Why Our Diets Are Badly Failing Us and What We Can Do About It

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Right now, there’s a good chance that your diet is woefully inadequate when it comes to ensuring you are in the best possible health. In fact, there’s a good chance that your diet may be killing you.

And what is the culprit here? The answer is empty calories and processed foods.

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These days, a huge proportion of what we eat is ready prepared and ‘processed’. That means that it has spent a lot of time in a factory and thus bears little resemblance to what the ingredients originally looked like.

A good example is a bag of crisps, which doesn’t tend to have much potato left in it at all. Chocolate is made from a cocoa bean but the rest is purely processed. And ready made lasagne will have had all the goodness fried out of it and a ton of salt, sugar and bad fats added to try and keep it preserved.

All this means that you’re getting calories from your diet – calories that will provide you with energy and make you gain weight – but no nutrition.

Why We Need Nutrition

It is a mistake to think of food as fuel. Calories are fuel and they happen to be in our food. But food is more than that.

Apart from also being a social event and a hobby, food should also be a source of raw materials. The saying that you ‘are what you eat’ is literally true and when you eat any meal, your body will break it down into its constituent parts and then reassemble those parts in order to build your muscle, create enzymes and hormones and even produce neurotransmitters (the chemicals that make our brain work).

When you don’t get these things, you’ll find yourself feeling considerably worse. If you don’t get enough vitamin C for example, then your immune system won’t be able to perform at its best and you’ll be much more likely to get ill. Worse, vitamin C is also crucial for helping you to produce serotonin. Take that away and your mood will plummet. It also helps us sleep!

Similarly, when you don’t get enough omega 3 fatty acid, it can cause inflammation – this makes your joints hurt, it creates brain fog and it can lead to illness.

A lack of amino acid will mean that your muscles are weaker and smaller. And it will result in your skin looking grey and your nails being brittle.

The short term issues are worthy of a lot of concern but more worrying still is what this does to your health in the long term. The damage here is cumulative and in the end you will be more likely to suffer with a range of diseases.

What to do About It

The answer is to stop thinking of food as fuel and to instead think about the quality of the raw materials you’re putting into your system. Find ways to get more nutrition food in your diet -even if that means just adding a smoothie into your routine!

How to Pave Your Future With Healthy Eating

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So many of us stop believing that the choices that we make on a daily basis will have any impact on us whatsoever. Humans in general have a tendency to be shortsighted, and do not have good skills when it comes to planning for the future.

However, if you are a forward thinking person who wants to truly make a difference in the world, or at least achieve specific goals in life, then you are going to have to begin to view the future as something that you can actively mold to suit your needs.

goals

 

If your goals are very lofty, then you are going to quickly realize that you need to be completely and 100% at your best if you are going to achieve those goals. Everybody wants to become the best version of themselves possible, and if you are not taking care of your most fundamental needs, then you are going to be struggling for the majority of your life with issues that do not need to be issues.

When you are not nourishing your body, you are depriving your brain of the capability of concentrating and retaining information. You are working against the most valuable machine that you have at your disposal in achieving whatever it is that you want to achieve. Your dreams cannot become a reality if you are not first and foremost respectful of the gift that you were given by birth.

Our bodies need maintained, much like any other machine would. If you don’t give it the proper nutrients it needs to survive, you will be performing at your lowest possible capacity.

Not only that, but when you are not caring for your body, and eating healthy foods, you are practically inviting disease to come upon you later in life. Nobody realizes just how important their health is until it is already deteriorating. And by then, it is often too late to implement the changes that you need to make in order to avoid further damage from occurring.

Fortunately, you can start today in making your future a priority. Begin by getting rid of all the junk food in your house, perhaps by giving it away to food drives or two relatives who might appreciate it. Make small changes to your diet, gradually implementing days where you cook meals that are completely healthy and conscientious of your body’s need for nutrition.

It is never too late to begin making good changes in your life, even if you are already dealing from lasting impact from bad choices. Everybody makes mistakes, but if you are willing to forgive yourself and continue to stay forward focused, then you are well on your way to becoming the master of your domain and making your life work in your favor. Everybody wants to achieve their goals, so take the first step you need to make today and actively choose a lifestyle that is healthy and rewarding both mentally and physically!

You Deserve to Eat Well

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A lot of people seem to want to eat well, but tend to fall back into the same destructive habits. While it may be confusing at times as to why this may be, the truth is that no matter how much we want to do things right for ourselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, if you do not fully believe you deserve to be taken care of.

Whether it is being taken care of by yourself or someone else, you do deserve to eat well. All of us have self doubts at times, and some of them are so deeply rooted within us that it can lead us to act in destructive ways, whether we want to or not. However, if we are willing to consider the fact that our self-perceptions are flawed, we can take the steps necessary toward healing those broken pieces of ourselves that make us stop believing we are worthy of being taken care of.

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However, nothing that is injured within us is necessarily going to be broken forever. We can take the steps necessary to heal ourselves. Even though that is difficult at times. You have to be devoted to a path of self-healing before you can ever dedicate yourself to eating a nourishing diet if food is one of the things you use to punish yourself.

One thing you can do to help yourself develop the self-love you need to believe you are worth a future full of healthy foods and free of disease that is caused by the easy to access processed foods that are so abundant is speaking with someone who is qualified in helping you to identify self-destructive thoughts and patterns that are holding you back.

You can also practice other types of self-love, using methods such as mindfulness, journaling, and meditation. If you start a gratitude journal, you begin to take a close look at your life and see the things that you have to be grateful about. When you are able to look at the positive things in your life, it can make it that much easier to see positive patterns and good things about yourself and the people you care about. Not only that, but developing that mind-body connection is an essential part of learning to believe that you truly do deserve to eat healthy, nourishing foods.

You can also attempt meditation as a way to get centered within yourself and utilize mindfulness as a way of seeing the opportunities and beauty in every new day. Mindfulness meditations help us to get closer to ourselves both inside and out and align with our true needs and desires, such as the need to be nourished and healthy and safe.

However you choose to enhance your mind-body connection, all of these are bound to help you to learn how to value yourself more deeply. When you value yourself, you make decisions based on what truly fulfils you and you will allow your body to thrive!

The Benefits of Eating Six Small Meals Each Day

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Starving yourself is not a healthy way to restrict how many calories you consume. Research now shows that eating 6 smaller meals a day can help you achieve your summer weight loss goals, as opposed to the traditional thinking that 3 complete meals a day is best. You can seriously put your health at risk if you limit your calorie consumption too drastically.

More and more people are victims of a “roller coaster diet” while trying to lose weight. Diet plans that restrict your calories decrease your body’s metabolism, and as a result your body will experience starvation. When this occurs, your body doesn’t use a lot of calories, and that leads to extreme hunger.

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To increase your body’s metabolic rate, you should eat 5 or 6 smaller meals each day. Your metabolism will increase, and thus burn more calories all day long. You can further increase your metabolism by eating foods high in protein during your 6 meals.

Eating regularly will boost your metabolism due to the thermic effect of food.

You need a lot of calories to digest and absorb food, creating the thermic effect.

Different foods have different percentages of thermic effect, ranging from 3 to 30 percent. High protein foods have a 30 percent thermic effect. Some examples are turkey, salmon, and tuna. By simply digesting, 30 percent of the calories in these foods are burned. 20 percent of the calories found in fibrous and complex carbohydrates are burned during digestion. Some examples of these foods are corn, broccoli, green beans, and spinach. Foods with a very low thermic effect include refined carbohydrates and fats. This is the reason why dietary fat is stored so easily.

Your level of hunger will diminish while your energy level rises when you eat 5-6 smaller meals each day. You will also be able to maintain balanced blood sugar levels, which will help prevent hunger.

You can develop muscle to increase your metabolism. By eating regularly, you can maintain insulin levels which produce amino acids into your muscle’s cells, thus promoting muscle growth. Eating every 3 hours will yield a steady output of insulin. This is good for muscle growth and storing glycogen. As a result of eating healthy foods regularly, your summer weight loss goals will be easier to accomplish, and your body will be able to process vitamins and minerals more effectively.

The trick is to make sure you have a constant eating schedule. It might be difficult at first, but planning your meals will be well worth it. To prevent cravings and hunger, it’s good habit to feed your body foods that are rich in nutrients. A summer weight loss plan including a diet of healthy fats, vegetables, fruit, and lean protein is the best way to go. Eating such a diet with 5-6 meals each day can accelerate your muscle growth. It can increase your energy level, increase your metabolism, and you’ll burn half of the calories by eating regularly, and store very little fat.

Combine your diet with strength training and cardiovascular exercise to make it even more effective! Using these three methods, you’ll be on the fast track to burning fat and accomplishing your summer weight loss goals.

5 Best Healthy Foods For A Longer Life

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Living longer is about exercising and eating only healthy foods. The healthier the foods that you eat, the more likely you are to live a happy life for a very long, long time.

Obviously there are thousands upon thousands of healthy foods. Almost all vegetable that you may come across is likely healthy, as are the majority of all fruits. Natural grains tend to be in the upper pinnacle of healthy eating, etc.

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But what are the healthiest foods – the foods that if you eat them regularly you are guaranteed to get the most nutrients you can from your meal? What are the foods that everyone should be eating in order to live a long and healthy life?

The Healthiest Foods – a Countdown

Quinoa (Whole Grains)

Whole grains are vital for healthy living, and quinoa is one of the healthiest of those whole grains. A rather bland food overall, quinoa is very easy to flavor with things like lemon, garlic, oils, salt, and other flavors that make it taste significantly better. It is extremely high in both protein and fiber, and it is also a good source of iron and magnesium.

Cranberries (Berries)

Berries are another extremely healthy food. They have a number of antioxidants that are vital for healthy living. Cranberries are just one of several berries that are extremely high in antioxidants, but all berries have their benefits and should be eaten regularly.

Spinach (Greens)

Greens are a great source of protein, fiber, calcium and other important pieces of nutrition. Spinach is actually not quite as good for you as Kale and Collard Greens, but Spinach is more versatile and can be eaten in far more ways that just salad, so it can easily become a staple in your cuisine even when you want to mix it up.

Soy

Soy is simply a fantastically healthy food. It has fiber, vitamins, Omega-3, protein, calcium – almost everything that you could need from a meal. It can also be found in almost every different type of food, as vegetarians can find soy meats, soy cheeses, tofu and other food types that can all be used to get soy in every meal.

Salmon

Salmon, however, is like soy on steroids. Loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and other beneficial nutrients, salmon has almost everything that you need all in one grilled piece of fish. It is also low in fat and cholesterol (high in good cholesterol), and is a great addition to anyone’s diet.

All five of those foods are considered some of the healthiest foods in the world – but beyond that, they are all also incredibly versatile, so it is not too difficult to get them into your daily diet regularly. For anyone who want to improve their overall health and wellness and planning on eating a significantly healthier diet regularly, these foods are the first place you should go. They are simply loaded with all of the necessary ingredients that you need in order to improve your health.

Why Sleep Is Essential For Our Health

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In today’s modern society, there are lots of things to do that causes we always come to feel we do not have sufficient time to complete everything. It is not unusual for many individuals to go to bed until midnight and then wake up too early every day to fit in everything.

You may think that it is not such a negative thing. Okay, now let us take a peek at the significance of having a quality sleep for our overall health.

sleep

Numerous aspects of sleep are still undiscovered at present, even though experts have been engaged in many different scientific studies for decades. Clearly, sleep has long been a mystery. Even so, there are a few facts to convince you that sleep is an important activity.

Simply have a look at a young child. When it happens to be the time for him/her to take a nap, soon you will have to deal with problems since the child will start conducting unpleasant things. Having said that, after getting a short nap, he/she will get back to be fun again. In reality, the same also happens for older people when they have sleep deprivation. Needless to say, they will not exhibit the same responses as toddlers will do, but similar things truly happen.

Some processes take place during sleep. A bodily chemical that influences growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans is issued while you are getting a good sleep. This hormone is very essential during the growth period of children. This clarifies the reason babies require sleep so many hours every day. HGH, or human growth hormone, is at the same time used for restoration of tissue structure that is the reason older people need eight hours of sleep every night for their bodies to get the rest they need to repair and re-energize.

Besides issuing HGH, while sleeping other important processes also take place. A system that protects against disease, for example, is affected by the quality of your sleep. Simply put, the body’s defense mechanism will not function normally in case you have sleep deprivation. It has also been known that acquiring a sufficient amount of sleep is important for an individual who wants to manage his weight.

In essence, the significance of sleep cannot be emphasized enough. Lack of sleep has unwanted side effects on your physical and mental condition such as finding it hard to concentrate and to make reasonable judgments. This can put you into a dangerous situation, especially when you must react to something extremely fast.

As just stated, sleep can be viewed as-as an activity for developing and rebuilding. It is needed to regain the energy that has been worn out all day. If you have quality, sound sleep, you will acquire an adequate amount of energy to carry out the new day’s tasks. Even so, bear in mind that the amount of sleep you must have may be not equal with others. Just make sure you always get the full amount of sleep required. If not, your system will begin asking for it.

Top 5 Foods That Combat Stress

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Nothing can ever replace the damage caused by stress to your body. Busy schedules, work deadlines, and other environmental factors promote stress and reduce the natural defenses of the body. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to combat stress.

Healthy eating has a positive effect in reducing stress in a natural and effective way. Here are top foods that combat stress.

stress

1. Blueberries

Blueberries are a proven stress buster. It is crammed with antioxidants that revives and rejuvenates the damaged cells in the body and relieves stress. It neutralizes free radicals in the body and prevents cell damage. It also improves the body’s response to fight stress and anxiety. Besides, blueberries also improve immunity, which again, plays a vital role in reducing stress.

2. Dark chocolate

This could be an ultimate delight for chocolate lovers. Not all chocolates have the power to combat stress in an effective way, but the dark chocolate which has a relaxing effect on your body. Studies reveal that consumption of dark chocolate shows a reduction in cortisol- the stress hormone, thereby relieving stress. The cocoa has a high amount of antioxidant that lowers the blood pressure and relaxes the blood vessels. For a calming effect, go for chocolates that have over 70 % cocoa, says experts.

3. Avocados

If you are not trying to lose weight, avocados may prove to be beneficial for combating stress. The creamy fruit contains glutathione that blocks the absorption of fats responsible for the oxidative damage. The fruit also increases satiety and you feel more satisfied. This reduces stress and promotes a better health. Since it is high in fats, consider limiting your intake by adding just half an avocado in your lunch.

4. Cashews

Nuts have always been a great snack, but cashews have an added advantage. The crunchy nut is packed with proteins and omega-3s that reduce cravings and make you feel full. They are rich in zinc that helps in preventing stress. Zinc deficiency is one of the major causes of stress and anxiety. So, replenishing your zinc stores may help in preventing stress altogether. Having a few every day may seem beneficial for anyone. Besides, they can also be a great snack for those trying to lose weight due to its high protein content.

5. Salmon

Eating salmon has many heath benefits, the major being stress relief. The fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acid which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Studies show that it helps in reducing the stress hormone cortisol as well as adrenaline and induces a calming effect. People who consume salmon on a regular basis have shown a reduced level of stress as compared to those who do not. In addition to it, salmon is also a great food for your heart.

What Is Primal Eating- What You Ought To Know About This Healthy Plan

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Primal Blueprint eating has been very popular since quite some time now. The strategy of this meal plan is simple- eat fish, eggs, meat, veggies, nuts, fruits and some high fat dairy. But it is not that simple as it may sound to be. You need to hunt for these things just like your ancestors and make meal plans, shopping list and recipe to get started with your Primal meals.

Primal diet basically lays stress on eating foods in natural state or maybe very close to the natural state. As when food was not there before the Industrial Revolution, it was considered to be off limits. Lentils, peanuts, soy, legumes, sugar, alcohol, refined vegetable oils, processed food are definitely excluded.

primal

Rather, this diet lays emphasis on eating lots of veggies, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, fruits, eggs, fermented and raw dairy products and healthy fats. The natural sweeteners like maple syrup or raw honey are allowed as well.

There are basically some principles of Primal Blueprint eating. They include:

Lean Body Mass is all crucial

It is important to remember the fact that lean mass muscle is directly linked with better and longevity of your health. Instead of striving to lose weight, it is better to lose just the fact and maintain muscles. Since some organs function at the level which correlates with muscle mass, so, more the muscle you maintain, more is the organ reserve.

80% body composition is determined by diet you eat

Exercise is as important as the diet but the best results are experienced by the way you eat. Exercise is crucial to speed up muscle building and fat burning. Eating healthy is actually the main watchword behind getting a healthy and fit body. So, you need to pay close attention to what you eat.

Excess of fat is bad

Many studies report that being overweight increases the risk of most diseases. Also, being fat doesn’t make you look good. So, it is better to eat healthy to look good and be fit. Eating properly ensures that excessive fat is eliminated from your life.

Excessive insulin is bad

You need to keep in mind that excess insulin is even worse than excessive sugar. All the animals produce some extent of insulin with within some species, the ones that produce less of insulin live for longer span of time than the ones who produce lots of insulin. So, it is important to eat in a way that your insulin level is kept low.

Conclusion

Rather than counting your calories, the primal eating habits ask you to pay attention to your portion sizes, eat quality food and focus on the natural things more. Say for example, elk, deer and venison are preferred over beef as these are the types that our ancestors would have hunted in their times. So, when choosing the meats, primal blueprint encourages the grass fed over conventional.

Last but not least, organic veggies, fruits and eggs are more preferred as well. Thus, this is a kind of introduction to what primal eating is all about. Know more about this eating style to have a healthy and better life.

 

Primal Diet- What Is It And How It Helps

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Primal diet is the latest buzz all around as it offers great results without following any fad diet. The diet has become a lifestyle. It originated in the year 2009 when Mark Sisson created the Primal Blueprint. Since that time, the diet has grown to be a lifestyle.

More and more Mark studied about the ancestors, more he got to know that not just the lifestyle behavior but even diet contributes to a healthy life. Food that our ancestors consumed, the direct sunlight they received and the type of free movement they were engaged in helped them to develop their genome. While there has been a change in the world in the past 10,000 years, human genome has altered very less.

primal diet

In simple words, if you wish to have a good future, it is important to listen to and relate with the past. And this is where Primal Blueprint comes into limelight. They tell you not just how to eat in the way that it helps the genes and body to become efficient but even how to increase longevity of your life by saying goodbye to illness and diseases.

A typical primal diet

So, when it comes to knowing what to eat when on the primal diet, your typical day can start with a cup of black coffee with some scrambled egg, zucchini and spinach. Then you can have mid morning meal as some almonds and coconut. Later, your lunch can include mixed greens with olives, chicken, apples, sunflower seeds dressed with vinegar and olive oil. Your evening snack can be celery with almond butter or chopped cashews on it. At last, your typical primal dinner can have steak or broiled fish with sautéed broccoli and baked sweet potato.

While a lot of people have the notion in their mind that Primal eating is all about eating huge amounts of raw meat, it is not the case. Plants were also a big part of this diet just like they were a part of the ancestor’s diet.

Usually the darker green vegetables are denser when it comes to nutrient level. A nice example is kale and spinach, the two things that are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. As you lightly cook or steam these two veggies, you basically increase absorbability of minerals and nutrients.

Primal diet is not just following a diet, it even includes some physical activity. You can indulge yourself in some low level aerobic exercises for 2-4 hours every week. These may include hiking, walking, swimming or bike riding. Indeed low level activity is important in every way. Ideally, whenever possible, find some time and go out for some activity. The mixed effect of this will be a sort of increase when it comes to fat burning and capillary perfusion as well as integration of muscle flexibility and strength.

So following such a diet is surely a great addition to one’s lifestyle. It not just lets you be fit, it helps a great deal in being healthy and happy.

 

Primal Eating & Pregnancy- Is It Safe?

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Being pregnant is the happiest phase in a woman’s life but at the same time it is that period of life when you need to be extra careful about what you do, what you eat etc. Primal eating is a lifestyle that has become a craze in recent times. But is it safe for pregnant women? Let’s check it here.

Eating a high fat, nutrient packed, protein diet while you are pregnant will give the baby all building blocks required to create a strong and healthy neural connection as well as a resilient body. Eating a primal diet will benefit the mom to be to enjoy better sleep, enhanced energy and less nausea.

Primal eating

Also, including whole foods in your diet like grass fed, organic things will reduce the chances of synthetic hormones, pesticides and antibiotics exposure to the baby and so the little one will grow with a powerful immune system and nice hormonal profile.

Is Primal living safe in pregnancy?

Following the primal diet i.e. without vegetable oils, legumes, grains and low sugar is totally safe for the mother as well as the child. Avoid taking gluten, lectins and reduce your intake of sugar through avoiding the processed foods. This will help you to experience reduced bloating, prevent gestational diabetes as well as avoid weight gain etc.

A lot of women who consume complete primal diet during pregnancy face no nausea. Often times, keeping food in stomach is all what is required to avoid the feeling of nausea. Apart from eating the primal diet, walking is great for the pregnant women as well.

Take as much sleep as you can and drink lots of water. Move slowly and spend quality time in natural surroundings. Nurture yourself with what makes you happy and relaxed. Try focusing on positive things and you will experience healthy pregnancy.

Primal Blueprint is in fact a great option for all those wish to conceive or are already nursing or pregnant. You need to make sure that you know that certain nutrients and foods should be consumed for better pregnancy time.

Egg yolks are great as they are considered to be nature’s multivitamin. As they are rich in choline nutrient, suggest say that about 86 percent women do not have sufficient amount of choline. This is considerable because choline helps to protect against the neural tube problems. It even plays a very crucial role in overall brain growth, helping in to form the cholinergic neurons and connections between the neurons which are so important during first few years of a baby’s life.

Cod liver oil is another super food during pregnancy that is believed to be a sacred fertility food. It is one of the biggest Vitamin A sources. Also, it has more of Vitamin D/unit weight and Vitamin D is vital to pregnancy and fertility. This Vitamin D also promotes development of bones mainly during 3rd trimester when foetal skeleton starts growing at a rapid speed.

So, in all, it can be said that primal eating and living is safe and good during pregnancy.

 

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