Very few people realize the profound effect that weight has on diabetes. Even instances of gestational diabetes are much greater in patients that are overweight than in those that are not. Type 2, or adult onset diabetes is more commonly found in overweight people than those that are within their 'ideal' weight ranges. In fact, almost 90% of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. If you are suffering from Type 2 diabetes, the best gift you could possibly give yourself just might be the gift of getting your weight under control. 
Among those that suffer from Type 2 diabetes almost 40% have high blood pressure, which is another condition that is believed to be exacerbated by excess weight. Being overweight might also lead to a condition known as insulin resistance in which the body no longer responds to the insulin that is needed to assist the body in using sugar and glucose as fuel on a cellular level. 
There are some things you can do to help yourself out if you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or labeled at risk for this devastating condition. First of all, take off the pounds. I know this is much easier said than done. Dieting is never easy and rarely fun for the average person. However, if you do not begin to take drastic steps toward procuring the best possible health for yourself you may not be able to enjoy the quality of life you had planned for your golden years. Let your condition be your motivation and make plans to enjoy watching your grandchildren and great grandchildren graduate college.
Fight it standing up. Don't sit down and let Diabetes control you. Stand up and take control of your body back. This is a fight to the finish and if you let it, diabetes will be your end. If you fight it standing up, lose the weight, get out there and exercise, listen to the doctor's orders and follow them. Find the strength within you to battle this disease head on. You'll be amazed at what happens when you decide to stand up and fight for your health. 
Get active. Find activities that you enjoy and get out there and do them. Don't make those activities passive activities either. Even if it's just going out to play shuffleboard everyday get out there and play. Enjoy your time in the sun. Pick flowers with the little ones. Take up golf. Do whatever it takes to get up and moving each and every day in order to remember why you want to live forever in the first place.
Watch what you eat. Garbage in, garbage out, right? You have strict dietary requirements once you've been diagnosed with diabetes. This means that you absolutely must follow your dietary restrictions. Learn to live within those limits in order to live and enjoy life to the fullest you can. The amazing thing is that there are all kinds of foods available that are friendly to those with diabetes that weren't around just a few short years ago. It is quite possible to live and eat quite nicely with diabetes if you stick to your plan. The most important thing about dieting with diabetes is that you never lose sight of how crucial it is to do so. 


Beauty may be only skin deep, but skin is deeper than you think: it is marvelously sensitive to goings-on inside the body and is quick to break out in a rash of protest when it disapproves.
 Few beauty blemishes are harder to bear than unsightly skin. Yet pimples, eruptions, rashes, scaliness, dryness and changes in color do not often originate in the skin itself.
Usually they reflect some disorder of nourishment (in other than specific disease
processes) that affects the general health.
 Except for certain food allergies, such as the propensity of strawberries to cause hives, skin troubles are caused not so much by the foods you eat as by the foods you don't eat. The essentials of skin health, and consequently of general health, are deficient in the diet, or the nourishing bloodstream is carrying substances that the skin resents.
One of the first signs of vitamin shortage is unhealthy changes in the skin. Often both the causes and symptoms are vague and obscure. Persons who go on regulated diets for other reasons than beauty are frequently surprised to observe that blemished skins become soft and clear on balanced food intake.
 Indispensable to healthy skin is Vitamin A. It is the great regulator of epithelial tissue, the stuff your skin and the linings of your body cavities are made of. When A intake is diminished, an early sign is roughness and extreme dryness of the skin. It is a special kind of dryness, not relieved by ointments.
 Especially on thighs and arms, the skin becomes rough with goose-pimples. The hair follicles are plugged with cornified epithelium. "Cornified" comes from a word meaning "horn" and it means that your skin is on the way to becoming the same stuff that makes a bullfighter watch his step. In more advanced cases the skin may break out with eruptions similar to those of acne except that they are not pustular.
Not only the skin but the external layers of organs such as the eye become hard and dry in absence o£ Vitamin A. In fact, the eye can dry up so completely that blindness results. If you remain dry-eyed at a grand weepy movie, it may not be a sign of emotional inertia but simply an indication that the tear ducts are becoming dammed up from lack of Vitamin A. Absence of perspiration may mean that the sweat glands are becoming plugged.
 Hair and nails are modified forms of skin. Just as the skin becomes dry from lack of Vitamin A, so does hair become brittle and lose its luster. Brittle nails are often improved by high-vitamin diets. Brittleness in nails is also chargeable to the overenthusiastic use of some types of lacquer and polish that abstract natural oils.
Vitamin C deficiency can also cause papular eruptions of the skin, as well as patchy areas of vaguely darkened color.
 More characteristic of C shortage is the tendency of the skin to bruise easily, developing ugly black and blue spots from causes hardly more severe than being spoken to sharply. In fact, the skin can become black and blue entirely on its own initiative. Small red pinprick spots can occur spontaneously. These phenomena arise from the fragility of the blood vessels, characteristic of Vitamin C shortage.
Among the B vitamins, riboflavin and nicotinic acid are most commonly associated with skin disorders. The disease of pellagra, involving the skin, is caused by a dietary lack of nicotinic acid. In early cases the skin looks as if it were severely sunburned; it is burning, tender, and dark in color. Later the skin becomes thick and scaly and pigmentation deepens. Riboflavin (Vitamin G) deficiencies show up in painful fissures of the skin at the corners of the mouth.
 The tragic skin curse of adolescence is acne, which peppers the face with unsightly pimples at the very age when personal appearance becomes supremely important to boys and girls. The irresistible impulse to dig and gouge at the eruptions may leave permanent beauty blemishes in the form of scarred skin.
 In part, at least, acne is a skin response to the adjustment of the glandular system to maturity. Yet dietary management has a place in treatment. The mere restriction of fat, greasy, and sugar-heavy foods is often helpful. 
 Recently it has been demonstrated that Vitamin D is sometimes beneficial. Regular daily doses of 5,000 or more units of Vitamin D have reduced the number of acne eruptions in many cases. Although not a specific cure, enough work has been done to prove that Vitamin D is a highly valuable agent in acne treatment.
 Psoriasis, a skin ailment manifested by a curious silver scaliness, has also proved moderately amenable to Vitamin D. It is a mysterious disease, however, with spontaneous remissions, and dermatologists are very cautious in making any promises about it.
 Some soaps and cosmetics contain slight amounts of Vitamins A and D, and ballyhoo this virtue out of all reason. It is true that these vitamins can be absorbed to some extent through the skin. The advisability of taking them in this fashion is another matter. If the cosmetics are sold at the same prices as standard creams and ointments your druggist can show you, there is no need to avoid them; but if they are decked out in fancy prices, you can suspect that some canny manufacturer is aiming to cash in on public gullibility.
 Indeed, it is amusing to consider that some soaps, bill-boarding their Vitamin D content, may actually restrict your intake of that vitamin by washing off the skin oils from which you manufacture Vitamin D with the cooperation of sunlight or ultra-violet irradiation.
 In general, the avoidance of heavy, rich foods and greater dependence upon milk, eggs, liver, lean meats, fruit and fresh vegetables is a sound principle in building good health and consequent skin beauty. The elimination of foods to which you suspect you are hypersensitive is best left to the offices of a dermatologist, who can usually determine the offender swiftly with simple tests and thus save you from possibly eliminating from your diet the very foods that protect against deficiencies.


At times you can almost see Vitamin C vanishing in a cloud of ectoplasm. Green leafy vegetables wilt at room temperatures, and as they wilt much of the vitamin is lost. Reject limp and wilted vegetables from your produce dealer. Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. Foods that provide their own containers, such as oranges and bananas and potatoes, hold onto their Vitamin C well. The flightiness of Vitamin C makes it advisable to serve it raw whenever possible.
The B vitamins, as well as C, are water soluble, and you get the most out of them by serving the juices they're cooked in. Vitamin Bi is an acidulous little fellow who resents going on the alkaline side; so does Vitamin C. The addition of baking soda to cooking water, as is ' frequently done to preserve the green color of vegetables, causes these vitamins to go to pieces.
Vitamin A is a hairy-chested citizen who can take most anything except long continued high temperatures. Ordinary cooking procedures do hot affect it much, but oxygen will hasten its breakdown, as it will for other vitamins, and therefore closed vessels are advised for cooking when they are practicable. Vitamin G (riboflavin) is water soluble but reasonably immune to cooking losses. Vitamin D can be more or less ignored by the cook.
An ancient and unhonorable superstition holds that commercial canning processes wreak havoc with the vitamins in food. Whatever may have been the case fifty years ago, it just isn't true today.
Foods from modern canning plants, processed in airtight vessels to minimize vitamin destruction, not only compare favorably with fresh foods but in some cases may even be superior in vitamins. Fresh produce bought in open markets during hot weather, for instance, is likely to contain less Vitamin C than foods rushed from the fields to the canning factories. Of course a careless cook can destroy canned vitamins as well as fresh ones. 
Innumerable laboratory checkups disclose that canned foods have practically the same Vitamin A value as the corresponding fresh foods. Vitamin B1 is well preserved. There is a slight sacrifice of Vitamin C, although foods of an acid nature, such as tomatoes, grapefruit, orange and grapefruit juice, when canned by modern methods, are nearly as rich in Vitamin C as fresh foods available in city markets.
There is a strain of frigidity running through the vitamins. They don't resent being chilled and wrapped in cartons that come to us as quick-frozen foods. But they are a little nervous and eager to escape when the package thaws. You'd feel the same way about it if you were kept below zero for a few days. 
 How Well Do You Know Your Vitamins?
Don't allow frozen food to kibitz in the kitchen until it is completely defrosted—unless, of course, you are serving it raw. Store the package in the coldest compartment of your refrigerator and when you are ready to cook it, plunge it immediately into boiling water.
Ready for a little quiz about vitamins?
Unless you can answer at least 10 of the following questions it is probable that you are not getting full vitamin-value out of your food dollars.

1.         What colors usually indicate good Vitamin A values in vegetables?

2.         How should frozen fruits and vegetables be prepared for eating?

3.         Are the vitamins you buy in a drug store the same as those you obtain in foods?

4.         Why are boiled foods likely to be low in Vitamin B values ?

5.         Are canned foods good sources of vitamins?

6.         What is  the outstanding vitamin value of citrus fruits and juices?

7.         If it is difficult for you to find your seat in a darkened movie theatre, what vitamin deficiency may be indicated ?

8.         Are constipation and lack of appetite ever aided by increased vitamin intake?
 9.                  Are the white inner leaves of lettuce, cabbage, etc.,as rich in vitamins as the coarser outer leaves?

10.       Why is it recommended that at least one raw fruit or vegetable be eaten every day?

11.       ARE THE IMPORTANT B VITAMINS STORED IN YOUR BODY IF YOU CONSUME A SURPLUS?

12.       What is meant by "fortified" or "restored" foods, in reference to vitamins?

13.       Does an expectant mother require more vitamins than she otherwise would?

14.       What vitamin is important in preventing rickets in children?

15.              Is there any danger of your diet providing too many vitamins?

Answers
1. Green and yellow. 2. Vegetables, plunged into water before thawing; fruits to be consumed raw, thawed just before using. 3. Yes, except that foods may provide other undiscovered vitamins. 4. They are soluble and likely to be thrown out with the water. 5. Yes. 6. Vitamin C. 7. Vitamin A. 8. Yes, by Vitamin B1 (thiamin). 9. No, white leaves are low in vitamins. 10. Because of Vitamin C content, easily destroyed by cooking. 11. Not in any significant amount. 12. Fortified foods contain more vitamins than normal; restored foods have vitamins added to make up for normal values lost in processing. 13. Yes. 14. Vitamin D. 15. None whatever; massive doses of pure vitamin D may be toxic .


Who says you shouldn't eat between meals? Time-honored admonitions to this effect turn out not to be true at all.
How can you make the limited calories of your reducing diet linger with you longer? Spread them out into five or even six meals a day. The break up of your diet into breakfast, lunch, and dinner is purely conventional. As long as you do not exceed your total calories, you can rearrange the order of the day's food intake, and the frequency of eating, within wide limits.

Suppose you save a slice of toast and a piece of fruit for a mid-morning snack, some orange juice and a couple of soda crackers for 4 p.m., and a glass of milk before bedtime, subtracting these items from the other three meals of the day. What happens? You are more satisfied with your reducing diet, full of pep and ginger, rambunctious and rarin' to go.

The direct relationship between food intake and muscular efficiency has  been  studied  by  Dr.  Howard  A. Haggard and Dr. Leon A. Greenberg of Yale University, among others. They recorded the results of frequent feedings on factory workers. Most accidents and errors in the factory were occurring shortly before noon and before the evening whistle. By the simple expedient of allowing the workers a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack hour, their output was surprisingly increased and there was a substantial drop in errors.

On such a schedule—and this is the part that will fascinate reducers—the workers were satisfied with smaller lunches and dinners.

Shortly after a meal, your muscular efficiency increases about 30%—that is, you are able to get more work out of the same amount of calories, or you are able to perform the same amount of work with less fatigue. Starches and sugars are most quickly converted into usable energy; hence the advisability of reserving sweetened fruit juices, toast, milk, or fresh fruit for your "extra" meals.

"But doesn't my stomach need a rest?" you may be wondering. "Won't five meals a day overwork it?"

Stomachs live to work. When they're empty they invest their energy in hunger contractions as a signal for you to renew the supply of raw materials. Several light meals keep your stomach happy, whereas a large, heavy meal wins only a gastric groan. So important is it to keep an empty stomach from terrifying itself by its own voracity that a standard treatment for stomach ulcer calls for practically continuous milk feedings.

Many reducers are victims of the grand matinal delusion that they're off to a splendid day if they confine breakfast to a cup of coffee. Perhaps they go lightly on lunch too, so by evening their appetite is way out of bounds and they stow away a lumberman's dinner— at just the time of day when they need it least. Moreover, they have gone through the working day at a low pitch of energy, wondering why they're tired out and "dopey" when the trouble simply is that they're hungry. These remarks do not apply to overweight persons on short-term diets who have to cut down on calories all through the day.
Get up a little earlier, leave the dishes unwashed, take your shower the night before—anything to save time for breakfast. You are most rested and free from physical fatigue when you get up in the morning, but your muscular efficiency is at its lowest because it is 10 or 12 hours since you ate anything. A skimpy breakfast, except for short-term reducers, is an invitation to that tired feeling to dog you all day, with its unhappy by-products of jitteriness and irritability.

Let a couple of boiled eggs and maybe a slice of ham lick the no-breakfast blues. You'll even find it easier to got along with your boss or your husband or wife.

Health experts encourage us to include exercise as a necessary part of our daily routine to promote our general well- being. Together with healthy and balanced diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise is recommended to promote optimal health.
People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis.
Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve significant health benefits.
Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.
There are many benefits of exercise, not only as an aid in effective fat/ weight loss, but also in reducing our risks of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death. Here is a general overview of what exercise can do for us.
1. Exercise reduces our risks of dying prematurely.
2. Exercise reduces our risks of dying from heart diseases, cancers (including uterine, colon, and breast), stroke, diabetes and arthritis.
3. Help us lose weight, especially fat weight by decreasing our Body Mass Index (BMI), reducing our total cholesterol and reducing the circulating levels of triglycerides in our blood and increasing our metabolic rate. Perhaps this is why active people can "Eat anything and not gain weight." and why other folks "Gain weight just by looking at food."!
4. Exercise improves the functioning of our Immune System as well as blood and oxygen circulation for our vital organs.
5. Exercise increases our insulin sensitivity to prevent against type 2 diabetes.
6. Exercise increases our energy and endurance level.
7. Exercise slows down aging by improving our physical, mental, emotional and psychological well- being.
8. Exercise reduces our risk of developing many bones and joints diseases or disorders.
9. Exercise even helps in enhancing creativity and imagination. It is also linked with improved mental vigor, including reaction time, acuity, and math skills.
10. Exercise helps in providing physical and mental rejuvenation, making us feel good about ourselves and thus improve our esteem and confidence.
11. Exercising improves mood and due to the chemicals it releases in the brain called endorphins, it gives you an overall feeling of well-being. This is the same chemical that being in love or eating chocolate induces!
12. Exercise will help you sleep better. Just be sure not to exercise too close to your bedtime if you exercise at night, because it may keep you awake. If you need to exercise within a few hours of going to bed, make sure it's only a brisk walk. Experts say you should allow yourself about three hours between exercise and going to bed.
So get off that couch and start moving. Remember, the time and effort that you put in exercising today may spell your health and well- being tomorrow. Take our word for it!
If you want to lose weight, it has to be a 50/50 partnership of diet and exercise.
It's no simple task to lose weight. Saying you're going to start a diet, or eat healthier or get in shape is a far different thing than putting those plans in motion. Its takes an honest commitment and hard work on your part. For most of us with busy schedules, and usually living on a budget, it seems like a daunting task. But, if you're ready to lose weight in a healthy manner and actually see positive results, then stick to these five really easy to follow tips.

1. Set realistic goals

You're not going to lose 50 pounds this week, or the next. You can most certainly start losing the weight though. Being honest with yourself about what you want to accomplish and when that can actually be accomplished will help you avoid giving up. You can do this. Just be patient.

2. Choose your method

Have you tried restrictive diets in the past and wound up with more frustration than weight lost? Then don't do get burned twice. That method isn't the best for you. Let's face it, there are as many ways to lose weight as there are cures for hiccups. Do your homework and visit with your doctor. Then decide on the plan that's right for you.

3. Reward yourself

If you aced an exam or got promoted at work, you'd likely celebrate. So don't forget to reward the milestones in your weight loss journey. Get a pedicure for that first 10 pounds. Buy a new outfit for that extra 20. Hit the 50 or 100 pound marks? Take a vacation you've always wanted. This will keep you from becoming discouraged and help you to keep looking forward.

4. Write it down

Journaling is not a new concept. People have been keeping diaries of their daily lives for hundreds of years. Journaling has also proven to be a great way to help people lose weight. Carry a small notebook with you and make note of everything you eat or drink. This will help you identify calorie counts, times of day, weaknesses and even what you've been doing right. You can also use your weight loss journal to outline goals (and rewards!), exercise an more.

5. Keep moving

Don't believe the hype- you're not going to lose weight unless you exercise. If you want to lose weight, it has to be a 50/50 partnership of diet and exercise. The E-word is not a popular one, but you'll realize serious results if you do. It can be as expensive or cheap as you like and it can absolutely be on your terms. Spend 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week engaging in physical exercise. If you're new to exercise, get your doctor's OK first. Start out slow and don't over exert yourself. If you hurt yourself, it's not going to do you any favors. Find an exercise program that you enjoy. If running turns you off, but you love laps in the pool- then do the laps. You're more likely to stick to it if you enjoy doing it.
It might be hard for some people to believe, but snacking is actually good for us. Doctors tend to recommend that we snack during the day. Snacking gives us that boost of energy that we need. The problem is, most people snack with the wrong types of food. They will snack with potato chips or with candy. While that is okay from time to time, I wouldn't make a big habit out of it. I would like to think that the best approach to the bad things is this. Eat them one day of the week. Have the chips on Saturday while you are watching the game. You will enjoy them more during the game than you would at your desk. So, what should you eat for a snack? Don't run to the burger joints or to the vending machine at work. Neither of those places have what you are looking for. First I would suggest that you take a look at what your over all diet is. More importantly, how much coffee you are drinking. If you are drinking too much coffee, I would
suggest that you cut back and start to eat more fruit.
I would never suggest to you that you eat the energy bars that they sell in the health food store. I think if you are snacking during work or at home, you don't need such a thing. Maybe if you are hitting the gym, but if you are hitting the keyboard at work, there is no need for them. All you are doing is wasting your money. This is what I do. I cut up a variety of veggies and put them in plastic sandwich bags. I might cut up celery, bell pepper, carrots, and so forth.
Anything that you will eat is okay to put in your snack pouches. That is what I call them, my snack pouches. I also keep a salt shaker in my desk. I find that I am more likely to eat the veggies if I put a little salt on them. Try it, you will be amazed at how good they taste.
I try to keep some whole fruit on hand. What I mean by whole fruit is... Things such as peaches and apples. I don't keep any canned fruit at work. Sometimes I will get those fruit cups and put those in my desk. If you do that, make sure that you get the ones without the sugar added. By nature I am a tight wad. So I don't buy the fruit cups very often. I find that I can make the same thing for much less money. What I will do is make my own fruit cocktail.
Here is how I do it.
I take a few peaches and slice them. I take a handful of grapes and put them in.
I don't chop them up, but I do wash them. Then I cut up a few pears and throw them in. Then I peal and slice some banana. I might throw in some kiwi or some apples. You can add whatever you like. I didn't give exact measurements because you should put how ever much in as you like. Don't like bananas? Don't put any in yours!
If you have ever eaten the stuff in the stores, you know that there is a little fluid in the can. Some times this is heavy syrup. Basically that is water and sugar. I am sure we all have seen this before. I find that when I eat my own fruit cocktail I miss that liquid. What I do instead is, I add some orange juice to my fruit cocktail. This gives me the wetness that I crave without having to add a bunch of calories by adding sugar. Try it, you will be amazed.
Yogurt can also be a great snack to get you through the day. Try to get the low fat variety. Make sure not to get the ones with the fruit on the bottom.
Sometimes they add sugar and that is calories you don't need. Get plain yogurt or get the vanilla kind. You can throw in what ever fruit that you like. I like strawberries in mine. I would suggest that you think about getting a food dehydrator. You can use these for all kinds of things. The nice thing is, you can dry fruit in them. I love to take a bunch of dried fruit and throw it into my desk. It won't spoil for a long time. Your coworkers will make sure that it isn't around long enough to spoil. They will keep asking you for some every time they see you.
Another little treat that I like to do is bring some whole wheat crackers along with me. Make sure you get the ones that aren't loaded with fat. Some of the snack crackers are. I drink a little orange juice with my whole wheat crackers.
That is one of my favorite snacks.
Snacking is a bad thing. I recommend that all of you snack. Make sure though, that when you snack, you are eating healthy. You will notice the difference in no time.
Mini meals are a great way to loose weight. When we think of eating several smaller meals instead of the normal three, we automatically think that it will make us gain weight. Hold onto your hat, because you are about to learn something new. It is suggested that if you are trying to loose weight that you should eat six mini meals per day. Why is this? Well, it is quite simple. When we go on a diet, we tend to think we are depriving ourselves of something. We tend to think that we will be hungry and nervous all day long. This doesn't have to be the case. Let me tell you how. If you eat six meals per day, you will end up feeling more full. The reason why this works is, you are tricking your stomach. You are making it feel like there is always something being added. This is, because it is true.
How do you achieve these mini meals? At first glance, a mini meal seems like something that would tempt you to eat things that are bad for you. You need to avoid these urges as much as possible. When you are eating this many meals, the urges will be great. You will think that you can sneak in things because you are
eating so often.
What to do? First I would suggest that you buy some containers that you can put in your ice box. You know those plastic things that you normally would store food in. Why do you need to get these? These are a great way of making many small meals. All you have to do is put the amounts you want for a certain meal in them and keep them in the ice box. Everything is ready to go, all you need is a fork. How exactly should you do this? Well, you might find this to be very strange, but just listen to me. You don't have to have a huge budget or be a top notch chef.
What I would do is this. You should eat each meal twice per day. Have two breakfasts. Have two lunches. This is where it can get interesting. Eat different things for each meal. Did you have eggs for your first breakfast? Eat cereal for the second one. You must keep in mind that the amount of food you would eat for a normal meal is now cut in half.
Sandwiches are a great way to achieve this for lunch. You can eat half of a sandwich for your first lunch and the other half with your other lunch. You can also mix and match the sandwiches. Do you make your lunch the night before? Make two lunches the night before. Split the two sandwiches into four different
lunches. This way you will have two different sandwich halves each day. I love
doing this.
Does this mean that you also eat twice as many snacks? You need to get the idea out of your head that you are actually eating twice the amount of food. You really aren't. All you are doing is eating more often. You are doing that to avoid the hungry feeling that you tend to get when you diet. With that said, you eat your snacks the way you normally would. There is no need to cut them out of your diet. After all, you are eating the same amount of calories as you would if you were eating three meals per day.
The reason why this diet is so successful, is because you aren't going to jump for things you shouldn't eat. If you are having a hard time with your diet, you probably notice your new found love of carbs. They give you a shot of energy that you are craving. By eating six meals per day, you don't have that hungry feeling that you normally would have between meals. That is the reason why you aren't reaching for the carbs. As always, before starting a new diet contact your doctor. Tell him exactly what you plan on doing. You need to do this incase you have any health problems that maybe affected by this new diet change. It sounds crazy, but sometimes things will happen when you change diets.
All in all, this is just another approach to loosing weight. That is how you should look at it. If you see it as something that is anything more than that, you might put too much pressure on yourself.
Eating too much meat isn't good for us. We all know if we eat too much it will make us feel run down and tired. Not only that, but there are health risks involved too. A diet in high fatty meats can lead to heart disease and cancer.
No one wants that. Some people choose not to eat meat for religious reasons, they believe that it is wrong to kill an animal, or they may want a healthier diet. It is popular with the young crowd. I have never understood it really.
Though I suspect that after you get older and bust your ass off for a living, you want to reward yourself with some nice juicy meat. This might come as a shocker, but anyone who has read any of my articles knows that I don't hold back. I don't think the vegetarian diet is more healthy. I really don't.
The problem is, most people that I know who don't eat meat load up on other things. They eat a lot of dairy or eggs. I think they do this because all humans crave animal products. We crave the fat and the flavor. Most of the vegetarians I have known have really done a number on themselves with the amount of fat they eat. They lie to themselves because they think since they eat no meat, that their diet is more healthy. They think they can eat what ever they want, as long as it isn't meat.
While I don't think that meat is the devil that some make it out to be, too much isn't good for you. Also, too much of the wrong kind of meat isn't good for you as well. What do you do? You love meat, but not sure what to eat? You should try cutting out a good percent of the red meat that you eat. This will mean that you
can't eat burgers and fries every other day, but you shouldn't be doing that anyway. There is nothing wrong with eating some red meat from time to time as long as you aren't over doing it.
I tend to eat poultry every day. I love meat, I can't do without it. So, I stick to chicken and turkey when ever I can. I love these two meats anyway, so its not that hard. You need to find ways that you can eat these and enjoy them. I know that some people cook poultry to the point that they are so dry you almost choke
on them. There is no need to do that. I know that it is important that you cook them well done so you don't get sick. There is a difference between well done and over done.
You should invest in a meat thermometer. This way you can take the guess work out of knowing if your meat is done or not. Tempature is the important thing when cooking meat. You want it to be an internal temp that is enough to cook it all the way through. If it comes up to temp, that means it is done. Cooking it
more won't make the meat any more safe.
Roasting, grilling, baking is a great way to cook poultry. You don't want to add fat to it because you don't know how to cook it properly. You don't want to deep fry it to make it more juicy. That makes the whole effort of eating the lean meat worthless.
Here are some ideas that you can use. Bake the chicken with some spices and herbs on the outside. This is a great way to make sure it is juicy and has a lot of flavor. Grill chicken breasts. Throw them on the grill and let them cook away. Chicken breasts are great for grilling. I think that is the only thing they are good for really. If you do much of anything else with them, they will become dry and rubbery.
Thighs are great when it comes to being juicy. These tend to have a little more fat on them, but they are great. I love chicken thighs. There is so much you can do with them. Chicken wings are great in stir fries or when baked. Don't make the mistake of deep frying these great things. Bake them on a cookie sheet and
load them up with hot sauce. You will have a great meal that will rival their deep fried cousins.
Depending on what part of the world you live in, fish can be great too. If you are like me and live far inland, getting fresh fish can be a problem. Sometimes if you live in a major city they will fly fresh fish in for the supermarkets to sell. If you live in a small town, you will probably be forced to buy frozen or whatever they can catch locally. There is no reason why you can't make it a weekend trip and go out fishing. Fishing is a great way to relieve stress as well. If you know of a few good spots, a few big fish is all that you need. You
will have more fish than you know what to do with.
If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, you have probably grown up eating all kinds of fish. My favorite way of eating fish is probably grilled. I like it to be grilled with a little seasoning and maybe a hint of lemon. The lemon I think keeps the fish tasting fresh and alive. When you are buying fish, the fish should never smell fishy. I know that sounds stupid, but that is the truth. If it smells fishy, then it is probably old. You don't want to waste your money on bad fish.
Fish should smell like the sea. Always buy fish with the head on it. If cleaning a fish bothers you, have the person selling it to you chop it off. The eyes should look clear and not foggy. It should look like it was just caught yesterday. With fish, freshness is the most important thing.
Like I said, I don't believe that anyone should avoid eating meat. I think that it is good for you. The catch is, you need to be careful what you eat. If you can do that, you have it made.
No meal is over unless there is a dessert involved. If you are here in America, you know that most of the desserts out there are bad for you. They are loaded with salt, sugar and or fat. We have become a nation of junk food addicts. I do have a theory on this. I think that when a group of people experience wealth, their diets change. I know that this is simple and even a moron can come up with something like this, but hear me out. When a group of people have enough money that they have a choice of what they will eat, they will choose to go along with the more fatty foods. I think this is because we tend to store fat to keep us warm for the winter. In our minds if there is a bunch of food to choose from, then we will go towards the fatty foods. Like most animals, we prepare for the winter time. We know that it will be cold so we want a layer of fat to keep us warm. Another aspect of it is, we are greedy. All people are greedy. We want the best of everything. We want a nice new car, new house and all the rich food that we can eat. In the past, a wealthy person ate different foods than someone who is poor.
What to do? You want that little bit of joy at the end of the meal, but you don't want to become a lard ass. Well, you can have your cake and eat it too. We will discuss some of the more healthy desserts that you can eat. First I want to say, don't get fooled by this low fat stuff. It isn't worth the time. You will eat twice as much of it to fill your cravings. It is because it is missing something, the fat. The one thing that you are craving the most. In the end you aren't really doing yourself any favors. You are falling in the trap that all fat people fall into. They think since it is low fat, they can eat twice as much of it. That maybe true, but only if you don't want to loose weight.
Fresh fruit is always a good dessert. You can prepare it easily and it tastes great. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit that is in season. Make sure that it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat. If it is ripe, it will be sweet and
juicy. If you eat fruit that isn't ripe it will be hard and not have all the flavor that it can yield. You don't have to stick with the ho hum fruit salad.
You can choose a ton of different ways to eat fresh fruit. You can bake apples for example wrapped in tin foil with a little bit of brown sugar. This is wonderful. One of my favorite things is bananas sliced in orange juice. The sweet tangy flavor of the orange juice is really different compared to the banana. I could eat a truck load of this stuff. It is also a great pick me up if you are feeling sluggish. We have all seen those wand mixers advertised on television. Some people call these boat motors. It is a hand held mixer/blender that you can use for a lot of things. I love these things. If you have one of these, it is easy to make a great low fat dessert.
Here is a simple dessert using your boat motor. Take skim milk. You need to make sure that it is ice cold for this. Take your milk and put it in a drinking glass. Use your boat motor to whip air into it. You will notice after awhile it kind of looks like whipped cream. Add some bananas and strawberries and a little pinch of sugar to make it sweet. This is very low fat and it tastes great. You get that desire for fat taken care of that you have been craving so much. The whipped milk really almost feels like whipped cream. You won't believe how much it feels like the real thing.
You can also use this to add some zing to all kinds of things. You can use it to make your low fat milkshakes. You can add your protein mix to this for a great meal with very little fat. You will be surprised at how many things you can do with this whipped topping. People will think that you have fallen off of your rocker when they think you are eating a big serving of whipped cream. Before you know it, all your buddies at the gym will want you to make them something to eat with your boat motor. That is when you will have to tell them to get their own.
You can also eat gelatin. Make sure that you get the unflavored kind. It will come in either envelopes or in sheets. There will be directions on the package to tell you how to make it. You can add fruit juice or you can add fresh fruit to your gelatin. If you have a boat motor, you can use it and add some of that whipped topping you make from the skim milk. You will love this. You can also eat some low fat cakes. Just because it is cake, doesn't mean that it is bad for you. Just make sure that there isn't a whole lot of eggs or dairy involved. Also sometimes people sneak in mayo in their cake batters. Make sure you know what is on the cake. Also jam or jelly is great instead of frosting.
I'm sure that you can come up with your own ideas as well. Just think of what you already like to eat and put a spin on it. Please, stay away from the low fat stuff. All that will do is make you crave more of that than you should be eating. In the long run, you aren't saving any calories.
The first thing you need to know if you want to lose fat is that you need to BURN fat. Burning fat is all about using up more calories than you take in. If you eat more calories than your body uses throughout the day, these additional calories will be stored as body fat. To prevent a build up of body fat you need to either reduce your calorie intake or increase your daily activity levels - doing both will have the best effect on reducing body fat.
This simply means that the more fat you want to lose then the greater the amount of calories you have to burn off. To help you achieve and speed up your fat loss, here are few things that helps. Speed up your metabolism—Exercise speeds up metabolism. The more active your lifestyle the more likely you are to have a quick metabolism and lose weight.
Metabolism does control weight, this is true. What most people don’t know is that they do in fact have the ability to control and adjust their metabolisms and thereby control their weight. Exercise does speed the metabolism up. The more active your lifestyle the more likely you are to have a quick metabolism and lose weight. It may not be healthy for all of us to get into a highly active lifestyle all at once but it is possible to get there as quickly as you safely can as an individual.
Eat healthy balanced diet— Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and legumes. Drink lots of water and go easy on the salt, sugar, alcohol, and saturated fat. A large part of the battle in fighting fat and a slow metabolic rate is the western world’s view of food as entertainment. In addition to taking on an active lifestyle you will need to stop looking at food consumption as a means of gratification. This is what causes us to be gluttons. Instead of stopping when our hunger is sated we continue on until we are stuffed to get more enjoyment out of it. Get plenty of rest and sleep— Sleep and other lifestyle patterns can help or hinder the rate at which we metabolize foods. An active lifestyle should lead eventually to being able to exercise to exhaustion; this in turn should keep your metabolism quick and your fat content low. By extending oneself to ones limits you fully utilize the lungs, heart, and muscles and burn fat most efficiently.
Be strong mentally—Try not to be obsessed by your weight. Everyone has a bad day. Do not punish yourself. Try to lose any guilt feelings towards the mistakes you have done. Instead, just move on, start again and enjoy life as it comes.
Do you fell that you need to lose weight? Well then don’t just count calories. You might want to count sheep as well. Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation disrupts a series of metabolism and hormonal processes. It causes increased hunger and affects the body’s metabolism making it difficult to lose and control weight.
Lack of sleep causes a hormone called cortisol, which controls the appetite, to take excess calories and store them as excess body fat. In addition, sleep loss interferes with carbohydrate metabolism which may cause high blood glucose levels. The excess amount of glucose encourages the overproduction of insulin, which may lead to diabetes or even obesity.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation can promote weight gain by affecting our behavior. People who lack sleep tended to crave sweets or high carbohydrate, high fat food with low nutrient value. They tend to snack on chips, cakes, pastries, burgers, fries, soft drinks, etc. Though the short-term rise in blood sugar, brought on by these snacks, gives a surge of energy, the extra calories are not needed by the body and must be stored as body fat. These calories are not so easily shed than taken. When they are sleep deprived, people are often too tired to exercise or they work out less intensely than usual. They commonly feel exhausted and lack the energy and motivation to do even simple exercises. They rather go to sleep, or eat, than go physical. In due time, the calories that are gained and not easily burned are deposited in the body as fat.
Some people may require less hours of sleep to be in top condition during the day; while others need more than 10 hours. But experts agree that most people need at least eight hours of sleep each night to give themselves enough energy to exercise, eat right and keep off those unwanted pounds. Yet, according to a
poll sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, only 30 percent of adults get eight or more hours of sleep on weeknights; while 52 percent do on weekends. A third of adults reportedly sleep no more than six-and-a-half hours nightly.
In fact, disruption in the sleeping patterns in the United States and in the industrialized world is thought as one of the main reasons that people are getting overweight. People should start making behavioral and lifestyle changes now for a better, healthier tomorrow.
Obesity is one of the major health concerns that plague America today. Approximately two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight; while one in three are seriously overweight or obese.
Obesity is defined as having an abnormal amount of body fat; being 20 to 30 percent over the ideal weight for age, sex and height. Aside from being a major cosmetic concern, obesity is a great risk factor for serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney troubles, prostate enlargement, female infertility, uterine fibroids, pregnancy disorders, gallstones, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer. Excessive body weight also puts great stress on joints increasing the chances of arthritis. Everyone's metabolism (the rate at which the body burns calories) is different and is influenced by many factors, including genetics. Regularly eating even a few more calories than your body needs can lead to weight gain. By consuming only 100 extra calories a day, for example, you'll gain a pound in approximately a month (a pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories). Some experts think a sedentary lifestyle influences weight gain even more than eating too many calories. Exercise burns calories and builds muscle. And the more muscle mass you have, the greater number of calories your body burns at rest.
Aside from aggressive dieting and exercising, some herbal products may aid in raising metabolism or suppressing the appetite. But at the same time, you should also be wary of their side effects. Always check with your health care provider first.
• Aloe Vera, improves digestion and cleans the digestive tract
• Astralgus, increases energy and improves nutrient absorption
• Bee pollen, stimulates metabolism and quickly satisfy craving for sweets
• Bladderwrack, contains iodine which helps enhance thyroid function
• Brewer’s yeast, reduces various cravings for food and drink
• Cayenne, reduces hunger after meals and increases calorie burning by the body
• Chitosan, slows the absorption of fat in the intestine
• Chromium, helps the body use fat for energy and builds muscles
• Dandelion, flushes out kidneys, boosts metabolism, and off-sets cravings for sweets
• Ephedra, also known as ma huang, suppresses appetite
• Fennel, suppresses appetite and removes mucus and fat from the intestinal tract
• Garcinia cambogia, quells hunger pangs
• Green tea, increases energy expenditure and enhances the ability of the body to burn fat
• GuaranŠ±, contains caffeine which curbs appetite, increases metabolic rates and
has a mild diuretic effect
• Guggul, lowers cholesterol and promotes weight control
• Kelp, boosts metabolism
• Licorice, sustains regulated blood sugar level and reduces cravings for sweets
• Malabar tamarind, helps prevents the production of fat and suppresses appetite
• Siberian ginseng, stabilizes blood sugar and reduces cravings for sweets
• Yohimbine, raises metabolic rates, reduces appetite and increases fat burning
These herbs are not recommended to replace regular diet. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.
1. TAKE THE TEST!. That’s the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, or HSCRP. It has been found that this blood test is as effective as a standard cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes. It measures the levels of a specific blood protein that indicates that you have inflamed heart arteries--the kind that rupture and cause heart failure. Seeing as how 50% of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels, the hsccrp test is much more accurate and important see your doctor and have one done .
2. Who Cares what you could lift.... for the last forty years various studies have told us that exercise is good for your heart but none have told you that you are only as healthy as your last work out, the affects of exercise develop and deteriorate quickly so constant exercise is key to good health and a healthy heart. Doctors have compared those that still exercise to those that used to but stopped and the health rate was much higher in those that still, maintained there exercise schedule. While the effects of exercise diminish quickly doctors note that it is never too late to start and maintain an active healthier lifestyle to promote longevity.
3. Hang out in the weight room. As well as making your muscles bigger, working out and lifting weights will make you stronger , therefore making everything you do less taxing, thus putting less overall stress on your heart. if you develope a good strong set of muscles your heart will be less fatigued and you will live longer.
4. Get off the weed. Smoking weed is known to increase the chance of heart attack of heart failure dramatically for a few hours after you smoke a joint. If you are still smoking weed get of it, you live to be glad you stopped
5. Buy extra-virgin olive oil. So its more expensive, so what it'll keep you around longer, extra virgin olive oil is lower in fat and "bad cholesterol. so the extra dollar is worth it .
6. See a genetic counselor. Usually your doctor knows nothing about your genetic history, change that. it is the most valid peice of medical information available about you, find out what is common in your genetic make-up and take the steps to prevent those problems, genetic information is a good place to look
for possible problems
7. Get an ultra sound . the thing with heart disease is that most people don't know they have it till the hit the floor. A new procedure called an electron-beam cat scan (EBCT) could be a solution. Best for men over 40, the EBCT gives your doctor a 3-D ultrasound of your heart and blood vessels and can show blockage in its early stages, while it is new enough to correct it..
8. Pop a pill, taking high doses of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. In a study last year of patients with coronary-artery disease, half underwent angioplasty and half were treated with the statin drug atorvastatin. The atorvastatin group had fewer heart attacks within the next 18 months. Statins are proving that blood vessels Aren't just in need of cleaning . statins do more than clear blood vessels--they actually help the vessels become larger to accommodate greater blood flow.
9. Ask your doctor about Ramipril. For 30 years, Ramipril has been used as a hypertension drug. But a study from McMaster University in Ontario shows that it actually helps prevent heart attacks and strokesand even rudeces the need for bypass surgery!.
In the study, which included nearly 10,000 patients (80 percent of whom had coronary artery disease), vitamin E and Ramipril were tested against placebos. The subjects taking vitamin E showed no benefit, but those taking Ramipril had a 25 percent reduction in death rate.
No matter if it is while we are watching television or a quick bite to and from picking the kids up at school, we all love snacks. We can't get away from that fact. So why fight it? Our whole life we have been told that snacking is bad for us. It will ruin our apatite, it will make us fat, it will break us out in pimples. Some of it is true, while on the other hand, it is nothing more than fiction. Snacking performs a very important role in our lives. Some times we snack because we are bored. We eat because we are bored. That 600 pound man
didn't get that way because he was eating three square meals a day. He got that way because he was eating too much food. Our bodies tell us when we are hungry.
That doesn't mean that it that all the time we are hungry we need food. But, if you have a good diet it does. There is no reason to cut out snacking all together. Snacking is also a great way to avoid things that we do as a pick me up some days. For example, we can eat a piece of fruit instead of going for that cola to get a jolt of energy.
The key thing to do is, to know what to eat and what not to eat. Here we will give you some snacking ideas that will help you choose what is right. It doesn't require a genius to figure it out, but you might be surprised at some of the suggestions. This might sound a bit strange, but I would suggest to you that you get a food dehydrator. You can get one for next to nothing and they are easy to use. I know that learning how to use something new isn't always as easy as it sounds, but believe me, these things are a snap to use.
You can dry all kinds of things in your dehydrator. The key thing to remember is to cut things thin. The thinner the item is cut, the faster they will dry. Fruits are a great thing to dry. You can dry what ever is one sale at the super market that you can find. You can also dry canned items. I would suggest that you start out with a few easy things. Start out with strawberries. They are about as easy as you can get.
Not only are strawberries easy, but when they are dried, they carry a punch of sweetness that only sugar can match. The great thing is, these are sweet, but they don't have the calories of candy. You can also dry veggies as well. Are you like me, do you love the instant soup mixes they sell at the store? Well, I love them but hate all the added salt. If you dry your own veggies, you can make your own soup. What I love is, I can control how much salt I add.
Here is something that I love to do as a snack. I take a handful of banana chips, strawberry chips, and about two apple chips. I take them and put them in some low fat yogurt. That makes for a snack that is good for you and something that I love eating. It doesn't get any better than that. You can snack on the dried food just plain. Grab some fruit chips instead of potato chips or candy.
You really can't go wrong with dried fruits. They will last a very long time if you keep them in a baggie as well. You can also make fish jerky, turkey jerky and beef jerky. I love making jerky because it saves me so much money. I don't have to pay over ten dollars a pound for jerky. I can use what ever cut of meat that is on sale at the store. You can always go with the same boring veggie platter for a snack. I do love my veggies, but this can get a bit boring at times. That is why I love the dried fruits and veggies.
A great veggie plate can be made up of any type of veggies. I would suggest that you make yours out of what ever is in season. That will produce the best veggie plate that you can. Also try putting a little oil and vinegar dressing on them.
Don't use too much, but just enough to taste. Sprinkle salt to taste and also put some pepper or some pepper flakes on them. I love using pepper flakes because it gives the veggies a zing. You can also squeeze half a lemon over them for zing if you like.
You need to make sure that you aren't eating a healthy diet and snacking on foods that aren't good for you. I know tons of people who have a very good diet, but their problem is that they eat all kinds of junk when they snack. This doesn't serve any purpose at all. I'm sure you know people like this as well.
Actually, I feel like yelling at them and calling them a moron. If you must have some carbs, don't do anything stupid. Don't go running for the potato chips. Instead, eat some sliced potatoes and add some seasoning to them.
I like to use Cajun seasoning myself. I think that adds the kick that they are lacking since there isn't any fat.
Another great snack idea is the small fruit cups that they sell in the stores. Don't get the ones that are in heavy syrup. Heavy syrup is a nice way of saying loaded with sugar. Also some of the pudding cups aren't too bad either. They also have yogurt cups these days too. They are good, especially if you get the ones with the fruit on the bottom. There you have it. The next time you feel guilty because you ate the wrong snack food, come back and read this article again. This will help you curve those hunger cravings and allow you to snack without the guilt.
We all know that what we eat can help us prevent certain illnesses. We see on television all the time about people who are ill because of their diet. Well, maybe we should say lack of a diet. These people tend to be at risk of disease because they don't have the right things to eat. When people think of health and prevention, I think some of them think about pills and their doctor. To some people, they think these are the only tools they have. That isn't true. In fact, there are more important tools for you to use.Our diet is important not just for our appearance. A good diet will decrease your chance of getting cancer and other diseases. I know that it is hard to believe that just what we eat can play such a big role, but it does.
Think of it like this. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat. That is true. Your body needs many things to survive. Over the long term you realize that diet is more important than ever before. I probably just like you have known many people who have had cancer. Also, we see on television all the time famous people getting cancer. A lot of these people don't smoke. They don't do drugs, rarely drink alcohol.
Why are they getting cancer? I'm sure some of it has to do with genetics and some of it has to do with pollution. While up to 1/3 of it, is due to diet.
That's right, they get cancer because what they eat. Perhaps it could be said better by saying, what they don't eat. Let's talk about some of the foods you should eat to prevent cancer and other illness. This is an important article, so I would bookmark it and come back when you have any questions.
Apples. It was once said, an apple a day will keep the doctor away. This is true. These are loaded with vitamins A and C. They also help lower cholesterol and they lower your chance of getting cancer.
Broccoli. Just because a former president didn't eat his, doesn't mean you should avoid yours. Actually, this is one of my favorite veggies. One serving has 97% of your vitamin C for the day. Also, it is a good source of calcium.
Oranges. Not only do these babies taste good, but they are good for you as well. They do help in preventing colds and flues. They also help prevent many forms of cancer. They are one of my favorite fruits.
Onions. Half an onion a day will lower your cholesterol. Also, if you ever notice how you tear up when you cut an onion. They are good for people with asthma or other breathing problems. They open up the head so to speak. Also they fight cancer such as stomach cancer. You might not know it, but onions were once believed to be sent from god. They were believed to make people live longer and healthier. One thing you might not know is, onions reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Maybe there is some truth to all of that god stuff after all.
Carrots. Carrots have beta carotene which has been known for a long time to fight cancer. Remember when you were a kid and were told to eat your carrots or you will go blind? Well, that isn't true, but they are good for the eyes.
Salmon. Out of all the fatty fish, this one is best for you. It contains omega-3 fat, which is very good for your heart. People who eat salmon at least once per week are said to have a 50% lower chance of heart attack.
Beans. You know these little devils. I used to eat them the night before going to school so I could fart all day long. Not only are these good for prostate cancer, but they also are a good source of fiber.
Seaweed. No, I don't mean a joint that you smoke while at sea. I mean the stuff that comes from the ocean. This is loaded with iodine and other things. It has calcium, magnesium, and iron. This is very good for fighting cancer.
Lemons. All you have to do is go to the supermarket and see how many lemon flavored cold remedies there are to see the potential of this citrus fruit. Lemons are a great way to prevent a cold, the punch of vitamin C will keep you healthy. It is also good for sore throats.
Garlic. What doesn't this stuff do? Well, while it might not be a cure all like once believed. It does prevent almost everything under the sun. From heart disease to cancer, this is great stuff. I suggest that you study up on garlic so that you understand all of the good things it does. It would take an article the length of a book to go into great detail.
There you have it. Though I'm sure you are some what surprised, I'm sure that you will be able to absorb all the info in this article. If you can't, just bookmark it and read where you left off.
We have heard it once we have heard it a thousand time. 'Eat your veggies'. Most of us heard this more than anything during our childhood. All you could think of as a child was when you get older you will never eat another one again. Who needs those things anyway? I hate to break the news to you, but fruits and veggies are a very important part of our diets. You can't live without them. Oh you can, but you will either gain weight or feel like shit in the long run. Go a week without eating any, you will see what I mean. I guess the problem is, we tend to over cook veggies. We cook them to the point that they are either mush or they don't have the taste they once had. This is the worst thing that you can do to them. When you over cook a veggie, you rob of it of everything that makes it good for you. This is very foolish and a waste of money. A person should eat 5-10 servings of veggies per day. I know you have had that pounded into your head while you were at school. It sucks to learn they were actually telling the truth doesn't it?
Before you get all bent out of shape, lets talk about how big a serving really is. A medium sized fruit or veggie is one serving. A medium sized apple, carrot or banana is one serving. 5-10 of those doesn't sound too hard does it?
There are easy ways of getting the amount of veggies that you need. One is by preparing them the night before. Before you go to bed, peel and slice anything that you would want to eat the next day. This won't take much time. You might want to invest in a peeler. They don't cost very much. You can buy them at any
shop that sells cookware. Also your grocery store might have one. If you can't find it, ask one of the stock boys. They will know if they carry them. One easy way to consume more fruits and veggies is to cut them up and put them in small sandwich baggies. Cut up a variety of things and store them in the small bags.
You might cut up an apple, some carrots and some celery. Keep these on hand at work. When you have a coffee break, eat these instead of rushing over to the vending machine to get a bag of snack chips. Keep a salt shaker in your desk or in your locker at work. A little salt will bring out the natural flavor of the veggie and make them more appealing. Think of these as snacks to go. You can keep them on hand if you are going to take a long trip.
You can keep them at work, in the ice box for when you get the munchies, or if you want a late night snack. Soups are a great way to get a serving of veggies.
You need to watch though, some of the canned soups will have a lot of salt in them. That is the downfall of buying soups that are already prepared. If you can make your own soup, that is great. Also you will cut out any unneeded fat.
A small salad is also one serving of veggies. When you go out to eat, order a salad. Make sure that you don't load it up with bad salad dressing. Go for a oil and vinegar. If you are at a place that you can put on how much oil and vinegar you want, that is even better. Just put enough oil on your salad to counter act the acidity of the vinegar.
You need to make sure that you are getting as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. When they are raw, they are the best for your body. Some times during the canning or freezing process, they might cook them slightly. Eat a can of raw green beans straight from the can. Compare that to a raw green bean, you will
see what I mean.
I would suggest to you that you eat as many raw veggies as possible. If you must cook them, blanch them slightly. Just cook them long enough so that they starchy feeling of a raw veggie is gone. Certainly don't cook them until they are limp and colorless. That robs them from anything that is worth eating. You are eating these to be healthy, that is a choice you make. Cooking them to the point that they are worthless might be an easier way to force yourself to eat them, but your efforts are being wasted.
Here are some ways to increase your fruit and veggie consumption. For breakfast put some fruit in with your cereal. This is great, I love doing this. This gives your cereal a sweet zing without adding a bunch of sugar. Also you can drink a glass of juice along with your breakfast. Juice is a great way of 'eating' your fruit. Make sure to get juice with the pulp in it, it is also good fiber. Lunch. Eat salads. Make sure not to load them with bad dressing. Have veggie sticks along with your meal, this will also fill you up. For desert you can have a piece of fruit. This is a better desert than having a ice cream or something you will regret.
For dinner I would suggest that you try vegetarian pizza or meals based around veggies. Why not eat some fish and a plate full of greens and corn? You can mix and match things how ever you like it.
The key thing to understand is, you need to make fruits and veggies fun. If you keep it bland, you won't want to eat them. So, get a cook book or a favorite cooking site and learn how to eat your fruits and veggies. You will notice a big difference in how you feel.
Everyone from time to time gets a craving for a certain type of food. Sometimes we just crave something to eat. No real reason, other than to eat. Sometimes this can be because you are bored, or because you seem something suggestive about food. How many times have you seen a television commercial advertising burgers and it made you want one? This is healthy. We all do it. Hell, I'd say that we probably do this several times per week. Did you know, that you can be addicted to food? I know that sounds a little weird, but it is true. How can you tell if you are a food addict? Sometimes it might not be as easy as you think.
There are many things that might come in your way of knowing if you are a food addict. You might be depressed or in an emotional downward spiral that will tarnish your ability to see what is going on. Over a period of time, you will be able to tell if you have an eating problem. If nothing else, you will see it in your waist line. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
What foods are addictive? Well, that is a hard answer. There is no hard answer on what is addictive. It is like saying what is more addictive, beer or whiskey. Though there are a few foods that are extremely addictive. Caffeine.
We all know that this is addictive. I'm sure if you are a coffee drinker, you know how you get the shakes in the morning if you don't have your coffee. Is coffee addiction bad for you? It depends on how much that you drink. If you are drinking a few cups a day, I don't think that it is harmful. If on the other hand you are drinking several pots per day, you have a problem. Even though it is addictive, you can control the amount that you consume. Unless you have a very addictive personality. If this is the case, I would suggest that you avoid coffee and other caffeine containing products all together.
Sugar.
This is addictive. We try not to think of it as being so, but it is. It is addictive because of the jolt of energy that it gives us. If you haven't had your daily truck load of sugar and you feel tired, worn out, cranky, you are
going through withdraw. Did you know that heroin addicts that are going through withdraw consume large amounts of sugar? It is said that sugar helps ward off the cravings of heroin. Sugar is one of those things that is hard to avoid. The best thing that you can do is avoid candy and other sweets. You will digest some sugar, but if you avoid those things, you will cut out a big portion of your sugar consumption. You should also avoid sodas. They are loaded with sugar.
Carbs.
This is one thing that people will get frustrated at me over. I do think that carbs are addictive. For the same reasons that sugar is addictive. The best thing that you can do is avoid eating too much bread and pasta. That is the best way to avoid getting addicted to carbs.
I'm not saying that if you are addicted to carbs you will be like a junky. What I am saying is, that you will become dependant on them. I think that many people are addicted to carbs and don't know it. It isn't something that we think about when it comes to addictions. What should you do if you are a food addict? If you can control it, you should do your best to do so. If you are the type that has a strong will, it shouldn't be too hard.
The problem is, most of us don't have a strong will when it comes to addictions. We are a race of addicted creatures. I'm beginning to think that most of us are addicted to something. No matter if it is coffee, cigarettes, booze and so forth. If you don't feel that you can control it, you need to go to your doctor.
You need to tell him what is going on. Don't be ashamed to talk to him about it. You should be more ashamed of yourself if you do nothing about it. After you talk to him you should look into finding a support group for people who have food addictions. Your doctor will probably point you to a therapist. The therapist will know of a support group you can attend. If you aren't to point that you can talk openly about such a thing in person, you can find support groups online. They are free to use, meaning they don't charge any money. You will begin to find out what treatment and other things are available. These are people who fight what you are going through every day.