Monday, October 4, 2010

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An Introduction To Our Diet

Eating foods first-hand from nature, grown in fertile soil (preferably organic, free from chemicals and pesticides) will help ensure a better supply of these nutritional needs. Processing, refining and overcooking destroy much food value.

Eating out can be a challenge. If a person with celiac disease is in doubt about a menu item, ask the waiter or chef about ingredients and preparation, or if a gluten-free menu is available. Eating in restaurants causes difficulty as the majority of restaurant food is salted. To maintain a low sodium diet, you need to scrutinize the "Nutritional Information" boxes on food cartons.

Eat your breakfast at night rather than in the morning and you may notice how surprisingly your body gets leaner rather than fatter. As a species we are nocturnal eaters, inherently programmed for night eating. Eating smaller portions also helps you set good eating habits that will help you keep the weight off.

Studies show that foods with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain breads and cereals may help lower blood glucose. However, it seems that a person must eat much more fiber than the average American now consumes to get this benefit. Studies done over many years suggest that 20-25% of children on the ketogenic diet will have their seizures well controlled. An additional 30-40% of children will have their seizure frequency decreased by 50%.

Meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products all contain cholesterol. Foods from plants, on the other hand, are free of cholesterol. Meats, butter, nuts, cheese, and eggs contain a lot of essential vitamins and minerals.

Meat-based diets such this one are not a realistic alternative as they are not environmentally sustainable. Huge quantities of fruits and vegetables would be necessary, and with the number of people in the world relying on grain as a means of sustainance, the energy benefits of that food group could not be easily replaced.

Meat and animal derivatives every day in your diet! What's unhealthier than this uncontrolled cholesterol diet which could be oily, heavy and fatty. Meat and dairy products from ruminant animals are supported by lower quality, but more widely available, land that can support pasture and hay. A large pool of such land is available in New York state because for sustainable use, most farmland requires a crop rotation with such perennial crops as pasture and hay.

Fat cells produce leptin--the more fat, the more leptin. The blood gathers the leptin from all the fat cells and carries it to the brain. Fat delays the rate at which the stomach empties? You might think that this is a good thing, but remember that a high-fat diet is not necessarily a healthy diet. Fats provide the most concentrated form of energy; in other words, when they are burned in the body, they supply more than twice the number of calories per gram available from carbohydrates. They are also high in cholesterol.

Sodium is an essential nutrient for normal body function. It plays a major role in the regulation of body fluids, in partnership with potassium and chloride. Sodium and caloric intake were the same for each of the 3 diets. Both experimental diets lowered BP compared to the control diet, but the effect was greatest in patients with high BP who ate the combination diet.

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20 Great Ideas for Low Fat and Healthy Desserts

Most people have a sweet tooth and it's this sweet tooth that can be the downfall of many a diet. As soon as we're on a diet or a healthy eating regime we feel restricted and all of a sudden we have cravings for chocolate, ice cream and chocolate fudge cake!

The secret of healthy eating is not to restrict yourself but, instead, to have a balance - everything in moderation.

You need to cut down on fats and sweets but you certainly don't need to ban them. Look through your recipe collection and online for low fat dessert recipes to use instead of your usual high fat favourites.

Even if you are unfortunate enough to be diabetic, you can still indulge your self a little. There are alternatives to sugar, such as sucralose, that can be incorporated into your favourite dessert recipes with wonderfully tasty results. You still need to watch the total carbohydrate content, but as long as you are careful, you can still have the desserts that you long for.

Here are some top tips for enjoying low fat and low sugar dessert recipes:-

1. Look for dessert recipes which contain mainly fruit.

2. Layer fresh fruit with fat-free or low fat ice cream or whipped cream substitute to make a tasty ice cream sundae.

3. Use sugar free jelly.

4. Make trifles with sugar free jelly, fresh fruit, fat free sponge cake, low fat custard and a low fat cream substitute - a tasty treat.

5. Enjoy fruit sorbets and look for dessert recipes for sorbets

6. Mix berries or sliced fruit with fat-free yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon.

7. Grill half a grapefruit sprinkled with brown sugar - great for breakfast or as a dessert.

8. Enjoy a pineapple - buy a special pineapple corer and slicer to make preparation easier and pour Malibu over pineapple slices for a yummy dessert.

9. Sauté banana or pineapple with a little brown sugar until caramelized.

10. Slice into the skin of a banana and pop a couple of squares of dark chocolate into it, wrap in foil and bake until banana is soft and chocolate is melted.

11. Treat yourself to an ice cream maker and find dessert recipes for low fat ice creams.

12. When baking muffins or cakes, replace half the fat content with mashed banana or pureed prunes.

13. Use egg whites instead of whole eggs in baking.

14. When buying canned fruit, buy fruit in juice rather than in syrup to cut down on sugar.

15. Look for dessert recipes for fruit that is in season. Fruit always tastes better when it is in season.

16. Share desserts with your partner instead of having one each.

17. Check food labels on commercial desserts to check fat and calorie content.

18. Instead of pouring cream over desserts use cream substitutes or puree fruits to make a sauce.

19. Meringues - Meringues are low in fat. Make a meringue sandwich with berries or strawberries and a fruit coulis.

20. Melons - A slice of melon is a great starter and a great dessert. Experiment with different types of melons.


You will be able to find plenty of healthy dessert recipes online and in books and you might even be able to adapt your favourite recipes to make them more healthy.

Remember, desserts do not need to be unhealthy - in fact, if you plan it our carefully, the dessert could be more healthy than the main course!

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6 Ways to Save Money When You Eat Out

I admit it, I love to eat out! Unfortunately, eating out is an easy way to spend a lot of money and gain a ton of weight, which adversely affects your health. The FDA says Americans spend half their money on food in restaurants, but get only one-third of their calories from eating out. That shows you how much we're spending when we eat out.

Obviously, the best way to save money on food is to eat at home. But if you must eat out, you can save a lot of money -- and even eat less -- if you follow a few helpful tips.


(1) One of the biggest profit centers for any restaurant is drinks. If it's a big profit center for them, then it's a big savings opportunity for you. Instead of ordering tea (one of the most profitable drinks), soft drinks, or alcohol, simply order water. It's not as much fun, but it's better for you (though unsweetened tea is great for you) and it will save a lot of money.

(2) Have you ever noticed how big the portions are these days? In an effort to make it look like you're getting more for your money, restaurants have bulked up their offerings. It doesn't add much to their expenses, but it sure brings in the profits. So to save money, simply ask for a to-go box right when the food arrives. Then cut your meal down the middle and stick half of it in the box and take it home. Not only will you eat less, but you'll get two meals for the price of one.

(3) Another way to reduce your cost and portion size is to split a meal with your spouse. Many restaurants have caught onto this and now add a plate charge to your bill, but it's a lot less than a meal.

(4) Appetizers and deserts are huge profit makers for restaurants. The only time you should order an appetizer is if it's going to be your main course. And desert? It's never good for the waistline, and it's always bad for the budget. Though it can be a fun treat when you're on a special date with your spouse, you should otherwise avoid it.

(5) If you have kids under 10 or 12 (depending on the restaurant), try to go out to eat on a "kids eat free" night. Or use coupons.

(6) Try to make it a business meal so you can write it off. You can write off only 50% of meals and entertainment, but it adds up over the year.

Many times you can combine two or more of these tips and save even more. For instance, eat out on a "kids eat free" night, take half your meal home, and order water. Now that's a meal your wallet and your waistline will enjoy!