I just had to share Roarkes very first time eating food. Gotta love avocados!
My heart could just explode with love for this little boy!
Top 5 Super Foods to Lower Cholesterol and Reduce weight
Among all the foods, I have decided to pick the top five super foods which have been shown to lower cholesterol and can be included in a healthy diet on a regular basis.
1. Oat for Soluble Fiber
Oatmeal and oat bran are rich in soluble fiber, a type of fiber which lowers the bad Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol without lowering the good High Density Lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. In 1997, the FDA authorized a heart disease risk reduction health claim for beta-glucan soluble fiber from oat products. Food products containing oat bran and rolled oats, such as oatmeal, and whole oat flour can bear this health claim.
How much do you need? Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Some studies showed that this amount can lower cholesterol by as much as 23 percent. One bowl of oatmeal contains about 3 grams of soluble fiber. Include other soluble-fiber-rich foods such as psyllium, apples, kidney beans, pears and barley.
2. Fish for Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids are noted for its triglyceride-lowering power.
How much do you need? In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring. If you have high triglyceride levels, AHA recommends 2 to 4 g of EPA and DHA (two specific types of omega 3 oil) as supplements under your doctors care.
3. Nuts for Healthy Fats
Nuts rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have all been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol.
How much do you need? In 2003, the FDA recognized the benefits of nuts and their role in heart disease prevention by approving a health claim for seven kinds of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts). Limit your intake to ~ 1.5 ounces a day, as nuts are high in calories. The best way to reap the health benefits of nuts is to eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats such as meat products.
4. Foods fortified with Plant Sterols
Plant sterols or stanols are powerful substances naturally found in plant to have the ability to block cholesterol absorption. Studies showed that eating two servings of sterols-fortified foods daily result in a 10 to 15 percent drop in LDL cholesterol levels.
How much do you need? The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that people who have high cholesterol eat 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day. You can find plant sterols in fortified foods such as margarine spread, orange juice, salad dressings, functional cookies etc. Most sterols-fortified foods contain at least 1 gram of plant sterols per serving. Please read the portion size and usage direction on the labels for details. It is important to note that plant sterols are not for everyone. The AHA recommends it only for people with high levels of LDL cholesterol.
5. Soy
Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. In 1999, the FDA recognized the health benefits of soy and heart disease by approving a soy health claim. However, due to conflicting results from a large-scale review performed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the AHA Nutrition Committee no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol.
Should you avoid soy then? A simple answer is No. Although soy may not lower cholesterol to the extent we previously thought it could, the US Agency review showed that it can still lower bad LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. Since soy products contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low levels of saturated fat, AHA does consider soy products a healthy replacement for meats and other foods high in saturated fat and total fat.
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of http://www.healthcastle.com/
Snacks How they fit into your weight loss plan
Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement your weight-loss plan. Here are creative and healthy ways to satisfy your hunger.
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your stomach is growling, but lunch is hours away. You could indulge yourself with a snack, but you think its best to grit your teeth and wait for lunch. Not so, if weight loss is your goal.
Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks arent necessarily bad. In fact, well-planned weight-loss diets, allow for snacks to help manage hunger and reduce bingeing. Eating a healthy snack of a piece of fruit or some raw veggies can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal. The key to incorporating snacks into your weight-loss plan is to keep moderation and balance in mind.
Choose healthy snacks
Select foods that satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Opt for snacks of 100 calories or less to stay within your daily calorie goal. You can eat more of foods with low energy density, such as carrots, grapes and air-popped popcorn, for your 100 calories. Choose snacks from these food groups:
§ Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with little to no fat and only a small number of calories. Fruits and vegetables also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.
§ Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.
§ Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They can be high in fat, but its mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so dont eat them in large quantities.
§ Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for low-calorie or "light" varieties.
What does a 100-calorie snack look like?
What does a 100-calorie snack look like?
Although snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, they can also be a source of excess calories if you arent careful. For example, a small handful of almonds (about 14 nuts) contains 100 calories. But eat a cup of almonds, and the calorie count jumps to over 800 calories.
So what are some smart choices? Here are several suggestions for 100-calorie snacks:
§ 1 cup sliced bananas and fresh raspberries
§ 2 cups of carrots
§ 3 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn
§ 5 melba toast crackers, rye or pumpernickel
§ 2 tablespoons of peanuts
§ 2 domino-sized slices of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
§ 1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup
When a snack fills in for a meal
With todays busy world, healthy meals often lose out to busy schedules. A grab-and-go snack could be the difference between some nourishment and none at all. Youll find it easier to choose good-for-you snacks if you stock your refrigerator and shelves with foods that are fast — not fussy. These ideas for healthy snacks minimize fat and calories and maximize whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Theyre all around 200 calories.
§ Toast one-half of a whole-wheat English muffin. Top with one slice Canadian bacon, a tomato slice and one slice low-fat American cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts.
§ Spread 1 tablespoon part-skim ricotta cheese over one-half of a small cinnamon-raisin bagel. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and top with a thinly sliced apple.
§ Top a small baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.
§ Layer a 6-inch soft corn or flour tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts. Slice into bite-sized pie shapes. Dip into some salsa if desired.
§ Mix 1/4 cup cold leftover chicken or convenience-type chunk chicken with sliced seedless grapes, 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt or fat-free mayonnaise, and a dash of curry powder. Stuff into half of a whole-wheat pita pocket.
Heed your hunger pangs, but forget the guilt. With planning and a little preparation, you can have healthy foods on hand so that youre ready when temptation strikes.
What is Food Pyramid
2 - 3 Servings: Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
2 - 3 Servings: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
2 - 4 Servings: Fruit Group
3 - 5 Servings: Vegetable Group
6 - 11 Servings: Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta
The Food Pyramid published by the USDA makes it easy to envision just how much of each food type you should eat. Each section of the pyramid represents a food group; the size of the group corresponds to the number of recommended servings.
1. The base of the pyramid represents the grain group. These are carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. You should eat six to 11 servings per day of these foods.
2. The next tier of the pyramid includes vegetables and fruit. You should eat three to five servings per day of vegetables and two to four servings per day of fruit. These are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
3. The next level is protein, like dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. You should eat two to three servings per day of foods from the milk group and two to three servings per day of foods from the meat, egg, bean, and nut group.
4. The top level of the pyramid is fats, oils, and sweets; these should be used sparingly.
1. The base of the pyramid represents the grain group. These are carbohydrate-rich foods like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. You should eat six to 11 servings per day of these foods.
2. The next tier of the pyramid includes vegetables and fruit. You should eat three to five servings per day of vegetables and two to four servings per day of fruit. These are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
3. The next level is protein, like dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts. You should eat two to three servings per day of foods from the milk group and two to three servings per day of foods from the meat, egg, bean, and nut group.
4. The top level of the pyramid is fats, oils, and sweets; these should be used sparingly.
The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get all of the nutrients you need, and, at the same time, the right amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. If youre watching your weight, eat the minimum number of recommended servings. If you need to gain weight, eat the maximum number of servings. And, keep in mind as to what constitutes a serving. Most serving sizes are smaller than you think. Be sure to read the food labels carefully to determine the accurate portion size.
How to Start Juicing to Lose Weight
There are three (3) basic things that you need to know about starting juicing to lose weight. These are specifically about the type of juicer that you can use, considering your special needs and researching recipes or ingredients that are appropriate for you.
Know the kinds of juicers
First and foremost, you have to know what kinds of equipment you can use for juicing. These kinds have their respective benefits and setbacks. In general, there are three (3) kinds of juicers that you can choose from.
These are specifically the following:
1. Citrus Juicer
This kind of juicer has a reamer that squeezes the fruits. Its main advantage is its easy-clean feature, which is ideal for busy people. However, it can only extract a very limited amount of juice compared with the other two types of juicers.
2. Juice Extractor
Unlike Citrus Juicers, Juice Extractor has blades, which crush fruits into very small pieces. Also, it is a better alternative to Citrus Juicer because it can extract more amount of juice. You can also use it if you are planning to juice harder types of vegetables like carrots, beets and the like. However, the Juice Extractor is a little bit messy to clean up after using.
3. Blender
This is a popular home appliance that purees fruits and vegetables and convert them into juice or fibre forms. According to research, the main benefit of this, aside from producing finer texture of juice, is that its juice has lower impact to the glycemic index.
Aside from these three (3) kinds of juicers, there are also two (2) classifications of juicers, which are either centrifugal juice extractors or cold press juicers.
There are particular cases when one class is more appropriate to use, most especially when you are juicing to lose weight.
1. Centrifugal Juice Extractor
This was the most common juicer before, which uses a fast spinning blade in order to separate the juice from the fruits flesh. However, one disadvantage of this, according to the experts, is when it destroys enzymes in fruits or vegetables because of the heat that the machine produces. This heat oxidizes some nutrients as well, which makes the product "less" nutritious. The good thing about this, however, is that it is cheaper.
2. Cold Press or Masticating Juicer
On the other hand, cold press juicer, which is also known as masticating juicer, crushes and presses the fruit or vegetable in order to yield high amount of juice. The good thing here is that it does not produce heat; hence, giving maximum nutritional benefits.
This is appropriate to use, most especially when you are cleansing or juicing to lose weight.
Moreover, there are also other kinds of juicers. Some of these include single gear, upright, twin-gear (or triturating), as well as wheatgrass juicers.
Know your needs
Aside from knowing the appropriate kind of juicer that you are going to buy and use, it is vital to know your needs as well.
There are some people who have diabetes. In this regard, they should be cautious when juicing a particular kind of fruit, most especially those with high glycemic index. You need to appreciate that not all natural are universally good for the body. Hence, you need to plan ahead and research which kinds of fruits or vegetables would benefit you.
Since you are juicing to lose weight, there are also specific kinds of fruits and vegetables that will provide you maximum benefits while giving you good source of energy. Among the fruits that you can try to juice are apple, pineapple or even banana. On the other hand, you can juice almost any kind of vegetable you want.
You just need to keep in mind that their taste must complement each other.
Research appropriate recipes
As stated above, there are specific kinds of fruits that would be more appropriate for you, depending on your needs and purpose. If you are non-diabetic and will be juicing to lose weight, the following are just some recipes that you might want to try:
1. Apple + Pineapple + Cucumber + Lime Juice
2. Pineapple + Celery + Cucumber + Spinach Juice
3. Pineapple + Apple + Parsley + Kale + Broccoli Juice
4. Apples + Pineapple + Banana Juice
5. Carrots + Apple Juice
Are you wondering why these recipes are recommended when juicing to lose weight? Well, it is because these are rich in fibre, which is good for digestion. They are not just weight loss agents, but detoxifiers as well.
They remove toxins from your system, which makes you healthier aside from sexier.
Know the kinds of juicers
First and foremost, you have to know what kinds of equipment you can use for juicing. These kinds have their respective benefits and setbacks. In general, there are three (3) kinds of juicers that you can choose from.
These are specifically the following:
1. Citrus Juicer
This kind of juicer has a reamer that squeezes the fruits. Its main advantage is its easy-clean feature, which is ideal for busy people. However, it can only extract a very limited amount of juice compared with the other two types of juicers.
2. Juice Extractor
Unlike Citrus Juicers, Juice Extractor has blades, which crush fruits into very small pieces. Also, it is a better alternative to Citrus Juicer because it can extract more amount of juice. You can also use it if you are planning to juice harder types of vegetables like carrots, beets and the like. However, the Juice Extractor is a little bit messy to clean up after using.
3. Blender
This is a popular home appliance that purees fruits and vegetables and convert them into juice or fibre forms. According to research, the main benefit of this, aside from producing finer texture of juice, is that its juice has lower impact to the glycemic index.
Aside from these three (3) kinds of juicers, there are also two (2) classifications of juicers, which are either centrifugal juice extractors or cold press juicers.
There are particular cases when one class is more appropriate to use, most especially when you are juicing to lose weight.
1. Centrifugal Juice Extractor
This was the most common juicer before, which uses a fast spinning blade in order to separate the juice from the fruits flesh. However, one disadvantage of this, according to the experts, is when it destroys enzymes in fruits or vegetables because of the heat that the machine produces. This heat oxidizes some nutrients as well, which makes the product "less" nutritious. The good thing about this, however, is that it is cheaper.
2. Cold Press or Masticating Juicer
On the other hand, cold press juicer, which is also known as masticating juicer, crushes and presses the fruit or vegetable in order to yield high amount of juice. The good thing here is that it does not produce heat; hence, giving maximum nutritional benefits.
This is appropriate to use, most especially when you are cleansing or juicing to lose weight.
Moreover, there are also other kinds of juicers. Some of these include single gear, upright, twin-gear (or triturating), as well as wheatgrass juicers.
Know your needs
Aside from knowing the appropriate kind of juicer that you are going to buy and use, it is vital to know your needs as well.
There are some people who have diabetes. In this regard, they should be cautious when juicing a particular kind of fruit, most especially those with high glycemic index. You need to appreciate that not all natural are universally good for the body. Hence, you need to plan ahead and research which kinds of fruits or vegetables would benefit you.
Since you are juicing to lose weight, there are also specific kinds of fruits and vegetables that will provide you maximum benefits while giving you good source of energy. Among the fruits that you can try to juice are apple, pineapple or even banana. On the other hand, you can juice almost any kind of vegetable you want.
You just need to keep in mind that their taste must complement each other.
Research appropriate recipes
As stated above, there are specific kinds of fruits that would be more appropriate for you, depending on your needs and purpose. If you are non-diabetic and will be juicing to lose weight, the following are just some recipes that you might want to try:
1. Apple + Pineapple + Cucumber + Lime Juice
2. Pineapple + Celery + Cucumber + Spinach Juice
3. Pineapple + Apple + Parsley + Kale + Broccoli Juice
4. Apples + Pineapple + Banana Juice
5. Carrots + Apple Juice
Are you wondering why these recipes are recommended when juicing to lose weight? Well, it is because these are rich in fibre, which is good for digestion. They are not just weight loss agents, but detoxifiers as well.
They remove toxins from your system, which makes you healthier aside from sexier.
Negative calorie foods
Negative calorie foods are foods, which use more calories to digest than the calories food actually contains! Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to use. In other words, the body has to work hard in order to extract calories from these foods. Even though a food may contain equal amount of calories, much less of these calories can possibly turn into fat in negative calorie foods as fewer calories are actually available to the body. This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.
Consider the facts:
1. A piece of dessert consisting of 400 Calories (actually 400 kilocalories) may only require 150 Calorie (actually 150 kilocalories) to digest by our body, resulting in a net gain of 250 calories which is added to our body fat!
2. On the other hand, a 5 calorie raw piece of celery will require much more calories to chew and digest, so resulting in a net loss of calories from our body fat!! It implies that the more you eat, the more you lose weight!!!
Therefore, these foods are said to be good for achieving weight loss naturally without starving.
How it works?
All foods have a nutrient (carbohydrate, fat, and protein), caloric (calories) and vitamin & mineral content. Vitamins stimulate living tissues to produce enzymes that breakdown the caloric nutrients of that food.
The foods with negative calorie contain sufficient vitamins & minerals that produce enzymes in quantities sufficient to break down not only its own calories, but additional calories from body in digestion as well. This is called "negative calorie effect".
List of Foods Possessing Negative Calorie Effect
These foods will have maximum benefits when eaten without any empty calorie foods (junk foods). There are several foods such as vegetables and fruits that have negative calorie effect. Some of the foods that can be eaten in generous quantities are: Asparagus, Beets, Carrot, Zucchini, Papaya, Strawberry, Raspberry, etc. Look at the list below.
List of Negative calorie Foods
Negative Calorie Vegetables | ||
Asparagus Beet Root Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery | Chicory Hot Chili Cucumber Garden cress Garlic Green Beans | Lettuce Onion Radish Spinach Turnip Zucchini |
Negative Calorie Fruits | ||
Apple Blueberries Cantaloupe Cranberry Grapefruit | Honeydew Lemon/Lime Mango Orange Papaya Peach | Pineapple Raspberry Strawberry Tomato Tangerine Turnip Watermelon |
Article By: Padma Mehta and Prakash Mehta (www.fatfreekitchen.com)
Best Foods For Weight Loss 10 Best Foods for Weight Loss
What is your favorite food? You may have to say goodbye to it for a little while, but maybe on your weight loss journey, you will find other foods that quickly become your favorite.
The best foods for weight loss are types of foods that will help you to curb cravings, speed up metabolism, ease digestion, and increase energy.
When considering the best foods for weight loss, you should also consider cutting out foods that would inhibit fat cell growth. Be moderate when eating foods with sugar, fat, and processed foods. Beverages are easily overlooked when dieting.
Water is the best drink for shedding pounds. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies are great choices to avoid sugar filled drinks. Soda pop and energy drinks are excellent foods for fat cells.
10 Best Foods For Weight Loss
1 .Sprouts. Sprouted beans, vegetables, and seeds, are packed full of nutrients and protein. Sprouts are a quick source of energy. They are digested easily and quickly without using much energy.
2. Cinnamon. The spice cinnamon is helpful in regulating blood sugar. Cinnamon also aids in suppressing the appetite.
3. Grapefruit. Grapefruit has the ability to reduce the appetite and induces lipolysis, which is the process of fat burning.
4. Ginger. Ginger stimulates weight loss through fat burning also. Ginger is calming to the stomach.
5. Peppermint. The use of peppermint can enhance the feeling of fullness. Peppermint is energizing and reduces cravings.
6. Lemon. Lemon is a strong cleanser and it also detoxifies. Lemon supports lipolysis and aids in suppressing the appetite.
7. Nuts. Get your squirrel on and eat plenty of unsalted nuts. Nuts are an excellent source of protein. Protein keeps you feeling full longer.
8. Chia seeds. Eating chia seeds in yogurt or oatmeal is a great way to add protein and omegas to your diet. Chia seeds sustain hydration in your body and are full of protein and all three omegas.
9. Greens. Dark green leafy vegetables and and all green vegetables are excellent sources of minerals and vitamins. They will aid in supplying your blood with the nutrients it needs for energy and metabolism.
10. Fruit. Fresh fruit is cleansing to the body systems and gives you energy. Fruit is an excellent snack to stave off cravings and help you feel full and satisfied.
The best foods for weight loss can be most effective when consumed with daily exercise. Exercise burns fat cells and releases feel good hormones. More energy and weight loss will be the result of exercising and eating right.
The best foods for weight loss are types of foods that will help you to curb cravings, speed up metabolism, ease digestion, and increase energy.
When considering the best foods for weight loss, you should also consider cutting out foods that would inhibit fat cell growth. Be moderate when eating foods with sugar, fat, and processed foods. Beverages are easily overlooked when dieting.
Water is the best drink for shedding pounds. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies are great choices to avoid sugar filled drinks. Soda pop and energy drinks are excellent foods for fat cells.
10 Best Foods For Weight Loss
1 .Sprouts. Sprouted beans, vegetables, and seeds, are packed full of nutrients and protein. Sprouts are a quick source of energy. They are digested easily and quickly without using much energy.
2. Cinnamon. The spice cinnamon is helpful in regulating blood sugar. Cinnamon also aids in suppressing the appetite.
3. Grapefruit. Grapefruit has the ability to reduce the appetite and induces lipolysis, which is the process of fat burning.
4. Ginger. Ginger stimulates weight loss through fat burning also. Ginger is calming to the stomach.
5. Peppermint. The use of peppermint can enhance the feeling of fullness. Peppermint is energizing and reduces cravings.
6. Lemon. Lemon is a strong cleanser and it also detoxifies. Lemon supports lipolysis and aids in suppressing the appetite.
7. Nuts. Get your squirrel on and eat plenty of unsalted nuts. Nuts are an excellent source of protein. Protein keeps you feeling full longer.
8. Chia seeds. Eating chia seeds in yogurt or oatmeal is a great way to add protein and omegas to your diet. Chia seeds sustain hydration in your body and are full of protein and all three omegas.
9. Greens. Dark green leafy vegetables and and all green vegetables are excellent sources of minerals and vitamins. They will aid in supplying your blood with the nutrients it needs for energy and metabolism.
10. Fruit. Fresh fruit is cleansing to the body systems and gives you energy. Fruit is an excellent snack to stave off cravings and help you feel full and satisfied.
The best foods for weight loss can be most effective when consumed with daily exercise. Exercise burns fat cells and releases feel good hormones. More energy and weight loss will be the result of exercising and eating right.
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