Posts Tagged ‘Healthy Eating’

Healthy Shopping

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

The contents of your pantry can tell a lot about how that person might be feeling physically. Improving your shopping selections and nutritional intake can be helpful in making you feel more energized, lower your health insurance costs, improve the appearance of  your hair, skin and nails.  Healthier choices can also lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and many different types of cancer.

By purchasing (and consuming) fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, you will be providing your body with extra vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants it needs. As for your  pantry goods,   these few suggestions may help to get you started with making healthier selections;

1. Canned beans are very healthy as well as being a good source of protein. To lower your sodium intake, rinse them thoroughly before eating them.  Selections vary from white, red, garbanzo, kidney or black beans.
2. Popcorn is another great choice, some may not realize this but popcorn is a whole grain;  choose the low-fat version or the portion controlled 100-calorie mini-bags.
3. Canned tuna, packed in water makes a great alternative to other fish and shellfish as it is very low in mercury content.
4. Roasted red peppers are a great source of beta-carotene. They are sold in a jar with the pickles and they’re a great addition to just about any dish. Puree them for an added twist to any sauce recipe.
5. Capers and olives are a vital part of any Mediterranean diet. They contain a healthy fat that is necessary.
6.  The benefits of green tea are many.  Mainly for it’s antioxident and anti-cancer properties.
7. Low sodium broths or broth mixes are excellent for cooking vegetables, making soups or adding to mashed potatoes. This lowers the need for butter or salt. There are many lower sodium and fat free varieties available.
8. Salsa is a wonderful condiment. The tomatoes are a great source of many vital nutrients, but be sure to look at the ingredients and select the brands without added high fructose corn syrup.
9. Fiber bars, such as Kashi, All Bran or Fiber Plus are great to have on hand for an anytime,  on the go snack.
10. Canned low sodium soups- (with clear broth, not the creamy stews or chowders) are another great source of vitamins and low fat meat selections.

Having these items on hand and having a pantry stocked with healthy choices is a great way to begin a healthy eating plan.  It is important to take a look at what we feed our bodies.  Many times we feel exhausted and run down because our bodies are asked to perform without having the proper fuel for the best output.

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Healthy Cooking

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Healthy eating does not necessarily mean bland boring food. There are many ways to still enjoy your favorites and cut the fat and calories. For those who are dieting and watching their calories and fats there are many alternatives to starving and eating nothing but chicken or rice cakes.

Starting with the protein portion of your meal, don’t completely dismiss pork. There are some cuts that are as lean and low cal as chicken such as the tenderloin or any other loin cuts. Pork is more flavorful in many recipes than chicken and can be used in a variety of different ways. Ground pork is another great trick. Use ground lean pork instead of beef in your recipes to cut the fat and calories and add tremendous flavor. Sloppy Joe’s are great when prepared with pork.

Don’t sacrafice the flavor of your favorite foods. There are many flavor alternatives available that will help enhance the flavor of your food. The butter substitute sprays are low or zero cal and add a pretty good imitation flavor of butter. Do not mistake these for non-stick spray. These butter sprays are in the dairy case and packaged in a pump spray bottle. They are a great replacement for pan sauteing or on veggies.

As for cooking vegetables, to add flavor without adding fat or calories, try cooking all your vegetables in chicken broth. May sound strange, but it adds so much flavor to the veggies they rarely need butter/butter spray. You can use pre-made broth or just add bouillon to the water before you cook the vegetables.

There are many condiments that can be added to your food to keep them from getting bland. Parmesan cheese is a good one for full flavor and low impact on the calorie and fat intake.

When you are dieting, you may need to get a little creative, but it can be done. Substitute the full fat items for low fat. Eat whole grain pasta when you can, mix it with plain pasta to add volume without sacrifice. Read and compare labels of everything you purchase. Some brands are considerably less fattening than others.

There are so many ways to keep your diet interesting and still cut the fat and calories. It just takes a little creative thinking and a lot of substituting. You can lose weight without losing flavor.

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Effects of Food Dye

Monday, December 1st, 2008

Are you struggling with hyperactive behavior in your child, or in yourself? My recent research leads me to believe that food dye could be the cause of this behavior.  Red # 40 seems to get the most bad press, but yellow food dye is right up there on the undesirable list.  There is an epidemic of overly diagnosed and overly medicated children, being treated for ADHD, when they in fact may have a red dye allergy or a food dye allergy.

The “sugar rush” many parents fear after their child consumes a lot of sweets actually may be caused by the dyes found in a lot of the candies they consume.  While sugar may be the culprit, in many cases it it the effect of the food dye which causes this out of control behavior. Many of the children diagnosed with ADD or ADHD may just be on “dye overload”.

If your child is diagnosed with one of these conditions, try making dietary changes before you resort to prescription medications. Start by avoiding all foods with food dye.  Especially reds and yellows, starting with red #40 as it seems to be the leading cause of negative reactions in children. Within 3 days you will likely notice a dramatic difference in your child’s behavior.

As you begin the elimination process, you will notice that  food dyes can be found in all types of foods.  They are everywhere. They are found in “healthy” foods such as granola and even as an additive to some fruits to improve the appearance of the skins.  It’s best to avoid any processed foods.  Shop the perimeter aisles of the supermarket and read labels of EVERYTHING.

Food dyes are also known to cause other allergic reactions such as skin rash, and  anaphylactic responses.  They are becoming a hot topic overseas and banned from many popular foods in England. The dyes are only added for appearance, and are very harmful to many people.

Food dye reactions cause learning problems as well.  The fidgety behavior and inability to focus, (often diagnosed as ADHD), will certainly cause a child to fall behind in school. Many children begin to recognize the changes and know exactly what foods to avoid.  Some are even reported to recognize and dislike the way they feel after consuming the food dye.

It may be a bit inconvenient, but you will be doing your child, and yourself a big favor by removing it from their diet.

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Posted in Diet, Food dye, Healthy Eating, Mental Health, Stress Management, Testing | No Comments »