Healthy Living 101 - Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Eating healthy on a budget does not mean to sacrifice the things you enjoy. There are easy ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay within a reasonable budget. For the most part, people are tuning to healthier food options such as grains, leafy vegetables and less or no meats. One of the most often used resources for budgeting are coupons. Secondly, shopping at local markets can also put extra pennies in your pocket. Lastly, buying in bulk is another budget friendly alternative. There are many options available to provide your family with healthy meals while being budget conscience. These tips will provide you with just a few of options available.

Cut Out Meat

Those that are approaching a healthier life-style may have resort to purchasing grass-fed, pastured or hormone-free meats. However, eating healthy on a budget does not afford many this option because these types of meat are generally more expensive than is what is readily available at the neighborhood supermarkets. What people need to realize is that most American consume more meat than they need to. Therefore, it is possible to continue buying those pricier meats as long as you are willing to cut back on the amount you eat. Purchasing higher cost, quality meats but consuming less of them is a great way to cut costs.

Grains and Beans

To get the most for your buck, stock up on grains and beans. Grains and beans (or legumes) are an inexpensive addition to any meal and makes eating healthy on a budget a snap. Also, they contain a nutritional power punch. Grains and beans add the filling feeling most people expect to get from meat. As you begin to incorporate beans and grains into your recipes there are a few things you should keep in mind. Grains are all the same so they basically can all be prepared the same way. If you are accustomed to cooking rice, you are ready to try different grains. Give it a little jazz by adding fresh herbs and it will be a hit on the dinner table. If you are interested in making a lighter meals try experimenting with quinoa. It has a lighter texture. For a heavier meal, like breakfast or even an early dinner, give barley a try. It has a meatier feel. If you are an individual that often enjoys cooking but has a busy schedule stock up on canned beans. Canned beans are great for chili’s and soups as meat

Eating healthy on a budget does not require drastic diet changes or flavor sacrifice. Knowing which items can both include flavor and fulfillment to each dish will make meal planning easy and enjoyable. Include more grains and decrease the amount of meat in your recipes and your meals with keep your stomach and wallets happy and full. Enjoy the flavor you love while watch your families grow healthy and your savings increase. Invent new recipes, try new flavors and set a savings goal. These will make eating healthy on a budget more like a new journey and less of a necessity.

Healthy Living 101 - Pharmaceutical Colon Cleanse

Pharmaceutical Colon Cleanse

Colon cleansing has many alternatives. Many prefer a pharmaceutical colon cleanse which would include laxatives. Many supporters of colon cleansing say that that it can improve your health. Colon cleansing may be useful for some that suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and experience chronic constipation. However, saline laxatives and pharmaceutical laxatives can cause side effects and drug interactions. There are healthy alternative to achieve a proper colon cleanse. Juice fasting in moderation can also improve the health of your colon without flushing your body of the nutrients needed for proper function. Before attempting any form of colon cleanse consult your doctor.

Natural Colon Cleanse: Herbs

Pharmaceutical colon cleanse are known for stripping the body of vitamins and nutrients necessary to promote a healthy body. Alternatives such as psyllium, senna and aloe have also proven to provide similar results to laxative without damaging the body. Psyllium acts as a bulk laxative. In the stomach, psyllium expands to form a clear, jelly-like matter that gently pushes matter out of the colon. Senna is a highly effective herb that works as a stimulant laxative. Senna causes the bowels to contraction which helps to flush waste from the digestive tract. There may be some side effects such as cramping and diarrhea. Another natural alternative is aloin. Aloin is a compound found in the aloe plant and also an effective laxative. Aloe has also been proven to soothe stomach pains and nausea during a colon cleanse.

Natural Cleansing Juices

Using natural fruits and vegetables may also be an alternative to a pharmaceutical colon cleanse. A colon cleanse may be accomplished with the right mix of fruits, vegetables, water and leafy greens. Blending fruits and vegetables into a healthy juice can aide in colon cleansing while providing the body with the components required for a healthy body. Fruit and vegetables provide the body with vitamin and nutrients required to function properly and maintain a healthy weight and physical strength. The juice diet should be well rounded and include many types of fruits and vegetables. For a successful colon cleanse, use fruits and vegetables that your enjoy. Trying new fruits and vegetables may not suit your flavor buds and cause you to be put off by the concoction. It is recommended to try using your favorite six fruits, four vegetables and two types of leafy greens. The most common fruits for juicing are oranges, berries, mangos, peaches, pineapple, cucumber, honeydew, watermelon, apples and tomatoes. For vegetables try celery, bell peppers, carrots, beets and corn. The best and most favored leafy greens include: spinach, collard greens, and kale. These greens are even known to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

If you are contemplating colon cleanse as a way to shed some unwanted weight, be sure you do not overdo it. Flushing your symptoms can do harm if done in excess. Also before trying the pharmaceutical colon cleansing products consider the natural alternatives such as herbs and juices. Experiment with different fruit and vegetable blends therefore you never get tired of the same flavor combinations. Also, juices provide your body with the vitamins and nutrients which are beneficial for a healthy and successful weight loss.

Healthy Living 101 - All You Can Eat Fad Diets

All You Can Eat Fad Diets

With weight loss on the rise, so are those trying to turn a profit in the health and diet industries. Many companies say to have found the way to lose weight quick and effectively. However, with all these fad diets there are tons of risks. There are many all you can eat fad diets however there is one that stands out about the rest. The 7 day all you can eat diet offers individuals who are unwilling to make long term lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy body a quick and easy fix for fast weight loss. The 7 day all you can eat diet also known as the cabbage soup diet, the GM diet, the Sacred Heart diet or just simply the all you can eat diet restricts you to a certain food or foods. However you can often eat as much as you like of it for that day. This diet is just a fad diet. It has been circulating around the World Wide Web for years. The all you can eat diet is unhealthy and dangerous.

Metabolism Damage

The all you can eat fad diets work by restricting the number of calories consumed each day. At times, the diet reduces your caloric intake to a dangerously low level and causes your body to go into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism. Lowering your metabolism causes your body to burn calories slower and store it as fat. It is possible to lose weight on this diet however you will immediately gain all the weight back as soon as you go off the diet. Possibly gaining more weight than before you started the diet because of the damage to your metabolism.

Muscle Mass & Malnutrition

Two other major health risks of all you can eat fad diets include loss of muscle mass and vitamin/nutrient deficiencies. Because your body goes into starvation mode it try to find other way to lower the amount of calories needed to function. Therefore, your body will attack your muscles. Muscles burn calories even when they are not in use so burning muscles will save those calories. By the end of you’re the all you can eat diet, you are weaker than you were before. Without the energy to exercise you will not be able to maintain a healthy body or healthy weight loss. Secondly, the all you can eat diet does not provide a balanced meal plan. Your body needs a balanced diet for all its major vitamins and nutrients. With the drastic weight loss your body is bound to suffer vitamin deficiencies due to the poor diet. Vitamin deficiencies lead to a vast majority of serious health conditions.

All you can eat fad diets such offer quick solutions for weight loss followed by a variety of consequences. What good is it to lose weight if you are destroying it in the process? The best way to lose weight is maintaining a proper diet and exercise. There are no magic weight loss solutions. Weight loss is a gradual process. Time your time to give your body what it needs and you will be pleased with the final result. Consult your physician when attempting weight loss for helpful tips and advice to ensure a healthy body.

Eat Right and Look Great!!! More Food for Thought.

5 Metabolism Boosting Meats:

Salmon:

Salmon works as a metabolism booster to aide on losing weight faster. Salmon is very filling so you will not to eat much to fill satisfied. Salmon is also rich in protein which provides your body with necessary nutrients. Salmon also has very low saturated fat content. Saturated fat can lead to deposits of fat around your heart and other vital organs. When beginning a new diet it is also best to choose foods that are low in saturated fat for better health and lean muscles. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids which helps your body burn more calories naturally. Omega-3 fatty acids help to burn calories by lower your leptin levels. By eating 2-3 servings of salmon per week, the risk of heart disease is reduced by 35%. A half salmon fillet contains 367 calories, 198 calories from fat. Salmon has 4g of Saturated Fat, 112mg Cholesterol, 109mg Sodium, 0g of Carbohydrates and 39g of Protein. A small amount of Vitamin A, C and Calcium are also provided in Salmon. Salmon is also valuable to the health of the brain. This is especially a good food choice for students. Poaching, baking or grilling is recommended preparation for the best flavor and less calories.

Sardines:

Most people know sardines as a tiny, sleek and silvery canned fish. Sardines are one of the few foods that contain Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is a nutrient found the body's cells. CoQ10 has antioxidant properties that enhance physical energy. Increased physical energy help to burn calories. Other CoQ10 benefits are reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. For instance, sardines are particularly good in reducing the risk of hypertension and congestive heart failure. In addition to CoQ10, sardines provide a ton of other nutrients Sardines are also a sufficient source of vitamin B12 (another great source metabolism boost), selenium, omega-3 oils, protein, phosphorus and vitamin D. Health care providers and nutritional experts such as dieticians are consistently advertising the benefits of CoQ10, omega-3 oils, selenium, and vitamins B12 and D. Sardines contain 310 calories, 154 calories from fat, 2g of Saturated fat, 212mg Cholesterol, 752mg Sodium and 37g Protein. Sardines are high in Calcium and Iron. This combination of nutrients is extremely important when it comes to cardiovascular health, memory, joints, skin and energy levels. Sardines are a good source of these nutrients.

Tuna:

Similar to other fish, tuna is full of omega-3 fatty acids. These enzymes eliminate erratic heart beats which helps lowers the risk of blood clots and heart attacks. An added benefit of omega-3 fatty acids include increase in amount of calories burned daily. Tuna is also rich in protein which help you fill full faster and provides energy. Triglycerides are a type of fat that contributes to high cholesterol when present in large quantities. Consuming tuna lowers the triglyceride content in a person blood to normal and healthy amounts. To prevent blood clots, it is recommended to add tuna to your diet. Tuna also improves blood flow. Therefore, tuna is beneficial in preventing strokes. Just by adding tuna to your meal plan 1 to 3 servings a month, an individual will decrease their risk of stroke. The omega-3 content in tuna is largely beneficial in an individual’s skin care. Tuna can reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer by reduce inflammation. Lastly, tuna is a good source of selenium. Selenium is important in liver health. Having a healthy functioning liver helps keep blood clean. The liver helps to promote detoxification of the body by filtering the blood. I cup of tuna (canned in water) contains 179 calories, 11 calories from fat, 0g saturated fat, 46mg cholesterol, 521mg sodium, 0g carbohydrates and 39g of protein. Tuna also provides Iron, Calcium and Vitamin A.

Turkey:

Turkey is part of the poultry family. Turkey is a good source of protein which boost metabolism and enables the body to burn calories. Cooking turkey meat with the skin on keeps the natural juices and flavor sealed in. While many may fear the skin contains fat, the fat from the skin does not seep into the meat. Instead the end result is a juicy cut of white meat that is both flavorful and filling. A great meat options for dieters as it is very versatile and low in fat. Turkey without the skin contains only 1 gram of fat per ounce. A 5-ounce serving of turkey meat provides nearly half of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid. Also, turkey is a good source of vitamins B, B1, B6, zinc and potassium. These nutrients are stated to keep blood cholesterol down, protect against birth defects (such as brain deficiencies), cancer and heart disease. Turkey meat has also been noted to aid in nerve function and growth, boost the immune system, regulate blood pressure, and assist in healing processes. 1 pound of roasted white turkey meat (breast meat) contains 212 calories, 75 calories from fat, 2g of saturated fat, 83mg cholesterol, and 71mg sodium, 0g of carbohydrates and 32g of protein.

Chicken

Chicken, another member of the poultry family, is another option for dieters seeking a white meat option. White meat chicken is high in protein. An addition of protein to your diet will cause the body to work harder to digest it. The extra energy means a boost in metabolism. Chicken is most often chosen as an alternative to red meat such as beef. Chicken is high in protein which speeds up metabolism. Substituting chicken for approximately 20 percent of your daily carbs can increase the number of calories burned daily. The addition of chicken to your daily can increase the amount of calories burned up to 5 percent daily. This boost will help your reach your weight loss goals faster. Chicken can be served in a variety of ways. Most that are considering weight loss may choose to have their chicken baked, broiled or poached. Chicken is paired best in a vegetable stir-fry for a maximum metabolism boost and dose of vitamins and other nutrients. Chicken does not require that people consume larger portions to feel full. White chicken meat (breast meat) contains 276 calories, 98 calories from fat in a 1 cup (8 ounce) serving. Breast meat also contains 3g of saturated fat, 118mg cholesterol, 99mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate and 42g protein.