Keep Your Health Tips

Good nutrition is vital to a strong and healthy mind and body. It’s true what they say - you are what you eat.

This statement points out very effectively that if you feed your body with low nutritional and sugary garbage, your body has nothing to work with and you’ll end up eventually feeling like garbage.

On the other hand, if you nourish your body with food that is packed with nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, healthy fats, whole grains and omega-3’s, you’ll notice a huge difference in how you look and feel…especially if you make this type of food a dietary habit.

Right now we’re at a crossroad - we know we should be eating better, but there are so many restaurants available offering “bad” food and it’s making the obesity rate skyrocket. Even restaurants that offer fish platters and other health-conscious meals end up not so good because of the amount of calories you ingest between the bread, large portions and dessert.

You have two options:

1. Stay away from fast rood restaurants - and when you eat out at restaurants, be strict about what you eat. Stay away from the bread and don’t finish everything on your plate…bring the rest home for a meal you can eat the next day.

2. Make a meal at home yourself using ingredients you buy at the grocery store, not frozen entrees.

The focus of this article is on number two because by making your own meal, you can control exactly what goes into it. The end result is a meal that you know is nutritious and NOT packed with health-deteriorating ingredients.

Here’s an example of the perfect meal you can make at home. It has everything you need for better health.

What you’ll need is:

1 9-10 ounce bag of baby spinach
1 can of wild Alaskan pink salmon
1-2 teaspoons of olive oil
1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup of brown rice

Here’s a breakdown of each food’s health benefits:

Spinach - this green leaf is packed with phytonutrients, vitamins and fiber - and it’s low in calories.

Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon - yes, canned! It tastes better than you think. The reason this is recommended is because the food is a powerhouse of good fats, protein and omega-3’s and is low in calories and carbohydrates. The salmon you would normally buy is potentially high in mercury, which is bad. This Wild Alaskan form is free of mercury…and it’s inexpensive.

In case you’re wondering, Omega-3’s are vital for healthy weight loss, brain health and a healthy cardiovascular system.

Olive Oil - full of good fat which your body does need. When you buy olive oil, make sure it’s 100% authentic. Some brands are now mixing olive oil with refined oils…the end result is olive oil, but not really.

Balsamic Vinegar - vinegar reportedly controls your blood sugar level when eating which is important for overall health. Furthermore, it gives the meal more taste.

Brown Rice - whole grains are full of vitamins and fiber. Check out Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice…it’s pretty good and quick to make.

Making the meal is easy. You simply lay the spinach out on a platter- you can more or less use however much you want- and drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the spinach.

Let this sit for 10 minutes or so- this gives the spinach a chance to soak up the oil and vinegar. While this is sitting, cook the brown rice and open up the can of salmon.

When ready, simply spread the salmon over the spinach and put the brown rice either on the side or in a separate bowl.

And now the best part of all - ENJOY!

This meal will take you 15 minutes max to make and each bite will nourish your body from the inside out. And once you get used to eating healthy, you’ll find yourself experimenting with all types of different meals.

This article shared with you one example of a perfect meal, but there are many many more!

For more free healthy living information, please visit http://www.SimpleHealth123.com and http://www.GetHealthyReport.com

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If all of your hard work at the gym is foiled by your snacking habits, then read on to discover how you can snack to stay slim, satisfied and healthy.
Firstly, ask yourself, why do I want this snack? There are several reasons why we snack;

Habit; if you see certain foods as a reward, or they make you feel better or you crave them if you feel unhappy, or you always have corn chips with a film; try to replace those foods with something else. If you are stressed have a warm bath by candlelight rather than a tub of Hagen Daas, treat yourself to a manicure rather than a take-away at the weekend, snack on a big bowl of berries in front of the TV, and boost your mood with exercise. Then compare the good feelings that these things give you with the less-good feelings that you feel when the spoon hits the bottom of the ice-cream carton. Try and use the good feelings as motivation to forge positive behaviour and habits.

Temptation; if you have a weakness for certain things, don’t keep them around. Do not by crisps and biscuits for your children if you end up eating them. Do not buy fattening or unhealthy foods in large amounts. Do not persuade yourself that you will only have one square of chocolate each night if you know full well you will eat the lot on day one (barely taking the time to breathe between mouthfuls). Spring clean your cupboards of unhealthy snacks. If the workplace is a problem, organize a health drive; suggest everyone buys fruit or smoothies in stead of cakes and biscuits, get a water cooler, or fill the fridge with mineral water.

Boredom or lack of stimulation may be interpreted as a desire for a snack, when actually a change of scene or task will revitalize the bored brain; walk around the garden and pull some weeds up, or if you are at work, take a quick break for a change of scene and to revitalize.

Hunger is often really thirst; each time you crave a snack, drink a large glass of water, this may be what you really need, and will help you stay hydrated.

Hunger pangs may be caused by uneven blood sugar levels. Snacking on simple carbohydrates (white bread, biscuits, cakes, sweets, crisps etc) sends your blood sugar levels rocketing, this sugar is removed from the blood by the body, lower blood sugar levels make you feel hungry again, and the cycle repeats. Snacking on complex carbohydrates will keep your blood sugar levels even, as the sugars are released slowly into the blood, keeping levels even and preventing hunger pangs. Try eating complex carbohydrates; oat cakes, brown rice cakes, pasta salad, brown rice salad (see next weeks healthy snack shopping list).

Marketing; it wouldn’t exist if we didn’t fall for it. Millions are spent on researching where to place snacks to make you pick them up, and persuade you that you want them. Writing a shopping list will help fight against impulse buys; if it isn’t written down, ignore it. Do not to be swayed by special offers and 2 for 1s on snack foods. Make a decision that you will not buy things from the cash desk. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach!

When you have assessed what factors influence your snacking habits, you can start to change your behaviour, and snack to your advantage. Regular snacking is good for you, but snacks must be the right foods in small amounts. Eat small regular meals of slow-release complex carbohydrates, quality protein and fresh fruit and vegetables. Regular eating lets the ‘prehistoric’ brain relax in the knowledge that food is plentiful. (One of the effects of strict dieting and irregular meals is that the brain thinks it is experiencing famine; metabolism slows and body fat is conserved and stored). Plan for 3 small meals and 2-3 small snacks each day, this will keep the metabolism running smoothly and efficiently. Energy often dips mid-morning and mid-afternoon, so plan ahead to make sure that you have healthy snacks sourced for these times. You may find it helpful to draw up a chart and record your meals and snacks; helping establish the habit.

To subscribe to Vikki’s free weekly newsletter or to read more articles about snacking, and health and fitness; log onto http://www.getfitter.net

Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser and runs successful Community Exercise classes. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters.

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Yes! IF it’s whole grain pasta cooked al dente (firm, not soft).

Whole grain al dente pasta causes a lower glycemic response than soft cooked refined white pasta. Lower glycemic foods are more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream and don’t create a quick blood sugar rise. This slower absorption helps protect against insulin resistance (a precursor of type 2 diabetes) and metabolic syndrome (a predictor of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease).

In one recent study, published in Diabetes Care, people who ate more whole grains had 37% less prevalence of metabolic syndrome than those who ate processed refined grains. They also had lower levels of protective HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure and less risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Women who eat whole grains also weigh less. In a study, done at the Harvard Medical School and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, data collected on 74,000 nurses between the ages of 39 and 63 over a 12 year period showed that women who ate high-fiber, whole grain foods consistently weighed less than women who ate white bread and pasta.

When buying pasta and bread, read the label and make sure it says they’re 100% whole grain or sprouted grains. For example, wheat flour and enriched wheat flour is NOT whole wheat flour and, if it’s not whole grain, you’re simply not going to get the benefits.

So, when eating pasta, if you want to reach and maintain a healthy weight and protect yourself from adult onset type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, make sure you eat only whole grain pasta cooked al dente. And if you really want to be healthy, don’t add extra salt or oil to the water when cooking. It’s not necessary.

Moss Greene makes it easy for you to look and feel better. Visit her site at http://nutrition.bellaonline.com to learn the simple things you can do for yourself right now. Be sure to subscribe to her free newsletter - you don’t want to miss a thing!

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