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5 a Day Rule For Healthy
Eating For Life
By: Antony Wilton
Top
Author Antony Wilton's popular blog on health and fitness
issues is a "must read". Get your daily dose at
http://www.fitness-health-beauty.com/alerts
The five a day rule is one of the most important rules
to
healthy eating. The five a day rule refers to the
government’s recommendation that everyone eat at least five
servings a day of fruits and vegetables.
It is important to remember the many advantages of fruits
and vegetables when applying the five a day rule to your
own diet. For one thing, fruits and vegetables taste
great, contain fewer calories than many other foods and are
full of many important vitamins and minerals. In addition,
fruits and vegetables are colorful and beautiful, making
them great garnishes and salad toppings.
They are easy to prepare. even for the busiest individual.
In most cases, fresh fruits require no preparation at all,
other than a quick wash and perhaps peeling.
The five a day recommendation equates to roughly two cups
of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day,
based on the average 2,000 calorie diet. This is not a
difficult goal to reach, but it is important to keep the
five a day goal in mind when grocery shopping, cooking and
planning meals.
One great way to get started toward a five a day lifestyle
is with a delicious serving of 100% fruit juice every
morning. Apple juice, grapefruit juice and orange juice
are all excellent choices for both taste and nutrition.
Fruits and vegetables can also be used as garnishes for
other foods. Who doesn’t enjoy a sliced strawberry or
banana with their morning cereal? And fruits and
vegetables make great snacks as well. Whether you keep a
couple of apples at your desk or a selection of carrot and
celery sticks in the fridge, having fruits and vegetables
readily at hand is a big part of the battle.
Of course variety is extremely important when making any
change to your diet, and many dietary changes fail due to
boredom. Constantly trying new varieties of fruits and
vegetables is a great way to keep yourself interested in
your new healthier way of eating. If you’ve never had kiwi
fruit or asparagus, for instance, why not give it a try?
Combining attractive colors, shapes and sizes of fruits is
another way to provide attractive and interesting meals for
yourself and your family. Combining white grapes, red
peppers and pineapple chunks can provide a delicious and
attractive salad.
It is important to provide constant variety when
implementing the five a day plan, particularly if you are
cooking for a family. Try making some interesting new
dishes, such as veggie pizza, made with fresh vegetables
and whole wheat pizza crust, a fresh vegetable wrap,
vegetable stir fry or pasta with fresh vegetables.
For those who think they are too busy to incorporate five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day into their diet,
there is help available. The many ready to eat,
prepackaged salad kits on the market make it easier than
ever to create a healthy salad on the go. Just keep a
bottle of your favorite low fat or nonfat salad dressing on
hand and you can enjoy a healthy salad anywhere and anytime.
Even fast food restaurants have made it easier than every
to eat healthy, with every major chain now offering at
least a few healthy menu items. In addition, most grocery
chains offer fresh salad bars where you can create your own
healthy lunch even if you’re pressed for time.
When creating your five a day healthy lifestyle, remember
that fruits and vegetables make great snacks. An apple,
orange or banana provides both great taste and excellent
nutrition. In addition, the natural sugars contained in
fruits do not provide the sugar high/sugar crash scenario
all parents are familiar with.
Topping meals and salads with additional fruits and
vegetables is a great way to enhance your new five a day
lifestyle. Strips of green and red peppers, broccoli
florets, sliced carrots and cucumbers are all great
additions to pasta and potato salads. And of course
carrots, spinach, apple slices, orange slices, nectarines,
pineapples and raisins are all great additions to any salad.
In addition, adding fresh fruits to foods you already
eat
is a great way to make such foods part of your new
lifestyle. Adding berries, bananas or oranges to cereal
and yogurt is a great way to make sure you meet your five a
day goal every day.
Healthier eating means many things to many people, and
everyone has different goals for the perfect diet. The key
to following a healthier diet is to find a diet you can
stick with for the rest of your life. A diet should not be
simply a temporary change in the way you life, eat and
exercise. Rather, it should be a permanent change that you
can live with day in and day out, year in and year out.
For some people, a healthier diet can be as simple as
increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in the daily
diet. For others, a radical change, involving strict
control of fat and cholesterol, may be required.
Of course what is needed will depend on the goal of each
individual. The serious runner in search of greater
conditioning will of course have different goals than the
couch potato who is concerned about the possibility of
heart disease.
Even though every person will have different goals when it
comes to healthier eating, the basic rules of healthier
eating are the same. The most important thing is to eat a
good variety of foods, while eating less of the bad stuff
and more of the good.
That may sound like an over simplification, but it really
is that easy. Putting that simple concept into proactive,
however, is the hard part. Everyone wants to eat
healthier, but there are so many temptations in today’s
world that healthier eating can be very difficult. The key
is to make healthier choices as appealing as unhealthy ones.
One way to make healthier foods appealing is buying a wide
variety of exotic fruits at the local supermarket. There
are probably varieties of fruits and vegetables at your
local grocery store that you never even heard of before.
Why not make your next trip to the grocery store an
adventure by sampling these exotic offerings?
Experimenting with new recipes is another great way to
bring excitement and adventure to healthier eating. A
quick perusal of your favorite low fat or healthy eating
cookbook will likely present you with many fun and exciting
recipes to try. Often a new cookbook, or a couple of new
recipes are all it takes to spur a healthier lifestyle.
It is also important to know that eating healthier does not
necessarily mean making a radical change. There are very
simple things you can do, such as cutting the skin off your
chicken breast, or trimming the fat from your favorite
steak, that can result in significant fat reductions and
health improvements. Dieters should not overlook the
importance of these small changes when seeking a healthier
diet.
Other examples of small changes resulting in healthier
eating include:
Replacing whole milk with skim or 2%, both in recipes and
for drinking Snacking on sorbet or low fat frozen yogurt
instead of premium ice cream. Spraying pans with nonfat
cooking spray instead of using butter or margarine
Replacing high fat cuts of meat with leaner ones. Eating
more low fat fish and less red meat. Using egg substitutes,
the kind made from egg whites, in recipes, meals and baking
There are probably hundreds of other such tips, and they
can add up to significant health improvements, whether your
goal is to get fit, lose weight or improve your level of
health. No matter who you are or what your current level
of fitness, eating a healthier diet and losing weight may
be easier than you think.
In the end, eating a healthier diet, improving your level
of fitness, and managing your consumption of fat and
cholesterol boils down to common sense. Depriving yourself
of your favorite foods can be counterproductive to a long
term dietary change. Deprivation leads inevitably to
cravings, and that can start a vicious cycle of dieting and
splurging.
It is best to think of healthier eating as a marathon
rather than a sprint. The goal of any healthier eating
program should be to make easy, lifelong changes in the way
you shop, cook and dine. Only by making changes that you
can follow for a lifetime will you truly be able to enjoy a
healthier diet.
Dining Out Guide
for the Health Conscious Eater
By:
Geri Stogsdill
Top
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Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant meal has over
1,000 calories? That's enough to blow any healthy eating plan. Fortunately,
by following a few simple guidelines, you can dine out without having to
sacrifice good taste and nutrition.
1. Avoid ordering an appetizer. It's a little known fact that some
appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course. Plus, many
appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your
intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It's not a
healthy way to start your meal.
2. Say "yes" to salad. Salad is a healthy eater's best friend. Not only will
it fill you up so you'll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also
give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart healthy. Be sure to
ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce
your caloric load. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream based
dressings and go for the vinegar based ones. You also have the option of
using vinegar and olive oil which is heart healthy.
3. Make the right entree selection. Go for broiled and grilled rather than
fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, you'll also avoid
trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking
for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are
getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal
health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you'll be reducing your caloric and
carbohydrate load. Also, stick to tomato based sauces rather than cream
based and you'll enjoy a considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the
sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the
amount you eat.
4. Think about what you're drinking with your meal. By not ordering an
alcoholic beverage, you've saved yourself a considerable number of calories.
Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft
drink, or water with lemon. You'll be glad you did when you consider the
calorie savings.
5. Indulge your sweet tooth wisely. Many of the chain restaurants now offer
a low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selection such as a low carb
cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health conscious eater and still
allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn't
available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire
for something sweet.
6. Learn to control your portions. Many restaurants are serving larger
quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a
portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you.
If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you'll be less
tempted to overindulge.
By following these steps, you can make your dining experiences not only
healthy, but enjoyable. Your heart will thank you!
Seafood really can
be an amazing health boost
By: Coleen Panetti
Top
Coleen Panetti is a researcher for the
Happy seafood info directory
www.happyseafood.com
Who says there is something fishy on fish oils, shellfish, and other
seafoods when it comes to health benefits? That is absolutely a fishy story.
Nowadays, people have come to realize the importance of seafoods in our
diet. Various studies and researches have proved that the best sources of
good fats, vitamins, and minerals to promote good health can actually be
found on different seafoods. The only drawback is that it took so many years
for most people to realize the health benefits of having seafoods in their
diet.
So for those who still do not understand why most people are into sashimi
and grilled tuna these days, just keep on reading and I will let you on for
some secret. Here's why:
1. Fish is your heart's best friend!
Undeniably, fishes are exceptional low-fat food. The fats contained on
fishes and fish oils are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. These are
polyunsaturated fatty acids known to protect the body against heart
diseases. These so called "good fats" also aids in lowering cholesterol,
decreasing blood clotting factors, increasing beneficial relaxation in
larger arteries and blood vessels, and decreasing inflammatory process in
blood vessels.
2. One serving of fish two to three times per week keeps arthritis away.
There have been clinical trials that have shown that one serving of fish two
to three times a week can actually lessen arthritis symptoms by fighting
inflammation, decreasing fatigue and reducing morning stiffness.
3. Some varieties of seafoods were proven to strengthen the immune system.
Studies showed that certain varieties of fishes and shellfishes have very
high antioxidant E, aside from vitamins E, C, D, and A. These antioxidants
boost the immune system and also lower the risk of heart disease by reducing
buildup of plaque in coronary arteries.
4. Seafoods in pregnant woman's diet make smart and healthy kids!
According to several researchers, the Omega-3 fatty acids found in different
types of fishes and shellfish can be very vital during an unborn child's
development in the womb. It greatly assists in neural development as well as
eye development.
There had also been studies showing how these essential fatty acids have a
positive effect on Attention deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children.
Also, a healthy diet for children with two to three servings of fresh
seafoods per week can definitely increase their learning ability and improve
their health in the future.
5. The fatty acids in fishes can alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Omega-3 fatty acids can also ease the signs of depressions in patients who
do not respond to typical anti-depressant medications.
Studies showed that depressed patients who had greater amount of seafoods in
their diet, particularly fish, had feasible lower symptoms such as sadness,
anxiety, and sleeping problems.
6. Shellfish ensures healthy skin and eyes.
Different varieties of shellfish are rich in vitamins and mineral, aside
from being very low in fat content. Hence, these guarantees healthy skin and
promotes good eyesight because vitamins contained in shellfish aid in
formation and use of red blood cells and muscles.
7. Children who eat oily fish may have lower risk of getting asthma.
Studies showed that children who were able to receive at least 300mg of fish
oil a day had undergone noteworthy improvement of asthma symptoms. This is
because fish oils aid in controlling food allergens and environmental
allergens in the body.
8. Fish heaters have lower risks of getting cancer.
The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are the essential components
responsible for protection against cancer. In fact, there had been reports
that people who eat fish regularly have low risks of cancers of the mouth,
throat, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast, and prostate.
9. Fatty fish are best natural source of Vitamin D.
In areas like the North America were people do not get
enough Vitamin D, a nutrient important for stronger bones, substituting
foods can be difficult because of a lack of vitamin D rich options.
However, after some careful studies, most nutritionist found out that fatty
fishes are excellent sources of vitamin D. They said that a serving of fatty
fish a day can provide 90% of today's recommended dietary requirement for
vitamin D.
10. Essential fatty acids found in most seafood variety may reduce the
development of Alzheimer's disease.
Various reports have recommended that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty
acids, particularly those of the omega-3 family, can actually slow mental
decline and even reduce the development of Alzheimer's disease in older
people. These kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acids are structural components
of neural membranes and are linked to some aspects of nervous tissue
functions.
With these kinds of fatty acids in the body, inflammation and
proinflammatory substances in the brain are reduced from which Alzheimer's
disease, a type of dementia, is linked.
With all these viable health benefits of seafoods, no one can ever smell
something fishy when eating fish and shellfish. Undeniably, seafoods are
remarkable creatures marvelously made just for the health of it!
Article Source: http://www.iwantcontent.com
Biscuits: Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe and a Cheese Biscuit Recipe
By Peggy Bloodworth
Top
One of the best tasting breakfast recipes for the fall months is sweet
potato biscuits. We also love to serve
them at parties; making a mini version, cut with a cutter about a inch
diameter and putting country ham on them.
If you were from where we're from, you would be putting Smithfield country
ham on them, truly one of the best, is not
the best hams in the world. Regardless, we hope you will try these sweet
potato biscuits.
Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe
2 cups sweet potato - cooked and mashed
4 cups self-rising flour
1 stick butter - melted
1/2 tea baking soda
1/2 tea baking powder
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 Tablespoons sugar
Mix sweet potatoes, butter and milk until well blended. Stir in flour,
baking
soda and sugar. Shape into a ball and knead 8-10 times on well floured
board.
Roll out 3/4-1 inch thick and cut with 2" biscuit cutter. Bake on a greased
baking pan in a preheated
400 degree oven 15-20 minutes until very lightly browned. Fill with some
good Smithfield ham and you are good to go!
Makes about 15.
Note: I like to roughly mash the sweet potatoes instead of smoothly to get
little flecks of sweet potato that you can
see in the finished biscuits.
If you need a fast and easy secret for low fat cheese biscuits, get low fat
bisquick and a low fat cheddar cheese.
Hide the box. It isn't as good as fresh but few people will guess your
secret.
Almost everyone that likes biscuits loves cheese biscuits. For a great
biscuit recipe: visit our recipe-of-the-week
Cheese Biscuit Recipe
Enjoy it and be sure to let us know what you think. We love to hear from
people.
Peggy Bloodworth left a job as a sales VP in a high tech company
entertaining clients around the world for a personal chef and catering
business
where she is chef for swank party givers in Research Triangle Park, NC. More
party ideas, recipes, menus and pictures can be
found on her website swank website. She maintains a large garden and
vineyard. Menus are well
researched, recipes are mostly original and the ingredients are fresh,
organic and more frequently than not, from her garden.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peggy_Bloodworth
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