They are the biggest killers in America: Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. The most common causes of these deadly conditions are: Physical inactivity, fattening snacks and beverages, obesity, stress, and smoking. The shocking news is that these diseases are so easily preventable.

A frequent cause of blame is the unhealthy food choices people make regularly. It’s okay to splurge once in a while, but it is the habits you follow daily that will determine your overall health. Constantly consuming chips, bacon, cakes, sugary drinks, candy, sausage, and cigarettes will get you nothing but poor health, deadly diseases, and a ticket straight to heaven prematurely.

According to the CDC over 63% (that’s over 180 million) of the US population is overweight or obese and is physically inactive, resulting in tens of millions who have chronic deadly, but preventable, conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and pre-diabetes. Recently the CDC reported that more than 70% (over 1.7 million) of all causes of death in America are caused by only three preventable factors: obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking. The very fact that these factors are easily preventable is heartbreaking.

One of the major contributors to poor health is the excessive consumption of cholesterol. The body produces over 85% of the cholesterol we need and the sugar stores in our liver and muscles remain saturated due to physical inactivity. Because we are largely a couch-potato society and the food we consume every day is loaded with animal-based fats, the extra fat gets dumped into our arteries, belly areas, and under the skin all over our bodies.

Another major contributor to deadly diseases, poor health, and premature aging and death is physical inactivity. Most of us sit throughout an entire workday then go home and sit in front of the TV for another 5 to 6 hours while consuming large fatty meals, snacks, and sugary or alcoholic beverages that are rich in saturated fats, salt, and sugar, all of which contribute to increased belly fat. Shockingly, belly fat is the most dangerous kind because it causes inflammation in the arteries contributing to plaque build up in the arteries and insulin resistance leading to heart attacks and diabetes.

Yet another common issue is that people are unaware of how unhealthy the foods they consume are. When people don’t read nutrition labels they tend to consume very dense food and sugary beverages that are nutrient deficient. These foods are readily available in fast food restaurants and vending machines and contain loads of sugar, fat, and unwanted calories. Sugary soft drinks (which alone contribute to over 33% of all US obesity), sugary lemonade, sweetened iced tea, smoothies, lattes, and frappucinos, which contain loads of sugar and fat that further contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, make you more of a magnet to all sorts of deadly, but preventable, diseases. One of the worst mistakes people make as well is skipping meals which makes the body more efficient at storing and gaining fat weight.

Fortunately there are important steps to help you make balanced food and activity choices and help you start a lifestyle makeover process which will be your shield against deadly diseases as you age gracefully:

? If you have any chronic disease(s) take your medications as prescribed.

? Eat 3 main balanced meals, reduce your portion sizes, and raise your fiber intake.

? Consume 2 fruit and nuts snacks between meals.

? Switch all sugary drinks to water or diet soft drinks. Sweeten all other hot or cold beverages with artificial sweeteners or sugar-free flavoring powders. Limit all non-water beverages to a couple a day.

? Increase your daily walking activity to over 10,000 steps a day by making more frequent trips at home, the office, while shopping, and anywhere else.

The good news is that diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases can be prevented, managed, and reversed with your own choices, actions and a lifestyle makeover. Now is the time to start putting these tips to good use and begin feeling better and living healthier right away!

George Tohme

Have you heard? Fish oil supplements are being recommended for everyone! Believe a lot of the hype, with my usual caveats!

Fish oil and whole, un-processed oils in general are just what the doctor ordered. Especially coming out of our 30 year “fat fast” where Americans avoided as much fat as possible, it is good to hear that we can add some good, healthy fats into our diet. There’s been increasing media attention being paid to the use of omega-3 fish oils (The Today Show, January 31, 2007), and even primary care providers are recommending them for their patients.

Fish oils have been proven to lower our risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Why is fish oil important?

As with a variety of fats, our body requires a significant amount to survive. In many of my articles and in my book, I discuss the “exchange of life”; the process by which water, oxygen and nutrients are brought into each of our 100 trillion cells and how carbon dioxide, wastes and toxins are moved out of the cells. This process must flow freely in order for our cells and our bodies to be healthy.

The cell membrane, made up of mostly fats, is at the center of this exchange process. These membranes are like its skin: a protective barrier that is selective about what it lets in and out; the softer and more supple it is, the more functional and more beautiful we are, inside and out!

Stress, toxicity, poor diet, poor rest/sleep and poor water intake can all cause the cell membranes in our bodies to be come rigid and prematurely aged. The more rigid and unhealthy our cell membranes, the more likely we are to suffer from symptoms like lethargy, aches/stiffness, headaches and more. Left uncorrected, symptoms can lead to more serious concerns of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and even chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Don’t fret!

By improving our lifestyle and getting the proper amount of healthy fats into our diet, we can create soft, supple, healthy cell membranes. This is the path to truly regaining and maintaining our health.

All sounds pretty good so far, right? Well, actually it is. So what are my caveats?

1. While I most often recommend patients get the nutrients they need directly from their source (in this case by eating fish), I actually do not recommend patients eat fish 2-3 times per week. Because of the reports of fish contamination, especially with mercury, it is not a good idea to eat fish too often. A couple of servings per month is plenty.

2. Don’t just use fish oils. Current medical research indicates the VARIETY of fats in the diet is as important as what types and how much. There are many healthy, delicious oils out there for you. There’s the classic olive and sunflower oils, but what about the nut oils? Almond, walnut, sesame and peanut (actually a legume) oil are all excellent choices. These oils will improve the health and flexibility of your cells’ membranes all while highly satisfying your taste buds!

You can and should use a small to moderate amount of more saturated (thicker) oils like butter (organic when possible) and coconut oil. Again, the body needs a variety of fats. Too many of the same kind of fat can lead to imbalanced cellular membranes and can also degrade our health. Healthy oils are always sold in glass bottles or in the large metal cans, like olive oil. Oils sold in plastic are a no-no, as the packaging indicates that the oils are over-processed and not very healthy for you.

3. Avoid processed, trans or hydrogenated fats. These fats have been processed and altered in ways that make them unhealthy to the body. This includes margarine, processed butter substitutes, cheap vegetable oils (in plastic containers) and foods fried in hydrogenated oils (chips, snacks, restaurant fried foods).

4. Cook with fats and oils as little as possible. Heating fats can damage (denature) them, making them less or un-usable in the body. I suggest cooking with just enough to keep food from sticking to the pot/pan and then adding the oil to the food on your plate like a condiment. This is not a new concept, as it is done in many countries throughout the world.

So how much oil do I need in a day, doc?

Well, that is different for everyone. As part of my Bio-Logikal Diet, I am able to calculate how much fat a person needs in a day and we build it into their meal plan. Most people need 2-3 servings (teaspoons) of fresh, pure oil daily.

Choose your oil supplements with care. The toxicity that may be present in fish may spill over into supplements if the manufacturer isn’t taking the utmost care to purify them out, and without damaging the oil. Only use a fish oil product from a manufacturer that provides specific information on their purity specifications.

Fish oil can also present a problem with flavor. Manufacturers are using different natural flavorings to conceal the taste of fish that might “repeat” or be “burped”. Flavorings must be strong to conceal the fish flavor (lemon, orange, strawberry) and often patients burp up the flavor taste instead. Therefore, I strongly recommend using an “enteric coated” fish oil product. This natural (extra) coating process allows the softgel to move through the stomach and into the small intestine where it opens and is absorbed. This minimizes or eliminates the “repeating” and makes taking this kind of supplement much more rewarding. The enteric coating process is a bit expensive, so you will see EC products are a bit higher in cost, but worth it in my opinion.

I recommend Terra-EPA, a highly purified, enteric coated fish oil (600 EPA/400 DHA). I am also increasingly recommending our Terra-EFA which contains a combination of fish, flax and borage oils all blended together in a softgel capsule.

In health,

Dr. Brett Saks

DrSaks.com

Dr. Brett Saks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/omega3s-going-fishing-for-fish-oils-106960.html

We’re in trouble. BIG trouble.

Our food is killing us! Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes… these are our biggest death-dealers! Why? Just think of our staples: Burgers, fries, pizza, chips, hot dogs, candy, soda, coffee, desserts, energy drinks, beer… Do we REALLY need to ask why?

So what do we do about it? How realistic is it to expect a massive dietary shift? We’re literally addicted to junk!

The answer is supplementation.

Multivitamin nutrition is powerful, focused nutrition. With our food becoming more and more chemical-laden and nutritionally devoid, supplementation is becoming increasingly necessary! Taking a healthy, all-natural multivitamin supplement is by far the best way to give your body the much needed nutrition its been cheated out of via industrialization and poor dietary choices.

A good whole-food multivitamin supplement will combat the chemicals we ingest on a daily basis. They will neutralize acidity in the bloodstream. They will support our immune systems. They’ll give us a fighting chance. And who knows? They may even give us some welcome energy and mood boosts!

In the quest for optimal nutrition, supplementation simply cannot be overlooked. Any good multivitamin supplement will contain the following:

• Whole-food Vitamins
• Chelated Minerals
• Probiotics
• Phytonutrients
• Amino Acids
• Antioxidants

The difference between a whole-food multivitamin and one of a synthetic nature is vast. Your typical, over-the-counter drugstore multivitamins are made in a lab. They’re basically comprised of crushed up rocks and are unrecognized by your body. In fact, your body doesn’t welcome them at all, hence the “vitamin burps” and “fluorescent pee” many of us experience after taking this type of supplement.

If a synthetic multivitamin doesn’t tear up your sensitive capillaries, blood cells, and tissues (crushed up rock… hello!), it will typically just end up as expensive urine!

Natural, whole-food vitamins are easily recognized, assimilated, and used (what a concept) by your nutritionally starved body, and I tell ya, the benefits are immediate! Bright eyes, clear skin, supreme energy, amazing mental clarity, and an overall sense of happiness and well-being result from you taking the time to FEED yourself. Multivitamin nutrition is the answer!

When shopping for a healthy, whole-food multivitamin supplement, DRIVE PAST THE DRUGSTORE! They don’t have what you want, I promise you. Your local health food store is a much better option. Look for a multi that meets all the criteria listed above.

I also recommend that while you’re at the health food store, you pick up a canister of a super greens powder. You simply mix it with water and drink. It will alkalize your blood, cleanse your body, give you an extra energy boost, and take your supplementation to the next level.

Feel free to CLICK HERE if you’d like to check out my personal favorite supplement.  I take it every day.  It’s a little miracle worker.  I love it!

A great green drink resource is Green Drinks Galore.  It’s got a plethora of fantastic powders, information, videos, and delicious recipes to make your supplementation an absolute pleasure!

I wish you the best of health and happiness!  Thank you for reading.

kindercold
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/multivitamin-nutrition-701682.html

I’ll preface this article by saying that it will help if you have an open mind and accept that some of these facts are a slap in the face to politically correct nutrition in this day and age where fats are admonished by many doctors, health “experts”, the mass media, etc. To start, eating an adequate supply of healthy dietary fats is vitally important to your overall health. Fats are one of the main components in all of the cell membranes throughout your entire body. If you eat enough healthy natural fats, your cellular processes will proceed normally. On the other hand, if you eat man-made, heavily processed, chemically altered fats (damaged fats) that are found in most processed foods, your cellular function will be impaired as these damaged fats become part of your cell membranes, the body will have to work harder to operate correctly, and degenerative diseases can develop. In addition, healthy dietary fats are essential for optimal hormone production and balance within the body and are therefore essential for the muscle building and fat burning processes. Other important functions that dietary fats play in a healthy body are aiding vitamin and mineral utilization, enzyme regulation, energy, etc.

I cringe every time I hear so called “health experts” recommend restriction of dietary fat, claiming that a low-fat diet is the key to good health, weight loss, and prevention of degenerative diseases. Restriction of any one macronutrient (protein, carbs, or fat) in your diet works against what your body needs and can only lead to problems. All three basic macronutrients serve important functions for a lean, healthy, and disease-free body. As Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D, and one of the leading fats and lipids researchers in the world, notes in several of her books and articles, there is very little true scientific evidence supporting the assertion that a high fat diet is bad for us. For example, if these so called “health experts” that admonish fat are correct, and a low-fat diet is the solution to good health, then why did traditional Pacific Islanders who typically obtained 2/3 to 3/4 of their total daily calories from fat (mostly from coconut fat), remain virtually free from heart disease, obesity, and other modern degenerative diseases (that is, until Western dietary influences invaded)? Also, why did traditional Eskimo populations, consuming up to 75% of their total caloric intake from fat (mostly from whale blubber, seal fat, organ meats, and cold water fish), display superior health and longevity without heart disease or obesity? Why did members of the Masai tribe in Africa remain free from degenerative diseases and maintain low body fat percentages on diets consisting of large quantities of raw whole milk, blood, and meat? What about the Samburu tribe of Africa, which eats an average of 5 times the quantity of dietary fat (mostly from raw whole milk and meat) as overweight, disease-ridden Americans, yet Samburu members are lean, healthy, and free of degenerative diseases? What about traditional Mediterranean diets, which are known to be very high in fat (sometimes up to 70% fat), and are also well known to be very healthy?

These examples of high fat diets and the associated excellent health of traditional populations around the world go on and on, yet it seems that many doctors, nutritionists, and government agencies still ignore these facts and continue to promote a diet that restricts fat intake. Well, the problem is that the good fats (the natural unprocessed health promoting fats) have gotten mistakenly lumped together in nutritional advice with the deadly processed fats and oils that make up a large percentage of almost all processed food that is sold at your local grocery store, restaurant, deli, fast food joint, etc. These deadly processed fats are literally everywhere and almost impossible to avoid unless you know what to look for and make smart choices in what you feed your body with. Take note that I’m not recommending following a super high fat diet. Active individuals that exercise on a regular basis certainly also need adequate supplies of healthy carbohydrates for energy and muscle glycogen replenishment as well as good sources of protein for muscle repair. The above examples of the high fat diets of traditional populations and their corresponding excellent health were simply to prove the point that you don’t need to be afraid of dietary fats as long as you make healthy natural choices and stay within your daily caloric range to maintain or lose weight (depending on your goals). Following is a list of some of the healthiest fatty foods (some will surprise you!) as well as some of the deadliest fatty foods to try to avoid at all costs:

The Healthy Fatty Food Choices:

• Coconut fat: Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat, yet surprisingly to most people, is considered a very healthy natural fat. The health benefits of coconut fat lie in its composition of approximately 65% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Specifically, about 50% of coconut fat is a MCT called lauric acid, which has very potent anti-microbial properties helping to enhance the immune system. Also, MCTs are more easily utilized for immediate energy instead of being stored as body fat. Coconut oil is also an excellent cooking oil for stir-frying, etc. since saturated fats are much more stable and do not oxidize like polyunsaturated oils when exposed to heat and light, which creates damaging free radicals. The best sources of healthy coconut fat are organic coconut milk, virgin coconut oil, or fresh coconut.

• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined (chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.

• Dark, bittersweet chocolate (>70% cocoa): The cocoa bean is a very concentrated source of antioxidants and responsible for part of the health benefit of dark chocolate. The fat portion of the cocoa bean (cocoa butter) is a healthy natural fat, composed of approximately 59% saturated fat (mostly healthy stearic acid), 38% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. I’ll limit the description of healthy chocolate to ONLY dark bittersweet chocolate with >70% cocoa content. Most milk chocolates are only about 30% cocoa, and even most dark chocolates are only about 55% cocoa, leaving the remainder of those products composed of high amounts of sugar, milk fat, corn sweeteners, etc. Look for a quality dark chocolate that lists its cocoa content between 70%-80%. A dark chocolate with cocoa content in this range will contain mostly cocoa and very little sugar. Keep in mind that although dark chocolate can be a healthy treat, it is still calorie dense, so keeping it to just a square or two is a good idea.

• Avocados or guacamole: The fat in avocados (depending on where they’re grown) is approximately 60% monounsaturated, 25% saturated, and 15% polyunsaturated. Avocados are a very healthy natural food that provides many nutrients, fiber, and healthful fats, while adding a rich flavor to any meal. Try sliced avocado on sandwiches or in salads or use guacamole in wraps, sandwiches, or quesadillas.

• High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.: Just about any fish or seafood are good sources of natural omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, but the higher fat fish listed above are the best sources of omega-3’s. Due to the radical switch to a higher proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats like soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, etc. in our food supply during the middle of the 20th century, the average western diet is currently way too high in omega-6’s compared to omega-3’s, which wreaks havoc in your body. This is where good omega-3 sources like high fat fish, walnuts, and flax seeds can help bring you back to a better ratio of omega-6/omega-3.

• Nuts (any and all – walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients. Macadamias, almonds, and cashews are great sources of monounsaturated fats, while walnuts are a good source of unprocessed polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3’s). Try to avoid nuts that are cooked in oil. Instead, choose raw or dry roasted nuts.

• Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production, so freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and use one of those miniature coffee grinders to grind your own flax seed. Try grinding fresh flax seed into your yogurt, cereal, or even your salad. If you’re using a flax oil, make sure it’s a cold-pressed oil in a light-proof refrigerated container, and use it up within a few weeks to prevent it from going rancid. NEVER cook with flax oil!

• The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem lies in the fact that most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed. The solution is to choose organically raised, free-range meats, eggs, and dairy. At this time, the price is still a little higher, but it is worth it, and as demand grows, the prices will come down.

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

• Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils aren’t even worthy of your lawnmower, much less your body! They’ve been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. Even small quantities have been shown in studies to be dangerous. If you care about your health, check the ingredients of everything you buy, and if you see partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, margarine, or shortening, protect yourself and your family by choosing something else. The FDA has mandated that all food manufacturers have to show the quantity of trans fat on all labels by January 2006.

• Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Even most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process. This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply at that time.

• Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap doesn’t even pass as real food in my opinion!

• Homogenized milk fat – Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Traditional populations around the world thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Check out realmilk.com for more info on the benefits of raw milk and to find out if it’s available near you. As an alternative, cultured dairy products like yogurt have at least had beneficial microorganisms added back to them making them better for you. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option. If you use butter for cooking, cultured organic butter is the best option.

I hope this article has shed some light on the truth about dietary fats and made you realize their importance in a healthy diet. Visit my website below to find more free fitness articles and bonuses for stopping by.

THOMPSON STEPHEN
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/healthy-saturated-fats-692631.html

Since medical care is imperative for those in need, why won’t the government trash all unnecessary pork from the budget and use these funds as their 1st priority.

The majority of the U.S. population are healthy. I raised four children who always received their shots, were treated for a broken bone from falling from a tree or maybe a sore throat, etc. None of my children, myself or my husband ever had to be hospitalized. The same is true for all of the families I have known all these years. Therefore, I believe, this should be considered.

This way there will not be rationing, long waits for appointments, lower insurance costs for the healthy and those with serious and continuing medical needs can be taken care of through good government programs.

Health care for children is necessary but why don’t they take into consideration the fact that children need fruits, vegetables and balanced meals, good hygiene, more physical activity by at least mandating it in schools again. However, the price of fruits, vegetables, milk, bread, cereal and other proteins are beyond the reach of the average family. These costs will only escalate when the carbon tax is imposed and transportation costs will be passed on to the consumer. We keep hearing about the growing obese children and population but their main diet is composed of high carb and junk food.

People with AIDS, MS, Hepatitis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Diabetes must have help and all deserve the best treatment available. Their prescription costs should be based on ability to pay. At present many life threatening diseases are not covered by local health departments and yet, we are spending billions on abortions for the whole world, billions for AIDS & other STD’s to many other countries. We need to take care of our own problems first. Compassion is great but ‘charity should begin at home’.

I’m by no means an economist but I just feel there must be a better way. In my view the government just doesn’t look at reality and eventually they make circumstances worse & screw it up entirely. Just like they did with S.S., Medicare & Medicaid. Now they have to redo these programs and it will end up costing us more and getting less. They spent these funds on their other pet projects for all these years and now it’s on the brink of disaster.

Just your opinion please.
For all those who answered that everyone should take care of their own: please be advised that I always did this regarding insurance and in every other respect.

However, the government is going to take this over no matter how adament you are so I’m just looking for a better way to spend this money they are going to take from us anyway!

Sarcasm is not an opinion, THX

Define "health care plan"
There are 2 separate and in some cases competing issues here.
1) The price of health care. Government regulation, the cost of education, the cost of LIVING have raised the price of CARE (that is, what a doctor charges) – but here is the bigger problem…

Most markets in the country are consumer driven. That is, providers (of whatever) will charge what the market will bear (in other words, what consumers will pay) – Health care is no different… but here is the catch. YOU are not the consumer of health care… The INSURANCE industry is (teamed with the federal government)! THEY decide the price of care.

If you are simply talking about coverage, well… consider that only 15% of the populations does NOT have health insurance. And of those, the government tells us that 1/3 CAN AFFORD IT, but chose not to carry it.

The COST of health CARE (not coverage) needs to be addressed. But, just like every other consumer industry, the government is NOT the answer…

Eating fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to maintain good health. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They contain vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals that can protect your body from diseases like diabetes, cancers, and heart diseases. Ideally, you should consume five kinds of vegetables and two kinds of fruits each day.

Fruits and vegetables have been acclaimed by some people as natural healers and some constituents of particular items have been reported as being particularly valuable for certain groups of people.

Including moderate amounts of a variety of fruits and vegetables in your regular diet may make a noticeable difference in your health.

Eating spinach, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, and yams can provide your body with important nutrients that may help to strengthen your immune system, boost your antioxidant level, and reduce your susceptibility to some infectious diseases.

Fruits and vegetables are valuable, fairly cheap non-prescription weapons in helping you to improve your overall health.

Always keep fruits and vegetables on the table or in the kitchen for your family members to pick up and have a quick bite instead of having candies and cookies.

Keep ready a bowl of celery sticks or baby carrots in the refrigerator for any between meals snack.

Ideal Recipes

· Make it a point to start the first meal of the day with a fruit.

· Add sliced bananas, dried fruit or berries to your breakfast cereal, pancakes, or waffle.

· Alternatively, have a whole fruit with your breakfast like an apple or an orange.

· Mix chopped vegetables into scrambled eggs or fold them into an omelet.

· Make a tasty salad with raw broccoli, cauliflower and red and green peppers.

· Eat dried dates, apricots, or raisins for a snack. Carry a prepackaged fruit cup, box of raisins or piece of fruit with you for a nutritious snack when you go out.

· Add some fresh or frozen fruits to two or more cans of chopped or sliced fruit for a tasty and refreshing shortcut fruit salad

· Fresh fruits taste excellent if eaten with desserts like low-fat yogurt, applesauce, or pudding.

· Add fresh or thawed, frozen fruits like grapes, peaches, chunks of bananas or mango and blueberries to your desserts, or blend them into a smoothie.

· You can make use of extra helpings of produce by adding finely chopped carrots, eggplant, broccoli or cauliflower to soups and stews or chili.

· Roast carrots, asparagus, butternut squash, eggplant, and broccoli for a deep, rich flavor. Drizzle a little olive oil over them and roast in an oven set to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, or on the grill until tender.

· Toss a sprinkling of shredded cheese, toasted pine nuts or almonds on pasta or rice with left-over vegetables and low-fat vinaigrette.

A great e-book is focused on showing you the benefits which are claimed for adding more vegetables and fruit to your diet and broadening the choices which you know about. It will also give you a variety of tasty and nutritious recipes.

To find out more fabulous information about how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle with more fruits and vegetables order your copy of Fabulous Fruit and Vegetables today.

Georgina Cundall
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/great-ideas-to-make-fruits-and-vegetables-an-interesting-part-of-every-meal-701069.html

When a person is so overweight that it starts affecting his health is when the person is obese. Obesity can also be explained as the excess amount of fat in your body. Obesity in adults was an epidemic already and now obesity in children is also spreading fast.

Obesity among kids may become a cause of concern leading to health complications and the kids being obese even before they enter the adulthood. Not only the child’s risk of getting severely ill gets increased due to obesity but it also has a lasting effect on the child’s social and more importantly, emotional issues.

There were rare cases of obesity in the past, but of late, obesity cases are on a rise and even alarming is the rate it is rising amongst the kids. It is estimated that 15% of the adolescents and kids in the US are obese.

Why is this sudden increase in the amount of people affected by obesity? Blame it on the lifestyle! Two major reasons for the rising cases of obesity amongst kids’ are- the unhealthy diet, that is very rich in sugar and fats and the lack of exercise which leads to fat accumulation as there is no burning of the calories.

Those were the reasons for putting on weight now let’s see the effects on the child who is suffering from obesity.

• A child’s risk of suffering from heart problems like, heart attack, or heart stroke is increased,
• Obesity may lead to many problems of bones and joint as well(like bow legs),
• Hypertension which leads to headaches or may affect the vision,
• High blood pressure, Gall bladder diseases, Diabetes, are some to name.

These are only the physical effects of obesity, the harm it does on the psychological front of your child is even worse. Obesity causes embarrassment which further damages the self- esteem of your child.

Why let your child go through such an ordeal??? Why let his or her self esteem be affected? Lets help them make a better tomorrow by changing their lifestyle today. Improper diet is one very important reason of putting on weight. Give yourself and your families a diet meal plan which will help you reduce your weight and rid you of obesity.

Statistics show that one in three children is overweight by the time they leave primary school. Help us; help you, make your child one of the two who leaves their primary school in a fit state!

Sheldon
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-need-of-a-diet-meal-plan-for-kids-to-avoid-obesity-687959.html

It is important to keep your blood glucose under control. If you have diabetes, it is very important to continue to manage your blood glucose. There are several ways to monitor your blood glucose levels. Keeping your blood glucose levels within the normal range, will help you to prevent or delay some of the complications of diabetes.

When doctors determine that your blood glucose level is high, it is time to start trying to manage to keep it under control. First of all, you might start by watching your diet. A diet that is high in vegetables, low in fat, and includes legumes and fiber, is one way of keeping glucose under control. Diet is important to our health, always, and most people usually wait until they get some illness before they start considering a healthy diet.

Another way of managing blood glucose is by daily exercise. Exercise is another important factor in good health. One of the first things that the doctor will tell you if you have some kind of health problem, is to be sure that you get some exercise each day. Exercise is another thing that many people overlook in their daily life. Life is so hectic and busy, that we hardly have time to get the exercise that we need. Young people have become interested in computerized games, etc., which take their time, and even the younger generation does not get the exercise needed, like they once did.

If you are in the early stages of diabetes, it is extremely important to keep your glucose under control. You should monitor your glucose daily, to make sure that it is in the normal, or in a safe, range. Many diabetics are overweight, and weight does need to be controlled. It is very important to keep your weight down to the range that it should be for your height and age. By eating less fats, sweets, and breads, your weight should come down to a fairly normal range. It is definitely hard to do, especially if you have always eaten the things that you like, but it can be done if you are serious. High fiber diets have shown to help in managing diabetes.

Blood glucose monitoring checks are the only way that you can keep a safe check on your glucose. You will need a blood glucose monitor, and you will have to prick your finger to get a drop of blood. This check will tell you what your glucose is at any given moment. You should keep a record so that when you go to the doctor you can show him/her your record and he can see how your diabetes plan is working and if there is anything else that you need to do, or whether what you are doing is working as it should.

Diabetes, if untreated, is a deadly disease, but with the correct care and treatment a person with diabetes can live a long, healthy, and happy life. It is just important that blood glucose be monitored regularly if you do have diabetes, and if you do not yet have it, see your doctor regularly so that he/she can keep a check on your health to make sure that everything is going well.

For more information on blood glucose, visit http://controlbloodglucose.com.

John Parks
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Diet is the cornerstone of your diabetic treatment; let it not become the headstone! I might sound rude to you for passing on this sort of crude observation, but in the interest of your health and well-being, I feel it as my utmost duty to forewarn you!

It sets the diabetes man thinking-each spoon of liquid that he sips, each ounce of food that he offers to the taste buds-what will be the result when it goes to the stomach? He lives in a state of fear psychosis. Food is the necessary evil for him, for his existence, not a source of enjoyment!

The diabetes man needs to budget his day according to his food requirements. You are advised to take small quantities of food at periodic intervals, than take two heavy meals. Be flexible in this and do it as per yours lifestyle. Don’t take food as a punishment. Enjoy it, every particle of it. It is your food for both-your mind and body!

The population of diabetes patients is awesome. They are a pressure group, a lobby and influence the decision of the policy makers. There are statutory rules governing food and consumer items for the diabetes patients that help them in selecting foods for a healthy meal plan.

Food guides, food labels for identifying the food choice, information about dietary supplements, what foods to be used by the weight loss seeking people, are available in plenty in the health market concerning diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious type of disease, often warranting utmost care, for many of its ‘tribesmen’. Its valiant supporters are waiting in the wings to attack and overpower you! To name a few of them: Heart diseases, certain types of cancer and osteoporosis. These diseases believe in giving two types of punishments to the diabetes patient-serious types of disability and death.

So, the diabetes patients need to be fully armed with complete information about diabetes, their present state of health and lay down for themselves, unassailable rules for living. Your paramount aim should be to maintain an optimum, healthy weight. Secondly, don’t be lazy, lying down on the couch, relaxing on the bed. This extra rest that you are forcing on yourself may ruin your health. As for the food, take plenty of fruits and vegetables. Let sprouted pulses be the part of your diet. You must have the up-to-date nutrition information based on the latest research reports. I presume you must be getting a news letter from a diabetic association of which you are a member.

Correct diabetes information may save you from lots of troubles. A stitch in time saves nine! What nine? You need to know them by your own experience of handling your diabetes!

Ashish Jain
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