How to eat and prepare your Dragon fruit.

Last time I already posted about dragon fruit, I just wanted to add some more information about this wonderful healthy fruit. But first let's have a little background check of this fruit. Dragon fruit is a native of Central America, where they call it pitaya, Which literally means the fruit of the cactus.

Dragon fruit is very popular in South East Asia, It comes from 3 different varieties, which are distinguished by the color of the flesh inside. These are white, pink and magenta. Now, there is really no way how to tell which is which from the outside. The white is the most common, its the least sweet of the three with magenta being the sweetest.

When selecting dragon fruit, look for hot pink skin, that's free of soft spot, the fruit will yield slightly to pressure, kind of like the tomato. At this ripeness it's best to use it in a fruit salad.If you like a softer, sweeter dragon fruit, Leave it on your counter for 3 or 4 days, and you can use it in your favorite smoothie, sorbet or dessert sauce. You don't have to worry about thorn and splinters because there aren't any, even though the spines may look like they might poke you, they are actually soft and flexible.

When preparing dragon fruit, cut the bloom end off first, then the stem, then slice from the bloom end to the stem. The skin peels right off, Now. it's ready to eat. For a nice presentation cut the dragon fruit in half and scoop out the flesh, Use the shell as the container to serve your fruit salad or sorbet. This fruit is a great fruit to liven up any type of salad or dish. Happy healthy eating!!

Food for the brain.....mmm, delicious

Just as diet affects your heart, diet can affect your brain. Diet has a major impact on our brain not only in our body. Fruits and vegetables are high in anti oxidants, and they're perfect for information in our brain.

If we eat our fruits and vegetables for to five times a day everyday, You make your brain about five years younger, but we all know that it's hard to get fruits and vegetables everyday, but in general I think you should make an effort to eat or reach for an apple or reach for a pear, get some grapes when you want some snacks. Seafood is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA and DHA is the best brain food, so make sure you eat fish 2 or 3 times a week.

High-fiber diet reduces the bad cholesterol, and increase your good cholesterol, good for treating the atheroscelrosis, it increase blood flow, so it's absolutely. make sure that you also add a glass of wine every night in your diet but not too much. Remember one glass of wine in dinner is actually good for your brain.

Another tip is to reach for baked potatoes instead of those french fries. Use common sense when it comes to food. If you look at the food and it looks like the food is not good at you then it's not got for you. the bottom line is if you eat fruits and vegetables everyday and eat fish 2 to 3 times a week, your do wonders for your brain, Your brain stay healthy and younger.

Newborn, new baby, new tasks?

Having newborn is not a simple task that you can just do it without love. And you have new babies at home might think about the many things that a mother or a father needs to take care of a baby, and of course what are the things that you need.. Here are few steps that I would like to share, that will help and guide you through with your newborn

First of all, you’ll need to have clothing and for him or her.And blankets as well. Remember that these clothing and blankets are especially made for a newborn. They need to be comfortable, strong and washable. Do not waste your time and money on expensive clothing that he or she is going to throw up or have diaper leak. Remember that your baby’s needs are safety; comfort and you have to provide that.

You are also going to need diapers for your newborn. Remember that your baby is going to grow and she or he is going to need diapers. You have to keep her weight and her size in mind when you are picking out diapers and do not by too many at one time. If you go with cloth diapers or disposable ones, remember that you should have plenty at all times because you are going to need them and be prepared for the baby to grow very fast.

feeding bottles are also necessary even if you are breastfeeding for your baby. These should be for a newborn and should be the right size for him or her. There are many different brands and they will each have their own philosophies on what is better for the baby. You should do your research when it comes to your conclusions about what is going to be best for your baby when it comes to bottles. You may also want to have some pacifiers on hand because they can be helpful when nothing else will help.

Always remember that your newborn is going to need plenty of cognitive stimulation. Remember that it is important have brightly colored rattles and other thins so that your baby’s brain can develop as best as it can and so that you are able to help with cognitive development of your baby. Keep dangerous items behind locked doors out of the baby’s reach and have enough supplies so that you will only need to make short trips to the store.

How to eat those healthy beans.

You don't like your beans? well, you have to learn what they can do to you and then how you can eat them without the pain.

Garbanzo beans

these beans may help you reduce the level of the hormone insulin, lowering the risk of diabetes, this is based by the reports of Australian Scientists,

How to eat? Make your own hummus by blending 12 ounces of garbanzos with a tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice and peanut butter, Add chopped garlic clove, seasoned with salt pepper and cumin.

Pinto

Based on an Arizona study they have found that eating 1/2 cup of pintos daily can cut LDL cholesterol by 9 percent.

you can eat this by topping for chicken breasts mix a can of pintos with 1/4 cup each chopped red pepper, green pepper, and red onion add 1/4 cup corn, the juice of lime and 1/2 teaspoon cumin.

Kidney beans

These beans contains antioxidants that may help prevent the hardening of the arteries. That is based on the North Dakota State University Researchers.

You can eat this by doing a spicy sandwich spread, mash one can of kidney beans with two teaspoons of chili powder, the juice of a lime, and a clove of minced garlic.

Black beans

The dark skin of the beans has a great benefit because it contain potent disease-fighting anti-oxidants, according to a Cornell university study.

You can eat this in an Enchilada, Stuffed black beans chopped zucchini, and chredded cheddar cheese into whole grain tortillas. bake at 204 degrees C for 20 min.

Healthy Salad Secrets

There are many salads nowadays but how would you actually make the most of it. Here are pointers from the experts, It will change the way you make your salads.

1. For the citrus fruits, make sure they are firm and fragrant upon smelling.

2. For the meat, as long as it's vacuum packed. Or if buying pre-packed meat, it should be pink and to red in color.

3. For the prawns, go for those that are gray and firm.

4. For the salad greens, go for leaves and herbs that are fresh and crisp.

With salads it's nice to try out the different textures like crunchy and soft, This can also be something chewy, Having different textures, as well as different flavors gives dish some variety, Making it more enjoyable. Because usually if it is vinaigrette or a vinegar or a citrus-based dressing, you would want to balance the acidity to something sweet. So a balance of sweet and sour is nice, and if you can put a little bit of a bitter taste, a little bit of salty taste, even better.

Salads are a versatile type of dish, and aren't just measured by dressing and lettuce. Experimenting is a good way to spice things up. There are different ways to of doing the dressing, and not just the usual oil or vingar, fruits or vegetable purees are options. For starters try mango or raspberry puree.

7 Ways to prevent colds.

There are so many ways to prevent colds but here are some more that you might been doing it already but not just aware of it, if you are then continue. Just few simple tips.

1. Drink lots of water. (8-12 glasses a day)

2. and a follow up from number 1, this tip I got from my grandma that I really think is very helpful, try to drink 1 to 2 glasses of water just before eating your breakfast, It doesn't have to be cold. luke warm is ok.

3. Always eat fresh fruits, especially the dark green, red and the yellow ones.
freshest are always the best.

4. take at least 5 servings of vegetables.

5. Instead of eating the normal white rice, take the brown or red on instead.

6. Wash your hands. Yes this simple step goes a long way.

7. Exercise regularly. Nothing beats a good daily exercise in a fresh air.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Eggplant Salad

I just want to share a recipe for people who want a delicious but wanted to still be healthy, got this from eating well.com, I'll try it myself tomorrow, and I'll let you know, meanwhile you can try it yourself. looks yummy right?

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Pinch of cayenne pepper
8 lamb loin chops, 1-1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Spray both sides of eggplant and onion rounds with cooking spray. Grill the vegetables, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, chop the eggplant and onion and combine in a medium bowl with lemon juice, parsley, mint, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cayenne.
3. Meanwhile, sprinkle lamb chops with pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Grill the chops until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Serve with the eggplant salad.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 260 calories; 12 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 81 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 5 g fiber; 659 mg sodium; 674 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (28% daily value), Potassium (19% dv), Folate (15% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Having a healthy diet while traveling.

One of the hardest things for other people to do when on a diet is to stick with it while traveling, but honestly if you only know how to choose the smart way, you might find it not really that difficult. Traveling may not be the best time to start a healthy diet, but if you already started in anyhow, then this wouldn’t be that hard.

If you are going to travel by airplane, you have to include a healthy diet in your food, I mean the airplane food is not always bad, but you can always have an advance research before you book. When booking your flight you can always ask the customer service about the options of the airplane food, you can always try vegetarian, they have vegetarian dishes, so at this point this would be a very good choice for your healthy diet, nutritious balanced diet. But of course it still depends on the servings. Well you can always try to eat in advance, try to eat a large meal before your scheduled flight, so when it’s time to eat, you don’t need to eat the whole plate.

When you are going to drive or just taking a bus. Most people are really having that feel of hunger while traveling so you might stop at fast food restaurants, and you have no choice but to eat the food that you can buy there. Well you have to avoid this whenever possible! If you are on a vacation and you like to spend a bit, but don’t go overboard. Don’t eat fast food more than one in a week, this is not going to do god in your health, but if there’s no choice, you have to choose the healthiest food available, go on a diet soda, and choose the chicken breasts.

Of course one of the safest and the healthiest is to bring your own food when you travel, some lean lunchmeat, low fat cheese, whole wheat bread, these are good alternatives to junk food meals that are high-cholesterol. Oh another tip, you can always ask in advance if there’s a fridge in the hotel, so you could bring healthier food if you want.


And finally always be smart when choosing the food you eat whenever you are eating out, if you are going to eat pasta ask about the low-carb options they usually have those for health conscious ones. If you are choosing a salad, try to get the dressing on the side.
Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side, nowadays many restaurants had the diet options in their menus so it won’t be hard for you. When you’re eating with friends you can always ask a friend if you can split the meal. Or order a small options like “solo” or lunch sizes.

Now you don’t need to always worry about your healthy diet whenever you are traveling. All it takes is a little discipline and smart choices.

Eating a lot, but still skinny?

Are you still bothered with your sister, friend, neighbor who eats a lot but stays slim and never gain a pound? Here's something that you must read


Our body shapes and sizes vary because we have different metabolic rates or metabolism. The determinants of the metabolic rates are sex, the amount of exercise that we do everyday, age and the amount of muscle compared to fat. These are the main reason why our body shapes differs from one another. So don’t think that if one is so skinny, he probably is choosy when eating. There are times that our metabolism are affected by the hormonal factors or genetics. So no longer wonder if you know someone who eat like there’s no tomorrow, and stays very thin.


Males and Females have different metabolic rates, Women have lower metabolic rates than those of the men, and testosterone is the reason behind it. We learned from school that the responsible for the “manly matters” among their aspect when it comes to physiological is none other than testosterone. This includes the muscle growth. We also know that Women has lesser muscles than men, this is the reason why men has lower metabolic rates. Women have progesterone and estrogen as sex hormones.


When it comes to age, The children, infants and teenagers have higher metabolic rates, because children, infants and teenagers are the age groups that have active growth hormones. Now, these human active growth hormones are not given to matured adults this may lead to some problems. These are only given to children who are suffering from abnormal growing rate.


Pregnant women have higher metabolic rates and especially those breastfeeding, I so agree with this as I’m a living proof of how fast my metabolic rates nowadays. And to maintain these higher-than-normal metabolic rates, an exercise daily is such a great help.

Do you think that exercising in the evening better than other times of the day?

Doesn’t matter, There is no studies that prove that time does affect the effects of exercise in our body. The best idea is to exercise at your own convenient time. Try to do this three times a week and you will definitely see results. So don’t worry or don’t bother if your sister never gain a pound even if she eats like there’s no tomorrow. Metabolism differs.