protein, so mixed with all of the needs our body has for it, this is a good reason for why we need so much protein in our diets on a regular basis.

Now, after learning about the benefits walnuts have, you are probably wondering how you can incorporate them into your diet.

Try to replace unhealthy snacks with walnuts. This will not only take some bad out of your diet, but it will put a lot of extra good in. Crushed or chopped walnuts also make a great addition to many dishes. You can add them to a salad instead of throwing on some meat. They would also be great on top of a cereal for breakfast.

There are many ways to mix some walnuts into your daily intake, so you can begin to reap the benefits today!

Learn more about this author, Alicia Yamashita.

Ahhhh food. We love it, we hate it, but above all we need it. However, like many things in life what we want is not always what we need and this is where the drama comes into play. One might think the term “food drama” is a little weird but it’s a term I have come to be familiar with. If I were famous I think people would probably associate me with the term ‘food drama’ much like Beyonce is associated with ‘Bootylicious’ or Paris (ugh) Hilton is associated with ‘That’s hot’. Food drama.

We have all been there at times, some more than others. The thing is, if we have been dealing with food drama then we pretty much know what to stay away from already, right? Ice cream, cookies, chips, blah, blah, blah. I am going to let you in on the food that looks to be good for your diet on the surface, but in reality could have you trotting right down the path to Fatsville USA, population most of America.

1. Dried fruit: You may be saying “Fruit?! What the @#$!” Yes, I know. Fruit. We are supposed to “Strive for 5″ and all that jazz. Don’t get me wrong, fruit is a diet staple and it is no secret that it is full of vitamins and antioxidants. However, take away the volume by extracting the water from fruit and what do you have? A calorie laden snack that coud put you way over your calorie limit if you are not careful. You are better off eating fruit in its normal state, but if you find yourself drawn to the dried stuff, be mindful of the portions!

2. Granola: Cereal? Yummy low fat granola? Yes people, yummy low fat “A mere quarter of a cup is 200 calories” granola. If you are some kind of rodent or mythical creature where a quarter of a cup of anything is going to sustain you, then by all means go for it. But in the human world, if you pour a couple of servings in your bowl you are going to be using up a substantial amount of your daily calories before you even take your bunny slippers off. There are many low fat cereals out there that are 100-150 calories for three times the measly quarter of a cup serving granola allows us. Go for one of those and go forth with your day satisfied and with the piece of mind that you will not be in a mid-morning love affair with Dunkin Donuts later on in the day.

3. Low Carb products: I cannot tell you how many people I have seen scarfing down a low carb candy bar or some other junk food that is posing as a “health” food simply because they rationalize that it is low in carbs. When a product is low in one thing it is almost always high in something else and in the low carb world that usually means fat. This does not mean that all low carb products are bad for you, but you must be careful when you are making choices. The choice scenario goes something like this: String cheese = good. Low carb chocolate that is high in fat and has a warning label that promises anal leakage if you eat too much of it = bad.

4. Yogurt: You are saying to yourself “Now she is crazy. First she is telling me not to eat FRUIT and now YOGURT?!” I am putting yogurt on this list because like everything in the diet world, it is all about the choices you make. There are plenty of low sugar options out there when it comes to yogurt nowadays but sitting on the exact same shelf in the grocery store as diet friendly yogurt is the yogurt that is full of calories and sugar. Read the labels carefully! There are some brands out there that are over 200 calories for a tiny 6 ounce serving. Pick a yogurt that is around 100 calories for the same serving and you will be making a smart diet choice.

5. Fat Free products: Yes, I said it. Fat free products. One who has not been around the diet block once or twice would think “If I want to lose fat then something fat free would be the right way to go!”. Wrong. It all goes back to the formula that if they take something out of a product then they are making up for it with another ingredient. In the case of fat free products this usually means sugar. If you are looking to lower your calories but not put your taste buds into total shock it is best to go with a low fat option. These products usually taste good but are better for you when it comes to your quest for weight loss. Think low fat cheese and yogurt, 1% milk, you know get the picture.

6. Nuts or Peanut Butter: Yes these products can be considered healthy, but the high calorie content of nut products means you can be in the danger zone if you are not keeping a careful eye on your portion control. This means that if you cannot stay away from nuts then limit yourself to ONE serving. If you cannot do this, then stay away because a mere couple of handfuls of nuts can put you way over your fat intake or calorie limit for the day. Nuts maybe full of good fats but too much of a good thing can have you verbally abusing your scale somewhere down the road.

7. Baked potatoes: French fries are a staple in the “I am one step away from riding the motorized scooter at the grocery store” diet, so you decide to switch to a nice low fat baked potato for your side. That would be a great idea if you can eat it plain, and who does that?! Once you load on that butter, sour cream, and Lord knows what else you may as well go right back to the fries. If you need your side of potatoes then try using calorie free spray butter or (and it pains me to say this as an Italian because I can hear my grandmother saying a nutritional novena for me) ketchup as a healthy topping alternative. Salsa may be another good low calorie topping option.

8. Protein bars: Yes protein is good for us, we need it to build our muscles which in turn help us burn more calories. The thing with protein bars is they are usually meant to be meal REPLACEMENTS, not as an add-on to your meal. If you are in a pinch and a protein bar is used to replace breakfast or lunch, or you need something after a hard workout, then by all means go for it. However if you are using these bars as an extra in addition to other food then you could probably do without it.

9. Coffee drinks: I know this is not something to eat but I wanted to raise a point here that regular coffee is calorie free but Mary Kate Olsen’s mocha frappacrap is not. Sure the celebrities look all glamorous with their tiny bodies and their big ol’ coffee drinks as they teeter around the paparazzi on what looks to be their mama’s high heels. This does not mean they are not 500 calories in a cup. Beware. Get your coffee with splenda and skim milk and use sugar free syrup if you need more taste.

10. Large portions of anything: When it comes to dieting food choices are important but portion choices rule over all. If you want the scale to go down then your portions must go down as well. You are worth it!

Learn more about this author, Melissa A.F.

There are various opinions on processed foods that are available in the world today. When a diet contains too many processed foods, often the result can be problems with your health.Large amounts, consumed too often, can create anything from indigestion to constipation.

Weight gain is only one factor in the truths of rapid consumption of processed foods. It is a well-known fact through research, medical and health institutes, that there are dangers involved in the excessive eating of processed food products.

If you believe excessive body weight slows down our ability to function at our best, perhaps looking at what you eat and not just how much you eat. this could hold the key.

Could it be those craving taste buds holding you back from a healthy diet?

Many people are unaware of the under lying health dangers in their consumption of too many processed foods. Processed foods, yes the ones we love and the ones that so easily cure those hunger pangs.

The simply act of enticing our taste buds with culinary delights today can often prove to be one of the greatest vices for the human body.

It is a known fact that in Western Worlds, a person at some time in his or her life has been guilty of falling on the junk food eating wagon. One of the truest statements relating to eating habits could possibly be that we are what we eat.

Throughout the centuries of time, people have generally existed on diets that sustained them according to foods produced in their local communities.

As the world progressed from a caveman mentality and a super high protein consuming existence, the discovery of various vegetation and grains eventually entered our eating habits.

Slowly but surely with technological advances, biological methods and of course a little word called recipes, the advent of fast food commenced in the world.

Aside from the fact that people have inherent genetic structure the human body, functions at best when well looked after. Where diet is concerned, examining different cultures and the foods they consume can often shed light on many factors that relate to ill health.

The food pyramid is the best guide for healthy living. Of course simplified, moderation in all things is best.

With the endless variety of delicious processed foods, who would not occasionally be swayed by temptation?

The world today not only thrives on the processed dietary lifestyle, but business has never been better for those corporations that make them so readily available to us.

Changing the way we view our bodies can have a remarkable effect on the state of our health.

Nurturing ourselves with moderation of the intake of processed foods will not only improve the waistline, but also cleanse us from the inside out. The way we feel about ourselves generates the best we have to give the world.

The healthier we feel, the happiest we can feel whilst living our life today.

Educating yourself on the dangers of processed foods could be a life saving experience or just a guide to allow you to create a healthier and happy life.

Teaching your children, good and healthy eating practices can be a blessing for the changes in the health system of tomorrow. The old adage of physician heal thy self could again have a ring of truth one day.

Learn more about this author, Peta S. Cameron.

Mangoes are one of the most delicious and aromatic superfruits available and one of the best source of the antioxidants such as Vitamin ‘A’ (beta-carotene), quercetin and astragalin all of which help to neutralise free radicals, capable of causing heart disease, colon and cervical cancer, premature aging and other degenerative diseases.

Mangoes are also high in Vitamin C, (ascorbic acid) Vitamin E (selenium), vitamin K. (phytonadione), phosphorus and magnesium and also heavily loaded with soluble dietary fibre, pectin and potassium which are capable of reducing hypertension and LDL cholesterol. Both the skin and pulpy flesh offer a potent photochemical called mangiferin which is effective in the treatment of allergens, inflammation and has effective pain relieving properties. Research using laboratory rats have produced some promising results in the areas of memory improvement and neurological function.

In some parts of the Caribbean the leaves are shredded and infused in hot water for one hour and when two cups are drunk over a period of three days and said to be effective in reducing hypertension. In India, home of the mango, experiments using the leaves have demonstrated that it has antibacterial properties which when used in dental health showed promising and encouraging results in the treatment of gingivitis and other gum diseases.

Its origins are firmly rooted in India where it has been eaten as a fruit for over 4000 years and is an important part of Indian culture, where it is considered to be a symbol of life and it is also mentioned in Buddhist legends, that ‘Buddha found peace in the mango groves’. The fruit also has a special place in Chinese herbal medicine where it is used as a yin tonic and considered as having a cooling energy, used by Chinese herbalists to treat bleeding gums, constipation, coughs, fever, nausea, sea sickness and also to boost the digestive system.

Mangoes come in a variety of species, shapes, sizes and colours including red, yellow, and orange and although fully ripe, green. It is widespread and can be found in supermarkets across the world and has been used as a dietary staple in many impoverished countries and as a result, it has been credited with saving numerous live which might otherwise have been lost due to starvation.

Sweet as it is, delectable as it might be, it belongs to the poison ivy family and some people can develop allergic reactions to it. It has been known to cause sever cases of dermatitis because it contains a toxic resin called urishinol. Mangoes are relatively low in calories, although high in natural sugars, with one medium sized mango containing 30g of natural sugars and 135 calories.

It is also a very versatile fruit which can be eaten fresh, dried, tinned in syrup or drunk as a delicious fruit drink. It can be made into smoothies, ice cream, sorbets, and added to salads for an exotic edge. It can also be pickled, used to flavour sweet and savoury sauces and numerous exotic dishes,whichever way it is eaten, it is delicious and never disappoints.

Learn more about this author, Phyllis Logie.