Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation.  Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body. 

• Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
• Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms and start small.  Visual cues can help with portion sizes—your serving of meat, fish or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. A teaspoon of oil or salad dressing is about the size of a matchbook and your slice of bread should be the size of a CD case.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat 

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
• Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Healthy Eating

EASY TIPS FOR PLANNING A HEALTHY DIET AND STICKING TO IT

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not justwhat you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success  

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

• Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness—then it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.
• Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart.  Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking.  As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.
• Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet.  The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Feng Shui and Food

Feng Shui and Food

Chi or "energy" - the basic premise of Feng Shui must be free-flowing in order to be in balance. All things in the Universe have two opposite yet complementary energies known as Yin and Yang.

You can enhance the energy in the kitchen with colors, materials and shapes, as well as good lighting and ventilation. When everything is in balance, meals will taste better, are easier todigest, and are healthier. This vital balance of energy, applies to everything in your environment, including the food with which you nourish your body.

Each food relates to one or more Feng Shui elements - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. By combining the elements, you can enhance the Yin and Yang components of food, saturating it with energy and health-giving properties.

You will feel best when both Yin and Yang energies are equally strong and balanced within your body. After eating, you will feel good when your food has provided you with sufficient energy or you may feel cold or tired when your food did not provide you with enough.

In the cooler climates, there are about four times as many people with Yang deficiency as with Yin deficiency. Your body desires a balance between Yin and Yang and it will give you signals when your diet is not balanced. When you feel satisfyingly warm, your food is correctly balanced.

June is National Headache Month; Headache Triggering Foods

June is National Headache Month; Headache Triggering Foods

June is National Headache Month, specific foods and dietary habits such as fasting, skipping meals or dehydration can trigger headaches in certain people.

Some of the most common foods, beverages and additives associated with headaches include:

1. Aged Cheese - Cheeses may be a trigger in a some patient's with migraines. For people who take monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) medications, avoidance of all foods containing tyramine —including aged cheeses, red wine, alcoholic beverages and some processed meats — is essential.

Tyramine is found naturally in some foods. It is formed from the breakdown of protein as foods age. Generally, the longer a high-protein food ages the greater the tyramine content. Types of cheeses high in tyramine: Blue cheeses, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Muenster, Parmesan, Swiss, Processed cheese, Brie, Cheddar, Feta

2. Alcohol— Blood flow to your brain increases when you drink alcohol. Some scientists blame the headache on impurities in alcohol or by-products produced as your body metabolizes alcohol. Red wine (see above), beer, whiskey, Scotch and champagne are the most commonly identified headache triggers.

3. Nitrates- Nitrates and nitrites are typically preservatives found in: Hot dogs, Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Lunch meats and deli-style meats, Pepperoni, other cured or processed meats

Or Some heart medicines; these substances dilate blood vessels, causing headaches in some people.

4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive/flavor enhancer that may trigger headaches. MSG is one of the active ingredients in soy sauce, meat tenderizer, Asian foods and a variety of packaged foods. Be aware of labeling such as “hydrolyzed fat “ or “hydrolyzied protein” or “all natural preservatives” since these are terms used synonymously with MSG.

Most symptoms begin within 20 to 25 minutes after consuming MSG. They include:

• Pressure in the chest
• Tightening and pressure in the face
• Burning sensation in the chest, neck, or shoulders
• Facial flushing
• Dizziness
• Headache pain across the front or sides of the head
• Abdominal discomfort

5. Cold foods -- This condition is caused by eating cold ice cream quickly or gulping ice drinks. It's more likely to occur if you are over-heated from exercise or hot temperatures. Pain, which is felt in the forehead, peaks 25 to 60 seconds and lasts from several seconds to one or two minutes. About one-third of people experience “head rushes,” and more than 90 percent of migraine sufferers report a sensitivity to ice cream.

6. Caffeine -- found in chocolate and cocoa; beverages such as coffee, tea and colas; also found in certain medications.

7. Artificial Sweeteners- Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are linked to headaches in some people.

Medicinal Uses for Herbal Teas

Medicinal Uses for Herbal Teas

Herbs have been used for centuries to treat a variety of medical illnesses. Many of the uses have come from folklore or cultural traditions. Scientific evaluation of herbals has only recently begun, here we will review 10 common herbal tea preparations and their effectiveness to treat certain ailments.

Tea Preparation
Teas can be prepared from either fresh or dried herbs. Bulk dried herbs or dried whole tea leaves can be found at specialty tea stores or through online distributors. Whole leaves are pure herb and are less processed than herbal tea bags, so the plant oils are better preserved. Therefore, you obtain a more concentrated tea with no filler.

Infusion:
This is the most common way to prepare teas.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over the tea bag or dried herbs. Steep (let herbs remain immersed in hot water) for designated time. Remove tea bag or strain off dried herbs. Drink full cup of tea.

The Skinny on Fat

The Skinny on Fat

Cutting back on fat? Getting enough fat? How do you find a happy balance?
Fat is an important part of a healthful eating plan. It provides energy, fat-soluble vitamins, essential
fatty acids and it makes food taste good. The tricky part is the fine line between enough and too
much.

It is also important to choose the more healthful--unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats can help lower
blood cholesterol, but only when used in moderate amounts and in place of saturated fats.

To reduce your intake, switch to oils and margarines made from liquid oil. Try to limit hydrogenated
oils which have more saturated fat.

Do you avoid certain foods for fear of weight gain? If so, you may be missing out on essential fatty
acids and fat-soluble vitamins.

A better way to control fat is to eat foods that contain healthy fats like olive or canola oils and pay
attention to your portion sizes.

Choose lean meats, low-fat dairy and plant proteins for variety and nutrition.

Olive Oil: Good for You Fat?

Plenty of research suggests that cooking with olive oil can be beneficial to your health. Its
monounsaturated fat content can help lower LDL, or “bad” blood cholesterol.

Olive oil comes in a number of varieties, including virgin, light and extra virgin. All are the same in
terms of fat content, either types of fat or total amounts of fat.

The difference in olive oils lies mostly in the flavor. Extra virgin olive oil is low in acid, resulting in a
fruity flavor and aroma, so you don’t need to use as much to enjoy the flavor.Virgin olive oil is more
acidic, meaning you need to use more to get the distinct olive oil flavor. Light olive oil is lighter in
color and flavor.

Whichever type of olive oil you prefer, remember they all have something else in common: They are
all high in total fat and calories, so go easy on portions.

Food and Stress

Food and Stress

Foods That Trigger The Stress Response:
1. Refined Sugar
2. Salt
3. Caffeine
4. Chemical Additives
5. Processed Flour

Not only do processed foods and junk foods contain empty calories, they also contain substances that excite the nervous system to release an adrenaline-like substance.

Needless to say, if you are already stressed, eating these foods are like throwing gasoline on the fire!

1. Processed sugar and processed flour have this effect.

2. Caffeine-
Of course the big substance that tips the scale, is a substance found in caffeine that really excites the nervous system. This, most likely is the reason WHY people drink coffee in the morning. But, it's not just coffee. It's also tea, sodas, chocolate [sorry :( ] and "energy drinks."

3. Salt is another issue.
Salt is known to cause water retention. This results in an increase in blood pressure. The typical American's diet is LOADED with salt.