Why not fast food?

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Well, Most of us knows that the physical health affects our mental health, I think you probably are aware that fast food has extremely high amount of calories, high in fat as well as sodium and carbohydrates than protein, vitamins and minerals, So if somebody is constantly eating those fast food, they'll going to be getting all those extra energy fuel for their body except that it's not going to have the vitamins and minerals that the body need.

So if you are consuming fast food on a daily basis, maybe not everyday but maybe every other day. You are still be getting high amount of calories with really low nutrients, so now your body is constantly needing the nutrients that you are not getting from the food, so I think that it contributes to food cravings, basically a food craving is your body wanting and saying that he needs those nutrients, so you are always hungry and always looking for food. and you may eat a meal and shortly after that you are hungry again and so you are looking forward for another meal.

now remember all those energy you get when you eat at fast food, in just few days of eating them constantly, You will now feel irritable, grumpy i must say. You may have that energy back if you eat again, but it will soon fade away, the fast food really does makes you fat and not getting any food nutrients that we need. So this maybe hard but this must be stop. Maybe once in a while is ok, but everyday? or every other day? think again. So when you are hungry why not grab something healthy.

Vitamins and their benefits to your skin

I think almost all of women loves to look good. And I think that one of the top priorities of most women is a healthy beautiful skin. Before thinking of buying those very expensive products here are some vitamins that usually fond in skin care products that would help you in taking care of your skin, to keep it healthy, young-looking and may reduce the signs of skin aging

Vitamin A- This typically can be used in retin A, basically it's retinol derivative, What it does is it helps reduce the fine lines and wrinkles. And it also helps to exfoliates and increase cellular turnover.

Vitamin C- Is usually the most popular vitamin found in skin care products, both topically or internally you can take it.Internally, because it is a water soluble ingredient. And it is something that you want to make sure that you consistently taking it cause it is washed out with body fluids, So you make sure that you take it pretty frequently or as prescribed by your doctor.Before the skin, it usually helps to repair collagen elastin, so it helps to make your skin nice and plump,also fight environmental aggressors, so it's good for environmental stressed skin or sun-damaged skin.

Omegas- They help your skin in lipid production and barrier functions, they help to ensure your skin functions the way it supposed to.

The Importance of Vitamin C

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We all know that there are a lot and I mean a lot of vitamins that every one needs every single day of our lives for our body to function correctly and properly of course.

And I guess one of the most popular most needed is vitamin C. There are so many stuffs around there that could give you your daily dose of Vitamin C, but I still think that the best way is to have a well balanced diet, a diet that has foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, milk, fish tomatoes; A well balanced meal has to have all the major vitamins on it. Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic acid, There are times that we are worried that we are not getting enough amounts of vitamin c naturally in our food, then you could ask your doctor,

he could recommend some Vitamin C supplement that is suitable to your body , I mean the enough dosage or proper levels of vitamin C that should be taken for you. Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin c is one of the 13 vitamins that our body needs. This vitamin is not fat-soluble, Thus our body cannot store it, so you have to consumed it everyday, Now the vitamin levels and dosages depends on your age, gender, weight, lifestyle, pregnant or not. So you really have to consult your doctor to know the perfect dosage for you.

What does vitamin C do? Basically , vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it battles the forces in our body that can cause organ, tissue, and cell damage. Therefore, vitamin C protects the body and may specifically be linked to reducing the signs of aging. If you do not have enough vitamin C in your body, you will develop scurvy. Scurvy is very uncommon in the United States, but can cause anemia, gum disease, skin hemorrhages, and weakness.

When you begin taking vitamin C supplements, make sure that you follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you take to much vitamin C, you can overdose, just as you would with a typical drug. This is rare, because vitamin C is water soluble and high amounts will leave the body at a normal rate, but when it does happen, it can cause kidney stones and interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, causing anemia. Diarrhea is also a side effect. Therefore, it is best to listen to you doctor’s recommendation.

In most cases, you will automatically get enough vitamin C in your foods, especially if you are eating a healthy diet. If you are not and your doctor tells you to begin taking vitamin C supplements, look carefully at the labels of different brands before you buy anything. Because vitamin supplements are classified as foods and not drugs, they are not regulated by the government and each brand’s potency will vary slightly from the next.

Vitamin B12 and it's importance to our life!

When you are learning about the vitamins your body needs to survive, you may notice that there are a number of vitamins listed. However, each is important in specific ways. Vitamin B12 is another part of the vitamin B complex, and without it, our metabolism would be affected. Vitamin B 12 is also important in helping to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, and in maintaining the nervous systems, which sends messages to and from the brain to tell us that things are hot, painful, itchy, moving, and so forth.

Vitamins fall into two general categories. The first are called fat-soluble vitamins and include vitamins E and K, among others. These vitamins can be stored in the body and, in some cases, produced by the body, so deficiency is very rare. However, vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. While is can be stored, in some cases, it cannot be used properly. Therefore, eating is every day is very important to our bodies. If we do not, our bodies cannot function properly. If you believe that you are not getting enough vitamin B12, you should talk to a doctor he or she can help you find the right vitamin supplements to take, so this will not be a problem.

Of course, your diet is the best way to get vitamin B12 into your body. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet, you should not have to worry about not have to worry about have lower or higher than normal levels of vitamin B12 in the body. However, if you have special dietary needs or medical conditions, vitamin supplements may be needed. You can find fairly high levels of vitamin B 12 in eggs, poultry, beef, pork, shellfish, and dairy products, especially milk.

Because vitamin B12 is one of the few vitamins that can be stored in the body, extreme deficiency is very rare. However, if you body cannot use vitamin B12 properly or absorb it from foods in the intestinal tract, you may need vitamin supplements to help your body. Vegans are especially prone to this and should take vitamin supplements, since most of the vitamin B12 we get in our diets is found in meat. If you don’t get enough vitamin B12, you develop a condition known as pernicious anemia. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in your arms and legs, weakness, low of balance, and other neurological symptoms. If you are worried about developing pernicious anemia, you should talk to your doctor about beginning to take vitamin B12 supplements today.

How Vitamins Supplements can Help You

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There are so many benefits to getting a proper amount of nutrition that there is no way to list them all. For people who are working on building their muscles, there are certain things about vitamins and supplements that you should be aware of.

First of all, the best way to get your best nutrition is through eating the right diet. There are certain aspects of the vitamins and minerals that go along with food that just can’t be found in the supplements. It is always best to eat as well as you can. However, if for some reason you aren’t able to get all of the needed vitamins and minerals, it is better to have them via vitamin supplements than to have none at all.

For bodybuilders, it is important to remember that you are doing great work on your body, and this work is causing you to become stronger. However, as you increase in your ability to lift things and as you increase in the strength of your muscles, you are going to need more vitamins and minerals, as well as more energy, in order to use these enhanced muscles.

You should not start bodybuilding before you have talked to a doctor or a nutritionist about what you should do to make sure that your body can maintain the muscles that it has. If you are not able to consume enough of the foods that have the right vitamins, you are going to need to take supplements. This is because it is extremely important that you have enough of the right things if you are going to be bodybuilding. If you are building your muscles and not feeding your body properly, there is not going to be anything left over to keep you healthy as well as strong. Vitamins help to build you immune system, make hormones, and much more.

Many times it is a good idea to go on a general multivitamin if you are going to be working out and working hard on your body. This is a good idea because as you work out you are burning energy that your body would otherwise use to protect itself. Your immune system might be very compromised as you work out, so you should try to do whatever you can to make sure that you are getting the correct vitamins and minerals that your immune system needs to function correctly. Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor about what you can do to make sure you are putting the right things into your body at all times.

Do you always get sore throat?

Image via WikipediaOne of my good friend, MJ, who is also a voice coach has this problem. She easily get her sore throat and it will be cured for only few weeks and it will return. I was really concern so i did my research.

She always say that her throat is always itchy and sometimes with burning sensation. One sign before you get fever, flu and tonsillitis is sore throat.

Sore throat is mad e by stretococcus bacterium. One main reason why people get this is beacuse of poor and unhealthy diet high intake of unrefined carbohydrates, too much sweets. Like those in biscuits, table sugar, etc.

Stress, smoking and drinking are the reasons why our bodies reduce it's resistance against infections. You should add enough Vitamin D and E to your daily diet to avoid sore throat. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish. That's why you have to be in a fish diet if you have sore throat. This will prevent infections and provide healthy immune system.. While Vitamin E can be found in Avocado, Olive oil, nuts and seeds.

So always remember prevention is still better than cure.

Brain food? Take the B Vitamins.

Image via WikipediaMemory loss, Memory gap, Are just some of the things that happens to us as we age. But you don't need to grow old to wait for these things to happen to you. Why don't you do something for yourself while you were young. I have given some tips on my previous posts about how you can improve your memory. But what is the specific vitamin food that helps boost your memory?

Vitamin B Complex can actually boost your brain and enhance the power of your memory. You should try to eat Vitamin b-rich foods. And try to stay away from foods that may reduce or lower the Vitamin b complex. Here are the list of foods that are rich in Vitamin B.

Potatoes
Avocados
whole grains,
Tuna
Oats
Turkey
Bananas
Legumes
yeast, meat, low-fat dairy products,
Brazil nuts
lentils and leafy greens.

Oh and beer too. Yes, you heard it right, but it doesn't mean that you have to reason this to drink more beer. eat right and balance your diet.

Eating healthy? Try dragon fruit.

Another healthy food to add in your healthy diet is Dragon fruit. This dragon fruit is really new to me, but i know that it has been in the American/ Asian market for ages. I'm just curious how so many people in my country are now getting into this, This fruit was originally from Mexico,South America, Vietnam,Taiwan and South East Asian Countries. And whenever a new and healthy food is out I always make it a point to try that "something new to me" food and prove it to my self.

So here's another one on my list, Dragon fruit. So what exactly is a dragon fruit? This unusual looking fruit, brightly colored and named Dragon fruit is also known as Pitaya. I heard there's a story behind why it's called Dragon fruit, but don't know the exact story.

At first, i found the fruit a little scary, because it reminded me of the plant from that movie" little shop of horrors " the plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. hahaha! (I'm sorry but i was six then, and even though it was a comedy movie it scared the hell out of me.) But this fruit won't eat you but you will eat this fruit.

This healthy food is rich in vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C. Here are the rest of the nutrients that you can get from the dragon fruit.


Protein, Niacin

Fiber,Iron

Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Vitamin A

It also has antioxidants, and we all know how antioxidant helps our body to prevent certain diseases or even cancer. This is one vitamin-packed fruit.The dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out, like eating a sherbet. And best eaten when chilled. It has a refreshingly sweet taste. SO the next time you're looking for a new and healthy fruit to eat. Look for the dragon fruit. The name is too big to forget.



images courtesy of www.nutrexsolutions.com and
www.thirteenmonths.com

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Healthy food, dried fruits?

Image via WikipediaHealthy food:Dried fruits or frozen fruit, which one is better? I love fruits no matter how it's done dried, frozen and of course fresh.

The nutrients of dried fruits depends on how long the fruit was around before it was dried. Some commercial dried fruits may contain an additional sulfur dioxide which can lead to asthma for some people, Now, you might be asking why sulfur? The sulfur is used to "fix" the color of the fruit.

But there are also no-sulfur dried fruits available in stores that you can try. So, what nutrients do you get from dried fruits?Here are some vitamins that you can get from dried fruits

Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6,

pantothenic acid

and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium,

phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese)(courtesy of Wikipedia).

And because of water loss, that was experienced while it was dried. Dried fruits has a stronger taste or flavor. But these process also destroys most of the Vitamin C in the food, The levels of Vitamin C has been greatly reduced compared when it was fresh.

But i just want to share my favorite dried fruit... mangoes. i love 7D dried mangoes, This is just the best dried mangoes on the planet.

Healthy foods and tips to improve memory

Brain teasers, exercise and a well-balanced diet are the key to boosting your brain power. You may have read this over and over again. But this is because it's true. All you need to do is to balance your everyday meal. and choose the right healthy foods. Learn how you can manage to deliver these foods onto your family's plate without the fuzz.

The following foods are the ones that are rich in amino acids, omega oils, vitamins and minerals that'll definitely helps to sharpen and boost your brain power. It is better to always make sure that you consume protein-rich foods in every meal. Protein-rich foods like:

Peanuts
Beans
Legumes
seeds

Fishes. especially those whoa re found in the deepest part of the sea. Are the best fishes that has essential oils that are important in maintaining healthy cells of a person, and maintains it normal functions.

Other brain foods are the following:

Apples
bell peppers
celery
squash
potatoes
parsley
mushrooms
berries
papaya
pineapple
oats
black beans
sesame seeds
walnuts/peanuts and a lot more

If you'll notice most brain-power foods comes in very small packages. So never underestimate the power of nuts and beans.

No only these foods can give you brain power, A matching exercise will not hurt but will help your brain use its function to the fullest. Based on studies, physical activities encourages the brain to be more active and boosts nerve cells to multiply. Here are some tips and tricks to help sharpen your memory and get the most out of your brain power.

1. Watch game shows
2. Memorize your to-do list
3. Answer word puzzles and other word games such as sudoku.
4. Right speed of walking/ slow jogging/ biking/ swimming (increases brain memory up to 30%)
5. Get enough sleep.

These things are so easy and you can do it at the comfort of your own home.

Health food, Noodles from seaweeds and vegetables.

Last time, i wrote about how popular Camel's milk now in UAE,. In the Philippines The government is now introducing veggie noodles. Through the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of Department of Science and Technology.

They developed different types of noodles that were made out of different vegetables, like squash,jute leaves and other green leafy vegetables, not to mention seaweeds too.
Vegetables are known to be very rich in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, iodine, iron, protein and a lot more.

Noodles that are made of squash are pasta, instant noodles, and fresh miki or eggless noodles. Seaweeds and jute leaves were made as instant spaghetti, flat noodles and iodine-rich fresh miki.These noodles was first made for a feeding program to the less fortunate. Especially those who have Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), Iodine Deficiency Disorder(IDD) and Protein Energy Malnutrition. This is just on time right now, While the price of flour(one main ingredient of noodles) is constantly increasing in the world market.

Based on FNRI 50-gram serving of squash noodles, can give 16 % of energy, 20% of protein and 24% of Vitamin A. Which is just enough for recommended Energy and Nutrient intake for children ages 4 to 6 years old. While noodles made of jute leaves can give us 15 % of energy, 18 % protein and 36% of Vitamin A. And seaweed(guso) noodles/ pasta can give us 12 % protein and 22 % of iodine. These may not be much, but it's better to eat veggie noodles than just the plain ones.

The color of squash noodles are bright yellow. While noodles from vegetables are all green. These noodles are firm and don't have unpleasant smell. and has a fine texture compare to those commercial noodles.




image courtesy of www. allposters.com

Healthy foods: How to make toddlers eat.

Never force children to eat something that they say they "hate". Instead try to combine these nutritious food items with those that they like . For example", If your tot love hotdogs, make a sandwich with an iron-fortified hotdog, vitamin-enriched margarine, a slice of cheese, a little mayonnaise with minced carrots, and serve with glass of fresh fruit juice.

Nutrients are better absorbed when combined in a dish such as serving vegetables with meat cubes. for instance. Small frequent feedings are better for this stage since they can only eat so much with their small appetites.

Here are top must lists of healthy foods for your toddlers:

The primary food that toddlers should have in their priority list is milk. It is an excellent source of calcium and protein. It is also a good source of phosphorous, some B-complex vitamins, and Vitamins A and D. as well as some magnesium. Toddlers need fats contained in full cream milk, so low-fat or non-fat milk are not recommended. If your toddler gets tired of drinking same milk over and over, try to be innovative: add a teaspoon or two of chocolate or strawberry flavoring. better yet mix it with some fresh fruits your little ones love or make it into a nutritious milkshake.

The next in line, vegetables. vegetable provide minerals, vitamins and fiber. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach contains vitamin c and A , iron, calcium. while yellow veggies such as carrots and squash are rich in Vitamin A.

Third group and non-negotiable food are fruits. fruits are rich in vitamins and are well-liked by most kids. Bananas are rich in potassium, magnesium, and vitamin b6.

Make sure your toddler eats whole grain breads or enriched rice and cereals, as these are good source of iron, thiamin and riboflavin..

When your tots really hates the taste, try to add bitter/bland tasting veggies into their meal by making a puree or or use a juicer then hide it by mixing it to their favorite foods. It is important that we don't take healthy foods for granted. We only want whats best for our kids.