Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating

When the holidays arrive, many people forget all
about their diets and healthy eating.  Weight
gains of 7 - 10 pounds are common between
Halloween and Christmas.  To make the holidays
easier, these tips will help you with healthy
eating through the season and not gaining weight.

Most traditional foods can be made low fat. 
Turkey is very lean without the skin, and gravy
can be made without any fat.  Potatoes that are
served without butter can be very healthy.  The
beloved pumpkin pie is nutritious, although it
can be made into a fatty dessert with the adding
of whipped cream.

Even though the holidays are in, don't forget
about the exercise.  Keeping weight off during
the holiday season is burning off the extra
calories.  You should plan a walk after meals,
park farther from stores when you shop, and
take a few walks around the mall before you
begin shopping.

During holiday parties and at family dinners,
feel free to sample foods although you shouldn't
splurge.  Decide on what you plan to eat in
advance, then stick to your plan.  Eat plenty
of vegetables, fruit, low fat dressings, and
slices of lean meats.  Before you go to a party,
eat a small snack to help curb your appetite.

If at all possible, avoid alcohol.  Having too
many drinks can cripple your will power, and
also add excess calories to your diet.  In the
place of alcohol, drink water with lemon. Water
can help to limit your appetite and keep you
from binging.  Also make sure to avoid eggnog,
as each glass can have up to 300 calories.

Be flexible with your healthy eating, as one bad
meal won't ruin your diet.  Try to balance your
calories over a few days and don't just look at
one meal or day.



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Tips For Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you
eat to keep your body in great health.  With healthy
eating, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins
and minerals you need, stay strong for activities
you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Below, you'll find tips designed to help you with
healthy eating.

1.  Don't skip any meals
Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the ideal
way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight.
When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more
than likely to choose foods that aren't very good
for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with
you or know where you can buy healthy food from.

2.  Learn about how to prepare foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying,
microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should
also try fresh or even dried herbs and spices to
add flavor to your food.  Before you eat any type
of meat, be sure to trim the fat and skin off of
it.

3.  Avoid a lot of sugar
Drinks that contain sugar are a major source of
empty energy.  What this means, is that the drinks
contain a lot of energy that your body may not
need, and it doesn't contain any vitamins or
minerals.  If you plan to drink sugary drinks,
don't go overboard - limit yourself to 1 a day.

4.  Avoid thinking about diets
There are no good food nor any bad foods.  All
food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten
in moderation.  You don't need to buy any low
carb, fat free, or even diet foods, as these foods
normally have lots of other added ingredients
to replaces the carbohydrates or fat.



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The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

The following is a list of the healthiest foods that
you can get.  This will help you get an idea as
to what foods are the best for your body.

Fruits

Apricots
Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to
prevent radical damage and also helps to protect
the eyes.  A single apricot contains 17 calories,
0 fat, and one gram of fiber.  You can eat them
dried or soft.

Mango
A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C,
which is nearly your entire daily dose.  This
antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also
boost your immune system. 

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is
almost twice the recommended dose.  Half a melon
contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly
twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower
blood pressure.  Half a melon contains 97 calories,
1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato
A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,
and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily.
A tomaton contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only
1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables

Onions
An onion can help to protect against cancer.  A
cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3
grams of fiber.

Broccoli
Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer,
and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-
carotene.  One cup of chopped broccoli contains
25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach
Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend
off macular degeneration, which is a major cause
of blindness in older people.  One cup contains
7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts

Peanuts
Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of
heart disease by 20 percent.  One ounce contains
166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of
fiber. 

Pinto beans
A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25
percent of your daily folate requirement, which
protects you against heart disease.  Half a cup
contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams
of fiber.

Skim milk
Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for
good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve
allergies.  You also get calcium and vitamin D as
well.  One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0
fiber.

Seafood

Salmon
All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and
tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids,
which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,
4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity
boosting zinc.  A 3 ounce serving of crab offers
84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.




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Nutrition For The Elderly

Healthy eating and nutrition for the elderly is
greatly impacted by several factors, one of them
being a change in body composition.  During the
later years in life, the body will lose bone and
muscle and gain fat because the hormones aren't
very active anymore.

There are many factors which hinder an elderly
person's health.  The information below will help
you to lead a healthy life - no matter how old you
may be.

Water
Water in the body decreases with age, so many older
folks will become dehydrated very easily.  Sometimes
they won't feel thirsty, while other times it's
too much work to pour a glass a water.  With this
in mind, it's recommended that they drink at least
1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.

Protein
At this stage in life, protein is very important.
Protein is needed to support a healthy immune
system and prevent the wasting of muscle.  Since
energy needs are less, older folks should eat high
quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poulty,
and fish.

Carbs and fiber
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for
the entire body.  You can find carbs in bread,
cereals, pasta, and other grain products.  A diet
that's high in fiber and water will help to
prevent constipation as well.

Fat
Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, not
eliminated.  You can limit fat by choosing lean meats,
low fat dairy products, and food preperation
methods that don't include frying. 

Iron
For the elderly, iron deficiency can be seen with
those who aren't eating much.  Good sources for
iron include lean red meats or breakfast cereals.

Zinc
Zinc intake is normally with the elderly, and to
make matters worse, it's not absorbed very well
either.  Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part
of your diet to help you meet the requirements for
zinc.

Calcium
Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks
simply aren't getting enough of.  Most believe
that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they
will avoid it.  They should be getting around 1,500
mg of calcium a day, and nonfat powdered milk can
be used in recipes as a substitute for milk.  Other
foods such as yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli
can also help you meet the requirements for calcium.

Vitamin B12
In order to absorb the benefits of B12, the intrinsic
facotr must be produced by the stomach.  Most elderly
people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they
have a condition known as atrophic gastritis.  This
condition causes inflammation of the stomach,
bacterial overgrowth, and the intrinsic factor.
Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be
absorbed.

Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep
an aged body in good health.  Elderly individuals
should try to stay active and strive for a well
balanced diet.  Even though the aged body isn't the
same as it used to be, proper care and the right
nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthy and
long life.





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Nine Facts About Fiber

If you've been looking for a way towards a high
octane diet, you'll find fiber to be exactly what
you need.  Even though research has shown fiber to
be powerful, many people aren't taking this nutrient
seriously.

To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are
10 facts to help.

1.  Fiber fights diseases.  A diet high in fiber can
help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.  High
fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by
binding it in the digestive tract.  For thousands of
years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.

2.  Fiber can actually help with overeating.  All high
fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest,
making you feel satisfied longer

3.  Most popular foods don't have enough fiber.  If
you like the more popular foods, you probably need
to increase your intake of fiber.

4.  Grains offer the most fiber.  Dietary fiber is
actually plant matter that we cannot digest.  The best
sources are whole grains and concentrated grain
products. 

5.  Kids need fiber as well.  Children that are older
than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of
fiber.  Kids are most receptive to fiber found in
fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast
cereals. 

6.  More fiber needs more water.  In order to keep
fiber moving through your digestive tract, you'll
need to consume a lot of water.  With your diet of
fiber, you'll need eight or more glasses of water
every day.

7.  Fiber cannot be cooked out.  When you cook
your fruits and vegetables, don't worry about cooking
the fiber out, as it stays.  The fiber found in
fruits and vegetables aren't just in the skin or
in the peel.

8.  You can get enough fiber.  If you eat more than
50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea
and bloating, which can interfere with your body's
absorption of other key minerals.

9.  Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet
doesn't have to be hard.  Even though you may think
so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn't very
hard to do.  All you have to do is eat the right
foods and you'll be well on your way to a fiber
rich lifestyle.

As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating,
fiber is something you don't want to skip.  Fiber can
serve many different purposes, which were covered
above.  If you aren't getting enough fiber in your
diet - you should do something about now instead
of waiting until it is too late.



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Making Healthy Food Choices

Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in
fat and have no cholesterol.  Most are great sources
of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins. 
The American Heart Association recommends that you
eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber.

Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:

-  Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives
are high in monounsaturated fats and calories.  You
should use these items sparingly to avoid getting
too many calories from fat.

-  When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat
or cholesterol is often added.  For example, egg
yolks may be added to bread or even pasta.

-  Processed, canned, or preserved vegetables may
also contain added sodium.  With some people, too
much sodium (salt) may lead to high blood pressure.
There are some food companies that are actually
canning vegetables with less salt.  You can look
for these in the market area or choose fresh and
even frozen vegetables.

-  Nuts and seeds tend to be high in calories and
fat, although a majority of the fat is polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated.  There are some varieties,
macadamie nuts for example, that are also high in
saturated fat.

Foods that are high in soluble fiber are a great
choice as well.  Examples include oat bran,
oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, and
even apple pulp. 

Whenever you are looking for healthy food choices,
always make sure you read the nutrition label
or information about the food.  You can then
determine what the food contains and how healthy
it truly is for your body.  By taking your time
and making your healthy food choices wisely,
you'll have a lifetime to enjoy the foods that
will take care of you.




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Kids Eating Healthy

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days,
making it very hard to teach a child how he or she
should eat healthy.  The cheapest and easiest foods
are those that are normally the least healthy.  If
you give your child the choice between healthy food
and junk food, you normally won't like the results.

Even though it isn't possible to get a child to like
all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your
child to try and hopefully like at least a few of
them.  You can be as creative as you like, as getting
kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than
you may think.

-  Sneak the healthy food in.  Even though it would
be great if your kid understood the importance of
fruits and vegetables, this isn't always possible.
If you can't get them to eat good food willingly,
there are ways to sneak them in, such as making
muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with
spinach on it.

-  Call fruits and vegetables by funny names.  You
can refer to broccoli as "trees", making them
more fun to eat.  There are many different names
you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up
your own if you prefer.  Most kids prefer to eat
foods that sound fun.

-  Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is
great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great
topping for celery.  There are several combinations
for vegetables that can make them taste much
better.  You can let your child pick a topping
for a vegetable, even if it's something you wouldn't
normally like yourself.

-  Dress the vegetables up.  Just as much as calling
them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them
look funny also helps.  You can do this by making
funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to
look like people.  Although some parents don't like
their kids playing with their food, sometimes it
helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat
healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to
be fun as well.  This isn't always an easy task,
because kids normally don't like foods that are
good for them.  It can however, be done with a bit
of creativity.  Hopefully, doing this will help
your child develop a love of healthy foods for the
rest of their lives.



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