Summer Body Diet Tips

Fitness and Nutrition Tips for Summer

With summer, reunion season & wedding season right around the corner everyone is looking for tips tricks to help them lose weight or maintain weight to look their best at the pool party or when reuniting with friends they haven’t seen in years.

Here are some ideas to help you shed that unwanted weight. First off, your diet (or lack thereof) including fluids, controls as much as 70-80% of the success in reaching your goal. Therefore it is time to really evaluate what and how much you are eating on a daily basis and re-evaluate your exercise routine. This might also help put a few more Benjamins in your wallet each month. Read more

Using Protein For Women in Your Muscle Building Routines

Protein for women offer additional health benefits beyond using the supplements for weight training and physical fitness. This has been proven in various medical studies, with the effect of the correct utilization of protein has been used in fighting heart disease, and cancer which is still in clinical trial phase.

However in the context of someone that is physically training, the supplementation of protein is used to provide fuel, which in turn provides energy to the muscles enabling the person who is training to work out for longer periods of time, and contributing to their strength.

protein

For those seeking a more professional muscle building approach, one should bear in mind that there are in fact very little differences and that of the male and female bodies, and muscle groups. Therefore any preconceived beliefs of men and women being entirely different, specifically within the gym environment are in fact untrue.

What is true however, is that there is a difference in the chemical processes between the male and female bodies respectively, in that the female will have more of a concentration of estrogen, which typically stores fat, whilst the male body has a concentration of testosterone. Funnily enough this very testosterone has been linked to hair loss, but that is a different story altogether.

One of the main motivations behind the toning and definition of the muscles by which can be done via muscle building and training routines, is that weight loss. By effectively implementing the correct supplementation of protein for women, the desired result and objectives will in all likelihood be achieved.

This is due to be exercise routine burning calories as well as the intake of protein for women products significantly reduced fat content, and can therefore be combined for a suitable diet and eating plan. In this instance you will most likely be getting the best nutrition, in addition to the exercise which will benefit your overall health and well-being.

One should also furthermore bear in mind that the belief exists that once the training has ceased the built up muscle mass converts into fat on the body, this is untrue and one needs to realize that the storage of fat, on the body, is caused by excessive intake of calories that are now not being burned because of this cessation of the training routine.

This is fueled by incorrect eating habits, as well as the lack of training. Many professional muscle builders prior to cutting back on their training programs actually enter into a building down phase, before stopping their training programs.

Protein for women is a value added aid in your dieting and workout programs, and should be implemented correctly according to your desired objectives and goals, whether it was muscle building or general fitness training. As stated protein for women is not reserved for those working out, but is used as an effective dietary supplement too.

Whey Protein Is Good For You

Do you always want your burger to have more than a thin slice of cheese? How about not missing a bowl full of chocolate cereal with fresh milk before rushing to the office for a day’s work? Do you sit lazily on the couch scooping a spoon of yogurt in your mouth while watching your favorite show on the Lifestyle Channel? Actually, all of those are of great advantage in your immune system because whey protein is good for you.

Ever since time immemorial, the thought of “whey protein is good for you” has also been very applicable to people who lived more than a hundred years ago. The foods that were mentioned such as cheese, milk and yogurt are all dairy products that have existed how many periods ago. Those have been extracted from an animal, cow to be exact, organically has a hormone that can stimulate tissue growth and promote tissue mass.whey protein

Whey protein is good for you because it contains all the amino acids, be it essential or non- essential, needed by the human body. The high biological value (BV) of the building block is also another reason as well as with the net protein utilization and efficiency protein rating that are considered to be lofty in figures.

A candidate for being able to maximize the development of muscles is also among the grounds why there should be a recommended daily allowance of twenty grams.

The optimal equilibrium is also why whey protein is good for you. Meaning, there is a boost in the glutamine acid and taurine acid. Glutamine acid is considered to be very vital in nitrogen metabolism for biosynthesis in purines and pyrimidines. Taurine acid is very much abundant in fauna creatures that live in the sea and is a copied version of cysteine that contains sulphur. Both appears to be very beneficial in other processes in the human body.

As for professional sports players, the campaign of “whey protein is goof for you” will never sound like a broken record for them. Athletes would all the more appreciate the consumption of the building block especially for those individuals who are working on to achieve a desirable physique. Putting that they have low blood concentrations of glut-amine acid than taurine acid, the case is actually alarming because it will open to a halt of functions in the immune system as well as slow recovery after a strenuous exercise.

 

The Best Time to Take Whey Protein

Since the discovery of whey protein as a primary supplement to help in the development of body muscle, a lot of health buffs can’t seem to get enough of their own supply. Everyone seems to be scampering to get his or her whey protein supplements, especially athletes and body builders who are naturally in dire need of building muscle mass.

Although protein can be derived in common food groups such as fish, milk, eggs, cheese and beef, increasing intake on such food will also mean an increase in weight, which a lot of people would want to avoid at all cost.

whey protein

Luckily enough, there are whey protein isolates that enables people to increase the protein levels in the body without having to hoard on protein rich food products. Since people who engage in strenuous physical activities and exercises are literally tearing their muscles down and rebuilding them, it is important that they should have adequate supply of whey protein in the body. The best time to take whey protein would greatly vary from one person to another, largely depending on the person’s diet. However, here are three of the best times to take whey protein and ensure maximum efficacy:

Right After Every Workout – since whey protein has large amounts of amino acids, it is highly critical to take higher amounts at this point because the human body undergoes into the cycle of recovery and growth right after a full body workout.

First Thing in the Morning – this is the best time to take whey protein since the protein levels are down after long periods of sleep.

Before Bedtime – taking whey protein supplement right before sleeping would significantly prevent the breakdown of protein that would naturally occur during sleep. If you are not entirely focused on building muscle, the protein breakdown would be fine. But if you’re goal is to build muscle mass, you would naturally want to lessen the protein loss in you body. Hence, it is the best time to take whey protein in order to slow down your protein metabolism while asleep.

However, it is important to note that like everything else, too much consumption of whey protein can be detrimental to the human body. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad. To ensure that your intake is properly absorbed in the body, you have to know when the best time to take whey protein is. You don’t need to increase your consumption of whey protein but instead concentrate more on making sure that the protein you take will not go to waste.

Whey Protein Recipes

Since the introduction of whey as a primary source of protein, people come in droves to get their own supply of whey protein supplements, concentrates, shakes and smoothies. This progress in the consumer health industry has prompted manufacturers to be more innovative and to constantly offer something new to discerning consumers. This ushered in the introduction of several whey protein recipes that can be done in the convenience of one’s own home.

Among the most popular whey protein recipes are the high protein shakes, bars and diet snacks that usually use whey powders that can easily be purchased in grocery stores and supermarkets. These whey protein recipes add a new twist to the otherwise boring shake drinks.

whey protein

If you are interested on the different whey protein recipes, try to visit www.3newyou.com, which offers a number of ideas on the different preparations of whey protein powders. Some of their popular whey protein recipes include brain boost shakes, fat loss shake, high performance shake, and chocolate nut butter spread, among others.

If you are thinking of drinking whey protein every single day, you would naturally lose interest after some time by the sheer monotony of the drink. Through the availability of different whey protein recipes, you will be able to take full advantage of the health benefits of drinking whey protein and actually look forward to drinking it. Most of the recipes are so easy to follow and can be prepared in just a couple of minutes or so. This is because it is an established fact that would people nowadays greatly value efficiency and convenience in almost all aspects in their lives. So if you don’t have time for a full breakfast meal, any whey protein drink would be perfect to start your day right.

It’s a valuable habit to practice incorporating whey protein in one’s daily regimen. And it would be quite beneficial to train even small children and teenagers to develop the taste for it. However, for most parents it would pose a great challenge since most children would view it as a form of medication and that would naturally mean a less than desirable taste. Through the creative whey protein recipes, parents can include the protein in their child’s diet without having to use any persuasive tactics and wear out even the patience of a saint. Since growing children would need large amounts of protein in order to develop strong muscles during the growing up years, the recipes would make the consumption of whey protein more enjoyable for both young and old.

 

 

24 Good Reasons Why You May Need Vitamin Supplements

Many people believe that eating a well balanced diet provides all the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health. In ideal circumstances, this is the case, but in reality there are many reasons why you may need vitamin supplements to cope with living in the twentieth century environment. Taking vitamins when required is a safe method of optimizing your dietary sources of nutrients, providing you follow the instructions on product labels.

vitamin supplements

1. Poor Digestion

Even when your food intake is good, inefficient digestion can limit your body’s uptake of vitamins. Some common causes of inefficient digestion are not chewing well enough and eating too fast. Both of these result in larger than normal food particle size, too large to allow complete action of digestive enzymes. Many people with dentures are unable to chew as efficiently as those with a full set of original teeth.

2. Hot Coffee, Tea and Spices

Habitual drinking of liquids that are too hot, or consuming an excess of irritants such as coffee, tea or pickles and spices can cause inflammation of the digestive linings, resulting in a drop in secretion of digestive fluids and poorer extraction of vitamins and minerals from food.

3. Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol is known to damage the liver and pancreas which are vital to digestion and metabolism. It can also damage the lining of the intestinal tract and adversely affect the absorption of nutrients, leading to sub-clinical malnutrition. Regular heavy use of alcohol increases the body’s need for the B-group vitamins, particularly thiamine, niacin, pyrimidine, folic acid and vitamins B-12, A and C as well as the minerals zinc, magnesium and calcium. Alcohol affects availability, absorption and metabolism of nutrients.

4. Smoking

Smoking too much tobacco is also an irritant to the digestive tract and increases the metabolic requirements of Vitamin C, all else being equal, by at least 30mg per cigarette over and above the typical requirements of a non-smoker. Vitamin C which is normally present in such foods as paw paws, oranges and capsicums, oxidizes rapidly once these fruits are cut, juiced, cooked or stored in direct sunlight or near heat. Vitamin C is important to the immune function.

5. Laxatives

Overuse of laxatives can result in poor absorption of vitamins and minerals from food, by hastening the intestinal transit time. Paraffin and other mineral oils increase losses of fat soluble vitamins A, E and K. Other laxatives used to excess can cause large losses of minerals such as potassium, sodium and magnesium.

6. Fad Diets

Bizarre diets that miss out on whole groups of foods can be seriously lacking in vitamins. Even the popular low fat diets, if taken to an extreme, can be deficient in vitamins A, D and E. Vegetarian diets, which can exclude meat and other animal sources, must be very skillfully planned to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency, which may lead to anemia.

7. Overcooking

Lengthy cooking or reheating of meat and vegetables can oxidize and destroy heat susceptible vitamins such as the B-group, C and E. Boiling vegetables leaches the water soluble vitamins B-group and C as well as many minerals. Light steaming is preferable. Some vitamins, such as vitamin B6 can be destroyed by irradiation from microwaves.

8. Food Processing

Freezing food containing vitamin E can significantly reduce its levels once defrosted. Foods containing vitamin E exposed to heat and air can turn rancid. Many common sources of vitamin E, such as bread and oils are nowadays highly processed, so that the vitamin E content is significantly reduced or missing totally, which increases storage life but can lower nutrient levels. Vitamin E is an antioxidant which defensively inhibits oxidative damage to all tissues. Other vitamin losses from food processing include vitamin B1 and C.

9. Convenience Foods

A diet overly dependent on highly refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, white flour and white rice, places greater demand on additional sources of B-group vitamins to process these carbohydrates. An unbalanced diet contributes to such conditions as irritability, lethargy and sleep disorders.

10. Antibiotics

Some antibiotics although valuable in fighting infection, also kill off friendly bacteria in the gut, which would normally be producing B-group vitamins to be absorbed through the intestinal walls. Such deficiencies can result in a variety of nervous conditions, therefore it may be advisable to supplement with B-group vitamins when on a lengthy course of broad spectrum antibiotics.

11. Food Allergies

The omission of whole food groups from the diet, as in the case of individuals allergic to gluten or lactose, can mean the loss of significant dietary sources of nutrients such as thiamine, riboflavin or calcium.

12. Crop Nutrient Losses

Some agricultural soils are deficient in trace elements. Decades of intensive agriculture can overwork and deplete soils, unless all the soil nutrients, including trace elements, are regularly replaced. This means that food crops can be depleted of nutrients due to poor soil management. In one U.S Government survey, levels of essential minerals in crops were found to have declined by up to 68 per cent over a four year period in the 1970’s.

13. Accidents and Illness

Burns lead to a loss of protein and essential trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Surgery increases the need for zinc, vitamin E and other nutrients involved in the cellular repair mechanism. The repair of broken bones will be retarded by an inadequate supply of calcium and vitamin C and conversely enhanced by a full dietary supply. The challenge of infection places high demand on the nutritional resources of zinc, magnesium and vitamins B5, B6 and zinc.

14. Stress

Chemical, physical and emotional stresses can increase the body’s requirements for vitamins B2, B5, B6 and C. Air pollution increases the requirements for vitamin E.

15. P.M.T

Research has demonstrated that up to 60 per cent of women suffering from symptoms of premenstrual tension, such as headaches, irritability, bloated ness, breast tenderness, lethargy and depression can benefit from supplementation with vitamin B6.

16. Teenagers

Rapid growth spurts such as in the teenage years, particularly in girls, place high demands on nutritional resources to underwrite the accelerated physical, biochemical and emotional development in this age group. Data from the USA Ten State Nutrition Survey (in 1968-70 covering a total of 24,000 families and 86,000 individuals) showed that between 30-50 per cent of adolescents aged 12-16 had dietary intakes below two thirds of the recommended daily averages for Vitamin A, C, calcium and iron.

17. Pregnant Women

Pregnancy creates higher than average demands for nutrients, to ensure healthy growth of the baby and comfortable confinement for the mother. Nutrients which typically require increase during pregnancy are the B-group, especially B1, B2, B3, B6, folic acid and B12, A, D, E and the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous.

The Ten State Nutrition Survey in the USA in 1968-70 showed that as many as 80 per cent of the pregnant women surveyed had dietary intakes below two thirds of recommended daily allowances. Professional assessment of nutrient requirements during pregnancy should be sought.

18. Oral Contraceptives

Oral Contraceptives can decrease absorption of folic acid and increase the need for vitamin B6, and possibly vitamin C, zinc and riboflavin. Approximately 22 per cent of Australian women aged 15-44 are believed to be on “the pill” at any one time.

19. Light Eaters

Some people eat very sparingly, even without weight reduction goals. US dietary surveys have shown that an average woman maintains her weight on 7560 kilojoules per day, at which level her diet is likely to be low in thiamine, calcium and iron.

20. The Elderly

The aged have been shown to have a low intake of vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, calcium and zinc. Folic acid deficiency is often found, in conjunction with vitamin C deficiency. Fiber intake is often low. Riboflavin (B2) and pyrimidine (B6) deficiencies have also been observed. Possible causes include impaired sense of taste and smell, reduced secretion of digestive enzymes, chronic disease and, maybe, physical impairment.

21. Lack of Sunlight

Invalids, shift workers and people whose exposure to sunlight may be minimal can suffer from insufficient amounts of vitamin D, which is required for calcium metabolism, without which rickets and osteoporosis (bone thinning) has been observed. Ultraviolet light is the stimulus to vitamin D formation in skin. It is blocked by cloud, fog, smog, smoke, ordinary window glass, curtains and clothing. The maximum recommended daily supplement intake of vitamin D is 400 i.u.

22. Bio-Individuality

Wide fluctuations in individual nutrient requirements from the official recommended average vitamin and mineral intakes are common, particularly for those in high physical demand vocations, such as athletics and manual labor, taking into account body weight and physical type. Protein intake influences the need for vitamin B6 and vitamin B1 is linked to kilo joule intake.

23. Low Body Reserves

Although the body is able to store reserves of certain vitamins such as A and E, Canadian autopsy data has shown that up to thirty percent of the population have reserves of vitamin A so low as to be judged “at risk”. Vitamin A is important to healthy skin and mucous membranes (including the sinus and lungs) and eyesight.

24. Athletes

Athletes consume large amounts of food and experience considerable stress. These factors affect their needs for B-group vitamins, vitamin C and iron in particular. Tests on Australian Olympic athletes and A-grade football players, for example, have shown wide ranging vitamin deficiencies.

vitamin supplements

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Gentler Ways to Detox the Body

When your mind is drained, your body aches and your energy levels are close to zero, its time for a body detox.

Imagine yourself having clearer skin, sharper mind, energy revitalized, stronger immune system and feeling healthy inside out – – these are the things that you can enjoy by undergoing a detoxification program.

body detox

Detoxification basically means blood cleansing through eliminating impurities from the blood in the liver, through kidneys, lungs, intestines, lymph and skin.

Taking your first step

First, you have to reduce toxins in your body. Try to cut down on the following: cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, eating foods with saturated fats and refined sugars (cola and ketchup contains a lot) – these acts as toxins in your body and as a hindrance to your healing development.

The use of household cleaners that are chemical-based and personal health care products such as shampoos, toothpaste, deodorants and cleansers should be reduced as well. These chemicals are inside us; we never really fully eliminate them unless going to a process of detoxification.

There are many ways to detox the body. It’s up to you to choose which suits your lifestyle and preference.

Juice fasting

Drinking only fresh fruits and vegetables such as carrot, spinach, celery, cabbage, apple, pineapple and cranberry (avoid citrus fruits). An effective way of discharging toxins, it also provides loads of nutrients as well as enzymes to lessen the intensity of the cleansing process to an easy stage.

Fast weight loss is the main benefit from juice fasting. A person may drop 30-40 lbs on a 30-day juice fast. By juice fasting, a person gains self-confidence and feels light and clean.

Duration of juice fasting is usually 1-3 days. Medical administration and careful assessment is required for longer fasting.

Water fasting

Only water is consumed during a water fast. Water lets the digestive tract and organs to rest completely, allowing all of your energy to self-repair and strengthen damaged organs. It also eliminates toxin build-ups.

Water fasting not only eliminates obstruction and aids in self-healing, it is also revitalizing and motivating to make a fresh start.

Gentler way to detox the body

Here are gentler and safer ways to detox your body that you can try out or incorporate different methods as part your routine.

Change in diet

Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged and fast foods that are high on fats and sugar can become part of your daily lifestyle in maintaining good health.

Sauna

The sauna is widely used by many cultures as a regular part of detox. It is a great method of removing chemicals buildups in fat cells. Saunas are usually combined with diet, exercise and nutritional supplements.

Skin brushing

Again, with the combination of diet, exercise and nutritional supplements, skin brushing is also a gentle way of detoxing. It removes old skin cells, stimulates the lymph system and draws out toxins through the skin. A dry skin brush made of soft vegetable bristles should be used.

Before taking a shower, lightly brush your feet in circular motion towards the chest area for a minute or two.

Yoga

Through breathing exercise, the bloodstream thoroughly oxygenates thus giving energy and improves the body’s physical process. Different positions lightly massage the internal organs and stimulate them to slowly discharge toxins.

These cleansing methods are just a guide to what it can do to improve your health. It is necessary to know why detox is important and understand the different ways on how to detox the body before you begin with the different programs.

A rejuvenating 5-day body detox plan to keep you going

Tips and reasons for a good detox. In the present condition, you can no longer survive a single day without encountering pollution. At work, you may not at all be so sure of the cleanliness of the water you drink or of the food you eat. When dealing with people, you can hardly get away from air pollution, be it from smokers, all sorts of sprays or from the exhaust of vehicles. This greatly affects the health in one way or another. Don’t be so sure that when your body does not visibly react, it’s alright.

For these reasons, detoxification is necessary in order to keep a healthy body which also results to healthy mind and healthy relationship with people.

detox

Our body has its own means of healing and detoxifying. However, when pollutants that enter our body had been accumulated more than the capacity of self cleansing, we are giving our inside mechanisms a hard time. Then the tissues are stressed and therefore lead to malfunction. And because they are weakened, the cleansing process is also affected.

We definitely want a clean body. But we also need to help our system in regulating the body processes. However, you should not wait for your body organs to be stressed out and overworked before doing something. In times when the body lacks the command to keep the systems working, the person must supplement. The 5-day detox plan will do a great help in keeping the body systems at work. The 5-day detox plan will rejuvenate the body as well as the spirit, keeping it clean and toned.

Detoxification diet is a part of the 5-day detox plan. During the period of detoxification, certain foods are avoided. Your meals consist mostly of fresh fruits and green, leafy vegetables. Fats, oil, preservatives and food additives are a big no when undergoing the process of detoxification. Also, meat should be kept off because they are hard to digest. For a day or two, eating meat in any form is dropped off from the diet.

Ideal foods that can be part of your diet are as follow: garlic, broccoli, beets, and beans or nuts. Only fresh fruit extracts can be taken as beverages except for grapefruit. And since water is a universal solvent, six to eight glasses of this should be recommended daily. Water is also a major factor in the detoxification process. It flushes out the toxins in the forms of perspiration, urine, or stool.

Although you seem to eat less when detoxifying, you are assured that you will not starve, and ironically, you will even boost your stamina. It is because your intake is limited only to foods which are healthy and are good to the digestive system.

Detoxification plan should be done at least quarterly. To ensure that you get an efficient one, it will be best to consult a nutritionist or a professional. You should also seek for a doctor’s advice to ensure that what you will do is a detoxification and not addition of toxins to your body.

Through the process of detoxification, the toxins are flushed out in your body and a new set of energy is supplied to the body providing you both physical and mental alertness.

Cleanliness should be maintained not only in the outside, but more so in the inside.

 

detox

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A List of Foods that Speed up Metabolism

What the Diet Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

If someone handed you, absolutely free, a list of foods that speed up metabolism, and all those foods were really good for you in other ways, would you eat them? You’d probably be surprised to find several foods you like, maybe even some favorites, on the list. And some of them might be foods that you avoid because the diet industry has convinced you that these foods are off-limits. Low-fat dieters shouldn’t eat nuts because they’re high in fat, low-carb dieters should avoid grains at all costs. Serious low-carbers have even been convinced to shy away from fruits and vegetables because of the natural sugars in them!

Despite all the low-fat, low-carb, high-carb, eat-all-the-celery-you-want-but-nothing-else diets that abound today and make the diet industry billions of dollars a year, people seem to keep getting fatter. Clearly, the diet gurus don’t know all the answers. Or if they know, they’re not telling, at least not for free. So instead of paying another $29.95, $100 or more on the latest ‘expert’s book, video or ‘plan,’ use common sense to lose weight. You must burn more calories than you eat, bottom line, no matter what kind of a diet you’re on. Keep your weekly calories in a healthy range, and get some exercise. But there are some extra things you can do to make the process easier, more healthy and nutritious, including foods that actually help you burn more calories, faster, just by eating them. Start with this list of foods that speed up metabolism.

metabolism

Sardines, tuna and salmon are high on the list of foods that speed up metabolism. Not only are they great sources of heart-healthy fat and Omega-3 fatty acids, they help lower your levels of a hormone called leptin. It’s easier to lose weight when your leptin levels stay in the lower ranges. Eat more fish, and if you don’t like fish, take fish oil supplements. Another good source of Omega-3 and monounsaturated fat that boosts metabolism is olive oil.

Hot and spicy peppers like cayenne, habanero and jalapeno make the list of foods that speed up metabolism. The capsaicin in them that makes them hot can boost your metabolism for up to 3 hours after you eat. Opt for lower-fat and good carb spicy dishes to get even more benefit from the fat-burning qualities of these spices.

Whole grains are among some of the best foods that speed up metabolism, because they digest slowly and keep your blood sugar levels even. Cinnamon also has blood sugar-regulating properties, so use of this spice can help keep your metabolism chugging at high speed. Protein-rich foods like nuts, eggs, beans and lean meats give your body the needed protein to keep everything running smoothly.

Finally, drink plenty of water to keep your body operating at top efficiency. Though it’s a beverage, water is actually high on the list of foods that speed up metabolism, that you can enjoy every day.

metabolism

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How to Eat Right in 10 Minutes

It’s Thursday afternoon, you have thirty minutes to get from work, go by the house and pickup Heath, Jamie’s already at basketball practice, oh, and what about dinner? Does this scenario seem familiar? If you’re a working Mom, I can promise that it is a familiar scene.

So how do you make healthy food choices, when you only have fifteen minutes to prepare your meals? Well, the first thing you should realize is that quite often, healthy choices do not necessarily equate to two hour meals. You can make healthy food choices that are as quick to prepare or pickup as the unhealthy ones.

minutes

For example, sub sandwiches are a healthier alternative than pizza or burger and fries, but do not really take any longer to pickup. Salads can be prepared in just a few short minutes, and provide for the necessary vegetable daily requirement. Don’ care for the usual salad? Make a Waldorf or fruit salad, either way you’ve changed it up a bit, and still provided a health choice. As for the dressing, oil based or vinegar based dressings are much better for you than the cream based, and are really more tasteful.

Okay, suppose salads aren’t what your kids like. What about other prepared foods that are also healthy foods? Healthy Choice is a brand of frozen entrees or meals that take only a few minutes in the microwave to prepare, and are still healthy alternatives. Baked rather than fried is always a better choice, and many supermarkets today offer baked products fresh from their bakery, ready to go.

Still aren’t satisfied? You want a place to go and actually sit down and eat. There are still many healthy alternatives for a family when going to eat at a restaurant. Restaurants that offer buffet style meals are great choices. Thanks to many of the health conscious consumers out there, buffets have added baked, broiled, and fresh food choices to the display.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually always available on food bars, along with broiled or steamed vegetables. Meats are just about as varied, with many of the choices being offered in a fried and baked option. And if you’re up for dessert, watermelons and grapes are just as satisfying as the Boston cream pie.

You can always throw up objections when it comes to healthy eating, the real trick is in realizing it’s your body that will suffer. Or your children that will suffer from the unhealthy choices you make. Why not start with healthy options, set the right example, and you will have children that make health conscious intelligent decisions about their eating.

Okay, now back to our Thursday afternoon juggling act. You’ve dropped Heath at baseball practice, picked Jamie up from basketball, and you have exactly fifteen minutes to make a decision about dinner. As you sit at the red-light contemplating your options, there is a Subway, a Pizza Hut, and a grocery store with a deli in the same shopping center. How can this still be a difficult choice to make?