Posts Tagged healthy food

Alternatives To Medicating ADHD Children

Adderall XRThe quality of food we consume has a strong effect on our body health and function. This is profoundly true with ADHD. With some people, nutrition alone can effectively treat ADHD.

Essential fatty acids and amino acids are important in any diet, but studies have shown that they are even more so in individuals suffering from ADHD. For instance in one study, hyperactive children who where fed a meal high in protein did as well, if not better, in school than non hyperactive children. In another study, half of the children were given placebos and the other half were given essential fatty acids. The children that received the essential fatty acids significantly improved over those that received the placebo. There is a strong connection with essential fatty acid deficiencies and ADHD, especially Omega 3 fatty acids.

Physicians are not in business to prescribe natural remedies for problems, they are in business to prescribe prescription drugs that you can’t get except through a prescription from them. They normally prescribe stimulant medications such as Ritalin for ADHD, however, recent studies have shown that children under this type of medication regimine are at high risk of lawbreaking type mischief.

If you believe your child suffers from ADHD, you may want to find a holistic nutritional specialist and discuss the possibilities of essential fatty acid and amino acid deficiencies in your child’s diet and try to remedy the situation in a natural fashion.

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Think You Are Doing Your Body A Favor By Ordering A Salad?

Lettuce in a FieldMany of us believe that eating salad at a restaurant is good for us. Sometimes we may be right but in most cases it is far from the truth. Most coffee shops serve a salad made from iceberg lettuce. This lettuce has no nutritional value, it is very basically fiber held together by water. In the digestive system iceberg lettuce has the nasty habit of turning into a slime that your body then has to break down.

On top of this leafy non-nutritional plate or bowl full, we pour all sorts of different types of salad dressings. Most of these dressings are a creamy sort that is full of fat and sugars. Why do we use these dressings in such large amounts on this particular salad? Because by itself iceberg lettuce has very little taste and this is because, as I said before, it is simply fiber and water.

So next time you think you are going to suffer through a salad in order to feel like you’re doing your body some good, consider this article and maybe decide to go with soup instead. The soup may not be all that good for you but at least you are getting some good flavor for your trouble and you aren’t telling yourself stories.

If a salad is available that has deep green vegetables of all kinds, that one will be healthy for you, but again, dousing it with a large dollop of dressing will negate it’s value to a degree.

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Best Fast Food For Weight Loss

BurgerWe live in a fast paced world where food is often consumed while driving down the highway over the speed limit and watching for police vehicles. Fast food restaurants have figured this out and are stepping up to the challenge of providing healthier food to all of the patrons that go whizzing by their drive up service windows.

Panera Bread came in first place for their comprehensive menu offering multiple healthy choices for every meal. Panera Bread also received top honors for their kids menu.

Jason’s Deli, located in the Midwest, came in second. This particular deli has a penchant for organic foods and with this in mind, approximately one fifth of all of its ingredients are organic.

Third place belongs to Au Bon Pain, which has been a pioneer in the idea of healthy fast foods. They serve sandwiches, soups, salads and even hot entrees made with whole grains, veggies and even hormone free chicken.

Noodles and Company doesn’t sound like a name you would expect to make it in a top ten healthy fast food list however this Asian food court eatery makes healthy its business, cutting out all the grease and using soybean oil in their cooking. Which puts them in fourth place.

Corner Bakery Café is a Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern based café that has a breakfast menu full of healthy choices. It also has healthy salads, sandwiches and soups. They use whole grains, lean meats and vegetables. They also practice portion control. They land solidly in fifth place.

Chipotle takes sixth place followed by Atlantic Bread and McDonald’s takes a surprising 8th place. Einstein Bagels takes ninth place followed by Taco Del Mar. That rounds out the top ten. As with any menu, you will find more and less healthy items in every location.

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“Healthy” Snacks That Aren’t Good For You

SnacksWe’ve all been taught to believe that yogurt is very good for us and in truth; the plain yogurt has a lot to offer us including calcium, protein and even healthy bacteria. It is basically pretty good in the calorie counting department as well, however most of us won’t eat plain yogurt, we want the yogurt that contains fruit and other tasty things. Yogurt that contains fruit is another story, with the addition of fruits and other items, the calcium, natural protein and bacteria remained however it was joined by between 14 and 40 grams of sugar per serving. This tends to deplete the health value of the food.

Baked chips are healthier for you than the fired alternatives however, they are still cooked in unsaturated fat. On top of that, a potato is a potato is a potato, no matter how you cook it. Potatos are high in the glycemic index, this means that they absorb fast and are much more likely to be stored as fat.

When looking for healthy foods, don’t be fooled by advertising. Look at the base food itself, is it a healthy food that is good for you? Then look at any additives that have been put into the food, are they healthy for you? If not, you may want to just pass them by in favor of something that is truly good for you.

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Are you drinking enough milk?

milkAre you drinking enough milk?

To remain active and healthy, your body needs calcium. Without it you would lose bone mass and weaken, increasing your chances of injury while making it harder for you to maintain the strength needed to exercise. Drinking milk is a great way to get the calcium you need on a daily basis. Drinking milk helps to protect teeth, protect against heart disease, and allow muscle contractions.

Many people have dairy for breakfast, if they eat breakfast. The bad news is that many Americans skip breakfast on a weekly basis at least once, and out of the ones that faithfully get up and eat a healthy meal in the morning, a certain percentage of them either eat the wrong types of foods, or forget to get the other 2/3 of their recommended daily intake of calcium for good bone and muscle health by carrying on the habit during other meals. Dietary guidelines recommend at least 3 servings of calcium rich products each and every day, with dairy products and green leafy vegetables the best sources of natural calcium.

What is at stake?

Osteoporosis affects 1 out of every pair of people on the planet after the age of 50. Lack of calcium in the diet and lack of physical activity can increase your chances of osteoporosis later on in life, but that does not mean that you have time to waste. Bone development in young adults is usually completed by the age of 25, and up to this point, calcium is important to the development of bone tissue and the strengthening of it. after this point calcium is needed to replenish calcium leaving the body and to decrease the amount of bone mass lost as we get older. The first half of life is important to build out defenses, and the second half to preserve them.

Falls become more of a concern for older adults. This is quite reasonable when you consider that a large percentage of older adults who have a fall that results in a broken hip do not live longer than a year after the fact. Getting enough calcium now and in the future can help hedge your chances of not becoming a statistic, and enjoying the ability to remain active and in tip top shape for many years to come.

If a person is lactose intolerant, other foods other than dairy products that are rich in calcium as well. If needed, there are lactose free calcium supplements that can be taken to make up in deficiency.

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All-Natural Disease Fighting Food List

foodbasketWhen people think of medical advice to fight off disease, they usually think of medicine. The problem with this mindset is two-fold. One, medication is usually only administered in response to an disease, and very rarely active in providing preemptive benefit, and two, the negative side effects of most medications should put them at the bottom of our medical care choices and not first.

Most disease is due to incorrect diet, lifestyle choices, or heredity. There is no pill to cure family history. Lifestyle choices are still controlled by the individual, though medication might help in the behavior modification process. Diet, though often aided with herbal or even pharmaceutical supplementation, can never be replaced by these alone. Eating the right foods is the simplest way to fight off disease, aid in healing the body when sickness is present, and is absent of the negative side effects and health risks involved with non culinary intervention. The foods we choose to put into our bodies should be the first suspect for modification, though is usually only discussed as an afterthought or secondary issue.

Many of what ails the body is a direct result of which nutrients we have deprived it. Knowing which foods to eat in order to boost the body’s ability to fight heart disease, high blood pressure, bone weakness and wasting, and even cancer is probably the smartest thing a person could do if they wish to remain healthy and to avoid dependency on drug or other methods of controlling diseases that a healthy might have helped you avoid. I have listed the top ten foods that will do just that. They are all low carb, high nutrient, widely available foods that can help you live a longer and healthier life.

Acai berry- High in antioxidants and vitamin C and A, Acai berries are known as one of the most nutritious foods on Earth. Found in both whole fruit and juice form, Acai berry can cut your risk for heart disease as well as improving the cleansing properties of the body, such maintaining superior colon health.

Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are also high antioxidant veggies, contributing to the fight on cancer and boosting immunity.

Oranges and other citrus fruits such as grapefruit contain not only vitamin C but have also been shown to aid in blood clotting and immunity.

Garlic is a pungent herb that has excellent health beneficial properties. Garlic has shown promise in the reduction of harmful LDL cholesterol levels as well as an excellent home remedy to prevent high blood pressure. It has a long history of herbal medical use as well as being delicious.

Eat nuts instead of simple carbohydrates or fatty meats such as chicken. The Omega 3 fatty acids in nuts are carried into the blood stream and converted to energy much more efficiently than processed breads and pasta, and contains enough protein to act as a meat replacement.

Oats and oatmeal are praise for the ability to lower cholesterol and are a great source of grain in a diabetic diet due to the time released method of affecting blood sugar levels.

Salmon is a natural anti-coagulant as well as a superb source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are shown to help prevent heart disease while providing the body with the much needed supply of fat that it needs without the adverse effects of other fats.

One of the best foods to consume in the war against eye disease is Popeye’s favorite, Spinach. The nutrient leutin has the positive effect of lowering the possibilities of cataracts and other eyesight loss causes.

The antioxidant lycopene, contained in tomatoes protects your body from free radicals and the cell damage that they cause. Though labels on catsup bottles might claim it is an excellent source of lycopene, it is also a severely high source of sodium. Fresh tomatoes are a much better way to get lycopene in your system.

There is one meat that makes the ranks as one of the healthiest foods, turkey. Compared to most meats, turkey is low in fat and calories, but still rich in protein, and in some studies was shown to beneficial as a cancer avoiding super food.

As you can see from the foods mentioned above, there is no need to go hungry, and plenty of healthy choices are available right in your local supermarket that can help lead the way to a longer and healthier life with a lowered chance of future disease.

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Top 5 Foods That Can Help With Skin Care

berriesWhen it comes to skin care, we should know how much work it can be to have sexy and healthy skin. It used to seem easy, but as we get older it becomes an even more-difficult task for us to conquer. Did you know that certain foods can help increase the healthiness of your skin? It’s true and here’s the top five foods to help with skin care!

  1. Berries - From the world-renowned Acai berry to the blueberry, there are many berries that can provide you with a great benefit when it comes to the healthiness and look of your skin. Not to mention the many anti-aging benefits that also comes from consuming berries as a food or even as a health supplement. Strawberries, Acai berries, blueberries, and blackberries all contain a high level of antioxidants which helps fight off free radicals and anything else that’s contributing to the unhealthiness of your skin.
  2. Green Tea – Green Tea contains so many benefits which directly affects one’s health in a positive manner. It’s benefits to having healthier skin, helping in the prevention of certain cancers, and providing one with a higher metabolism than before. Green Tea is simple a tasty and powerful drink that can benefit your health greatly.
  3. Carrots – Something as tasty as a carrot can help balance out your PH levels. This ends up replenishing the skin providing it with a healthier feel as well as look. They are also loaded down with Vitamin A which makes carrots a remarkable food that can easily rejuvenate the skin. Carr0ts may also come in handy when you add them to a cancer prevention plan.
  4. Healthy Oil – There actually is a such thing as a healthy oil, no matter what anyone else thinks is true. Oils such as those which are labeled as extra virgin, expeller processed, or cold pressed are considered to be healthy oils. They can lubricate your skin making it have a healthier and sexier appearance.
  5. Dairy Products – Dairy products which are low in fat have been known to contribute greatly to the health of a person’s skin. Vitamin A is an essential ingredient for healthy skin and low fat dairy products are always packed with high levels of Vitamin A.

It’s not hard to see that how you eat can help determine the healthiness or even appearance of your skin. I hope that this list of top super foods which benefits one’s skin will help you get on the right track to a great skin care action plan.

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