10 Healthy Holiday Eating Do’s and Dont’s

December 10, 2018/in Blog, Holiday Dieting Tips, Nutritional Consultant

Here are 10 do’s and dont’s to help you continue eating in a healthy way this Christmas.

DO:

Do eat low-fat dairy products. Substitute low-fat dairy in all recipes that call for dairy.

Do eat lean meats. Trim off the visible fat from all meat. Remove the skin from chicken and poultry. Bake turkey on a rack so that fat drips away.

Do plan in advance to avoid high-fat, high calorie Holiday fare offered at office parties and family gatherings. You can fill up on healthier food such as vegetables and fruit or soup before you attend these gatherings. Or you could offer to prepare a healthier alternative for yourself and other weight watchers.

Do keep low-fat frozen dinners, sandwich & tortilla fillings and healthy pre-cooked meals on hand for days when there’s no time to cook.

Do center holiday entertainment around non-food related activities.

Don’t:

Don’t make the mistake of ‘saving up’ calories by going hungry before a party. This will only make you so hungry that you’re sure to overeat, and be less likely to make healthier choices.

Don’t start a new diet at this time of the year. It is difficult to focus on new eating habits when you are surrounded by so many temptations.

Don’t try to loose weight. Instead focus on maintaining your weight by watching your portions and making healthier choices.

Don’t stand next to the buffet table. Put some small portions of the healthiest choices onto a plate. Then move to the opposite end of the room and start mingling with the other guests.

5 More Important Things You Can Do To Stay Healthy

December 7, 2018/in Blog, Eating to Stay Healthy, Nutritional Consultant

Health disease is often caused by unhealthy eating, smoking, and by our level of physical behavior and activity. The common thread here is human behavior which to a great extent is causally involved in major organic disorders. In fact, studies have shown that half of all organic illnesses that patients complain about have psychological factors among the basic causes.

In this context, let’s look at five more important things you can do to stay healthy:

Know that health is both mental and physical.

To get the maximum enjoyment out of life, you should pursue the care and feeding of both your body and your mind. Symptoms of distress in your life need to be understood in the context of your entire body, not just the immediate area affected. Think of your health as a broad goal for both your body and your mind. Doctors found patients with physical ailments who received a combination of physical and mental therapies were two and a half times more likely to making a long term successful recovery than patients who receive treatment only for the physical condition.

Stop Worrying. You Can Worry Your Health Away.

Feeling out of out of control, feeling a sense of dread, and feeling a sense of inadequacy are threats to your dispositions as well as threats to your health habits. When we feel vulnerable, we are less likely to maintain healthy living habits and more likely to turn to unhealthy and excessive behaviors as a comfort to our feelings. However, the relief is quite temporary, while the health effects are lasting. Doctors found that people who experience high levels of anxiety were up to seven times more likely to practice poor health habits.

Remember that the route to a healthy living is found in your home and in your life.

The route to a healthy life is not found in doctors’ offices or hospitals. It is found in our homes and our lives. Enjoying your life and the people around you will contribute to your health and reduced effects of aging. People who described their home lives as satisfying were 24 percent more likely to live beyond normal life expectancy.

Watch Your Home Life.

Conventional wisdom has it that work stress can be the main hurdle to healthy living. For most people, however, home life is a far more significant factor in overall health than work life. The positive effect of a good home life is far more powerful than the negative effect of a bad work life. Researchers who studied the effect of work and marriage on health found that the strain of a person’s job was unrelated to long term blood pressure. Those with strong marriages, though, showed an 8 percent improvement over time. Those with struggling marriages, conversely, deteriorated by 6 percent

Maintain Healthy Relationships with Those who are Important in Your Life.

Our health is not just a reflection of our habits, it is also a reflection of our lifestyle and the people around us. People who enjoy strong relationships are healthier because they feel less stress generally and tend to deal with stressful situations better. Cherishing your relationships with family and friends is as important to your health as eating right and exercising.

It is important then to take control of your health. The greater your sense of control over what you are doing and what will occur to you, the less wear and tear you will put on your body. By focusing on remedies and solutions to the problems that arise, you can keep your attention to what you can do in any situation instead of which you can’t do.

Foods To Eat For Staying Healthy

December 6, 2018/in Blog, Eating to Stay Healthy, Nutritional Consultant

There is a widespread perception that excluding unhealthy foods from your diet is the way to healthy life but mostly people forget that healthy diet is not all about cutting what you should not eat but also its about including some foods which are beneficial for your health.

There is a long list of foods which are excellent for improving our health and well-being and protect us from many diseases. In this article let us discuss about some of the foods which we must eat regularly to stay healthy.

Nuts

They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats which are highly beneficial for our body. They help in reducing bad cholesterol and prevent heart diseases. Nuts are also an excellent source of protein and naturally contain antioxidants. It is advised to eat Nuts in moderate quantity as they are high in calories.

Beetroot

Recent studies have confirmed that drinking beetroot juice during exercise regime helps in improving stamina as well as it is helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and control blood pressure. It is the most recent food to be hailed as a Super food.

Onions

Studies have revealed that onion and garlic are an excellent remedy to lower cholesterol levels in the body as well as they have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

Green Leafy Vegetables

It has been always suggested and recommended by our elders to eat a lot of green leafy vegetables and there is reason behind it. These vegetables are a rich source of many nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin c, potassium and so on. Spinach is also rich in estrogen hence serves as a good nutritious food for women. If you want to improve your heart, eye and overall health include lot of green vegetables in your diet.

Oats

We are well aware that grains are excellent for maintaining our health but to derive maximum benefit from them it is advised to eat them in their natural state that is why oats have become so popular. They are rich in minerals like iron, zinc and calcium and vitamins. It is one of the most commonly eaten breast fast item these days. It helps in controlling blood pressure, reduce chances of diabetes, lowers cholesterol levels and are easy to digest.

These were some of the foods which should be in your regular eating menu. We are what we eat hence to remain healthy and disease free in today’s changing environment it is very important to keep a close watch on our daily dietary intake.

How Much to Eat to Stay Healthy and Fat Free

December 5, 2018/in Blog, Eating to Stay Healthy, Nutritional Consultant

How would you respond if you were told to leave food on your plate? Would you say that is being wasteful and it has cost you money, or would you actually leave food on your plate? Of course it is a waste if you don’t finish everything on your plate, and it goes in the bin if you don’t eat it all. Equally, it will go down the loo if you eat it all on your plate.

The only difference between two scenarios is that with the second situation, your waistline gets to keep some of the food you’ve eaten! As soon as you cook more that your actual need, it is both waste of energy and money. It doesn’t really matter if you eat it or bin it. It will be wasted either way.

According to studies about health and food during the World War II, the British people, as a nation, were healthier than today. Although people suffered in many other ways, their diet was the healthiest than ever during the wartime rationing. Less meat, less fat, less eggs and less sugar were eaten by people than ever before.

They were only allowed three rashers of bacon and one egg a week, but Britons lived a very healthy life during the war time rationing. In contrast, nowadays almost a quarter of all adults are obese, and a worrying quarter of all British toddlers are overweight…

There is too much sugar, fat and salt in our diet today than ever, and it’s putting us at increased risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, a number of cancers, including colon, stomach, and breast cancer. As well as the increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and infertility; disorders such as fatigue, low self-esteem, and poor mental & physical performance are also associated with a diet high in fat, sugar and salt.

Further more, the risk of depression, anxiety, PMS, and a food craving is increased by eating a high energy density-low nutrient foods. At the same time, poor concentration, hyperactivity, and aggression can potentially be caused by high additives, preservatives, and refined sugar. See where we are heading as a society!

Scientists starting to believe that we, as a society, are obsessed with food, and yet there are more readily made food available than ever before. It is not very hard to work out that when food with such abundance is mixed with people’s desire to eat, things will go a little wrong! Additionally, considering all the emotional issues related to the comfort food adopted by many people nowadays, it can easily be seen that how things have all really gone wrong!

To conclude, excess eating in large portions must be avoided at any meal time. This is a very important step to take in order to maintain a healthy eating plan every day. The food should be eaten frequently in segments rather than taken in bulk at each meal time. This will promote healthy metabolism and maintain the regular energy level.

The metabolic system will function more efficiently if food is supplied in low amounts in different periods of time during the day. The risk of fat accumulation in the body will considerably be reduced, and this will help to stay healthy and fat-free for life.

Foods to Eat to Stay Healthy

December 4, 2018/in Blog, Eating to Stay Healthy, Nutritional Consultant

Over the years, people have become more and more conscious about which food to eat to stay healthy. Over the years too, several recommendations have been advised.

To this end, books were written, keep fit programs were sold and advice followed. The average lifespan though stayed the same, seventy years, much the same as centuries ago.

What are the foods to eat to stay healthy? Everything but in moderation

Doesn’t it sound very much like what the Hebrew book says?” Lifespan of seventy years”, “all food have been cleansed”, “avoid gluttony?” Through all these years, this has never been challenged. This fact remained sure and true. If ever, several adverts have already claimed superior benefits of their weight reducing, health-inducing product. What the adverts succeeded at was over-selling and over- highlighting their claims but never challenged this fact.

But that is always true with commercialism. In this age where cents and dimes are often the rule of the day, there is no compunction to oversell a product to the point of using scare tactics for the targeted consumer to get their attention and possibly draw out their wallets and part with their money.

Do not fall for fad foods. If they were true, some of them should have stayed on in the market and have grown in market share as far as food choices are concerned. Nothing has and nothing will, because the price paid is too high for the benefit received and people eventually could see through that.

Instead eat food that tastes good. Eat all foods that are recommended in the good old food chart. The body needs sodium, it helps cleanse the body and prevent diseases. The body needs fat. Fat insulates us from the elements and helps keep our body lubricated as machines are lubricated. Fat also keeps our skin supple and feeling younger.

Have protein in the diet, you cannot do with less of it especially when in the healing and during the growing up years. Calories are needed to maintain energy levels so is sugar. But then everything has to be taken in the right amounts and quantities. Everything in moderation

The problem is not the food; the problem is the attitude towards food. It is the preference of one food group over the other that keeps the system unbalanced and wanting of nutrients that weakens the body. It is the lifestyle that prevents us or allows excuses not to eat right but have fast food as the usual recourse.

Aside from the food groups that have been classified by science, there are only two types of food in nature that are provided to us. One is food for nutrition, the other are food for medicine and healing. Examples of these are garlic, turmeric and other herbs too many to mention.

Every food has its own function and counter action. Spinach has oxalic acid and oranges have counter effects bad for certain blood types, eating raw exposes us to certain microorganisms etc. Nonsense, every food has properties different and tends to counter balance another food.

In an effort to sell a product, a brand, or an idea, what results is a scare that effects in limiting us with food choices often to those that we do not enjoy. The limiting of food choices keeps on evolving that if everything that is heard or advertised is listened to, nothing is worthy of eating anymore.

Every region on earth will always provide a balanced food source for that region. Foods grown in the US are different from those grown in China. But when examined closely, the tastes may change but the same balancing effect in the diet is present, anywhere in the world. That should tell us something. The earth provides everything for our enjoyment and health. Anyone who is not trying to sell anything will say the same thing, “that we should eat all the food groups in correct quantities and proportions”. That way we enjoy life, that way we stay truly healthy.

What to Eat to Stay Healthy and Lose Fat

December 3, 2018/in Blog, Eating to Stay Healthy, Nutritional Consultant

To lose fat and stay healthy, it is important to know that whether we gain or lose body fat depends on our caloric intake and output. I believe that to lose fat, we need to cut our caloric intake. It is important to eat well to not only lose fat, but to stay healthy as well. Staying healthy is the most important thing in our life.

So it is very important that the calories we eat should not all come from the same source. We need a combination of Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat in the right proportion, as they serve different function in our body.

The Do’s and Don’t of What to Eat

We need to eat food that is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber.

Carbohydrates are an essential source of energy, especially when we do both cardiovascular exercise like running as well as when we are doing weight training. In short we need carbohydrates to engage in all kinds of exercise. When your body has depleted its store of carbohydrates, physical performance is compromised. Some examples of high complex carbohydrates are things like vegetables, whole grain and fruits. Wholemeal bread and polished rice are very good example of whole grain that is a very good form of complex carbohydrates.

However let also remember not all carbohydrates are created equal. A diet that is high in simple carbohydrates can disrupt your metabolism of fat and can also cause an increase in body fat. Simple carbohydrates are things like white rice, white bread, cakes, and soft drinks. Simple carbohydrates should be consumed in lower amount.

Do also make sure that you are getting enough protein in your food.

Protein is a muscle food that is very essential in the building of muscles. When you undergo physical training and begin to develop more muscle tissue, your body will require more protein to repair, maintain and grow your muscle cell. Protein have another important function. Protein are made up of amino acid, which form enzymes that are needed to make your body run correctly and healthy.

Do stick to a diet low in saturated fat.

Yes our body need fat too. And you need a certain amount of fats in your body. However remember there are good fat and bad fat. Saturated fats are bad fats and should be eliminated from your diet. Some example of Saturated fat are animal fat and butter. Most food high in saturated fat are low in essential fatty acids and high in cholesterol. Food that is higher in unsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. These fats, found in plant and fish oils, tend to be high in essential fatty acids.

Eat Plenty of fruits and vegetables.

It is important that we eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Many experts recommend that we eat 5 serving of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and Vegetables contains a lot vitamins and essential minerals that the body need s to stay healthy. So please eat your fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. Eating fruits and vegetables also help you ward off health diseases, stroke, control blood pressure and prevent certain kind of cancer. So you can see it is very important to eat your fruits and vegetables daily.

I believe with regular exercises and eating right, you will not only lose fat, gain muscles, you will also live happy and healthy.

A Step-By-Step Gluten-Free Diet You Can Follow

November 30, 2018/in Blog, Gluten-Free, Nutritional Consultant

Starting any new diet can be challenging. However, by taking several small steps at the beginning, and by making sure you have a plan you know you will be able to stick with, getting the ball rolling on a new diet doesn’t have to be impossible by any means. We aren’t saying it will be challenging, but a little research is definitely going to go a long way.

That thought can definitely be applied to a gluten-free diet. The more you learn about the basics of a gluten-free diet, the easier it will be to make necessary changes to how you shop for, prepare, and eat food.

Getting Started On Your Gluten-Free Diet

One of the great misconceptions with a gluten-free diet is that it’s terribly limiting. This isn’t really true. Yes, you have to cut a few things out, but the list isn’t as substantial as some will have you believe. A gluten-free diet can involve many steps. Here are the basics to guide you in the early stages:

Identify the gluten-free groups

Fruits, veggies, many kinds of meat and poultry, many kinds of fish and seafood, dairy, and beans/legumes/nuts are all safe food groups. Obviously, within this range alone, you can begin to see the possibilities.

Learn about grains

There are many, many grains you can actually eat on a gluten-free diet. This can include rice, tapioca, beans, soy, potatoes, and gluten-free oats are just a few.

Learn about the alternatives

There are numerous gluten-free alternatives available these days. An important step in embracing a gluten-free diet is to learn more about those alternatives, and find the ones that are going to appeal to you. Using alternative flours and grains, you should be able to find some appealing possibilities. However, it is important to make sure you’re reading labels carefully, ensuring that you are actually purchasing something that will be gluten-free.

Learn about the things you can’t have, or the things you need to be very careful about: Read the labels carefully for products like soups, sauces, beverages, vitamins, supplements, and medicines.

Find a good 7-day program to get going

A good 7-day gluten-free diet plan is ideal for getting started on the right foot. You can use one of these plans to establish a clear idea of your meals, drinks, and even snacks.

Consult a nutritionist

If you can afford it, consider seeking out the advice of a professional nutritionist. They can help you to fill in the blanks with your new diet.

3 Easy Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes

November 29, 2018/in Blog, Gluten-Free, Nutritional Consultant

Considering that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it makes sense to want to start your new gluten-free diet off in the best way possible. Whether you don’t have a huge budget to buy and prepare whatever you please, or if you simply don’t have a ton of time in the morning (most of us have to deal with that problem), keep in mind that there are still tons of great ideas for simple, quick, and extremely healthy gluten-free breakfasts.

Let’s go over a few possibilities that you can keep in mind for breakfast tomorrow.

Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes That Are Also Really Easy

Studies show that a good breakfast has a number of benefits that are realized throughout the day. You’re giving yourself a needed boost of energy in the morning. You’re also ensuring that you’ll eat a more sensible lunch, while avoiding the need to snack unhealthily throughout the day. A gluten-free breakfast can meet all of those demands. At the same time, it doesn’t have to suck up a huge chunk of your time.

Here are 3 easy gluten-free breakfast recipes to try:

1. Gluten-free waffles:

The great thing about gluten-free waffles made from yogurt is that you can use these yummy waffles to plan your breakfasts for an entire week. Using yogurt and a little sugar as the primary ingredients, these gluten-free waffles are delicious, and you can keep them in the freezer with ease. This recipe can also be ideal for those who need to make breakfast every morning for the kids! Make sure you have a good waffle maker handy.

2. Gluten-free overnight oats:

This recipe couldn’t be simpler. All you need are some rolled oats, with some chia or flax seeds for thickening. Add just a dollop of milk, and you’re going to have an amazing, easy breakfast prepared in about five minutes. One of the best things about this recipe is how you can suit things to your specific tastes. With an endless array of flavor variations, you can rely on this breakfast choice from one day to the next. The investment is pretty minimal, as well.

3. Breakfast tacos:

This one might take just a little longer, but you can do the prep work ahead of time, if you really want to. Then the only thing you’ll need to do is heat up your taco shell. Use scrambled eggs or scrambled-up tofu (or both!) for your filling.

How Gluten Free Diet is Crucial in Weight Loss

November 28, 2018/in Blog, Gluten-Free, Nutritional Consultant

Gluten is a found mainly found in cereals like wheat, barley, and oats among others food products and majorly help to bind food together. A gluten-free meal is crucial for people with coeliac disease which is a digestive condition whereby the small intestines becomes inflamed rendering them incapable of absorbing nutrients.

However, in the recent past, many people are buying gluten free food not because they have gluten intolerance or suffer from coeliac disease, but because they consider gluten free diet as a sure way of leading a healthy life and also in aiding weight loss. Therefore then, how do gluten free foods help in weight reduction?

Gluten is found in many types of food since it adds texture and flavor to theses food and going gluten-free is not just achieved by cutting out pasta and bread. Sources have it that ditching gluten and wheat does help one to lose weight quickly than just dieting. According to dietitians, reducing gluten intake in your meals means that you eat less.

Therefore, you consume fewer calories which eventually leads to weight loss. Despite the fact that gluten free diets are mainly bought by people with coeliac most of the research conducted on these products show they are increasingly being purchased by far more people than those with gluten intolerance than those with the disease.

There are several ways one can maximize weight loss. Besides taking gluten free meals, outlined below are other strategies that may help you drop a few pounds.

1. Avoid Processed Gluten Free Foods

A few grain-based food like cookies, pizza, snacks, bread though they may be gluten-free contain high calories and provoke vigorous insulin response than wheat based food. Caution should be taken when taking meals labeled gluten free as eating more calories just because they are found in food labeled gluten free may not help you cut weight.

2. Exercise Regularly

This could be the most important part in weight loss. Reducing wheat and gluten intake may help you lose weight quickly, but to accelerate your efforts, it is important to exercise as exercising helps you lose more fat and build muscle thus burning more calories, and eventually helping you lose more fat. A gluten-free diet should not be viewed as a replacement for going to the gym.

If weight loss is truly your goal, it is important to watch your portion size. For your lunch and dinner, about half of your plate should comprise of salad and vegetables and the other half should be carbohydrates and proteins both divided into equal portions. All this with a gluten free meal is a sure way of leading a healthy life and losing a few pounds

Who Should Have a Gluten-Free Diet

November 27, 2018/in Blog, Gluten-Free, Nutritional Consultant

Gluten-free diets are the modern way people are turning from the regular lifestyle. But it is not just a fashion thing that you can brag with your friends inside the local mall. Many people are diagnosed with a condition called “Coeliac” and the doctors have informed them that they will have to stay away from gluten-containing foods for the rest of their lives.

Sounds scary at first and it could be if you let it run your life but the internet is full of information and more people are writing good books about this topic. What is gluten? Gluten is a special kind of protein. It can be found in wheat, grains, rye. The main purpose is to keep food elasticity intact during the production phase.

Sounds good so far, right? The problem is that not everyone can digest gluten properly and it could be harmful. Less than 10% of world’s population is not tolerant to gluten and they can be diagnosed with Coeliac. Coeliac symptoms Being diagnosed with a disease is always a game changer. This one is no different. Anemia, diarrhea, bone pain, severe skin rash – some of the symptoms connected to coeliac and if you have any of them, make sure to see your doctor. Sometimes you might have the disease without any of those symptoms as well. Regular appointments with the good doctors are needed.

Gluten-free diets are a must only when you are diagnosed with Coeliac or you are sensitive to foods containing gluten. Everything else is a choice. If you think you might be sensitive, keep eating foods and ask for a blood test. This way you will be certain that the blood test is accurate – if you have not eaten gluten-containing foods, the test will be normal. The good news Gluten-free diets are not all bad, in fact they can be a healthier path to success.

A lot of foods are gluten-free naturally like fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and cheese, so you would not need to sacrifice a big portion of your diet. You can still enjoy the company of a good wine (or cider, sherry) but beer should be avoided. If you just want to try the gluten-free diet you can – focus on the foods above, check grains like quinoa (gluten-free) and be certain to always check the labels of all the products that you purchase from the local store.

DO: