Tag: foods

Posted on

Pre Diabetic Foods

Pre-diabetic foods should consist of foods that are low in sugar, low in carbohydrates, low in calories, low in fat, low in cholesterol and in sodium. Wow, that’s a lot right? Not necessarily. You just do not want foods that are unusually or extremely high in these areas. The lower you can keep your daily intake in these areas the better you will be.

This can be a very tricky subject as well. Some foods that claim to be “healthy” and “nutritious” are actually just the opposite and should be avoided at all costs. For example: McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Breasts Strips contain 11g of fat, 1550 mg of sodium and are actually worse than eating the Big Mac!

Just because the food may be marketed as being healthy and nutritious, doesn’t mean that you should take the manufacturer’s word for it. Learn to read the nutrition labels that are federally mandatory by law to be provided to the consumer. McDonald’s now has the labels printed on the boxes that their food is served in; however, prior to ordering you can ask for a nutrition booklet and this booklet can be handy to keep in your car.

By learning to read the labels, you can ensure that you are maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet. Learn to limit your intake and your proportions. You don’t have to follow the Atkin’s low carb diet. Just limit your carbohydrate intake per meal. Consuming 30-45g of carbohydrates per meal can still be healthy.

Learn to count condiments too. You may not think that salad dressing, ketchup or steak sauce counts, but it does, just like margarine and other fats. Ketchup, salad dressing and steak sauce, as well as other condiments, contains carbohydrates, fats, sugars and calories and sometimes through excessive use, can add up extremely fast. How much salad dressing do you put on your salad? A healthy serving size is just a teaspoon or two and not ¼ of a cup.

Labels are Important – Finding the right pre diabetic foods can be just as easy as reading the nutrition labels. Those labels are there for a reason and should be taken advantage of. They are actually very easy to read and will become easier with time. Consulting with a dietician can prove to be beneficial because it will help you to learn all of the important aspects of label reading; however, you can pretty much figure it out on your own through constant awareness and by following the serving sizes that are recommended on the label.

Ask your physician what the perfect calorie intake for you should be to gain some sort of a guideline to begin with. Following a calorie guideline on a daily basis, will help you to become more aware of what you are eating and how much you are eating. You will become a more conscious eater; therefore, you will become a healthier eater and this is what pre diabetes and the pre diabetes diet is all about. Controlling what you eat and becoming a healthier eater to help deter your chances of diabetes onset, later in life.

Go to Diabetic Diet Zone to get your free ebook on Diabetic Diets at Diabetic Diet Diabetic Diet Zone also has information on Pre Diabetic Foods along with a lot of other free information. Come by our new Diabetic Diet Community site today for free ebooks and other free information that can help you today.

Posted on

Lowering Cholesterol Foods

If you’re suffering from high cholesterol, lowering your cholesterol level can never be fast enough; whether you’re seeking a natural way to lower cholesterol or via some other alternative treatment. According to an article by CNN in November 2006, “more than 70 million Americans live everyday with some form of heart disease.” And the number is expected to rise steadily over the next 10 years.

If you have been asking yourself about what type of foods to lower cholesterol levels should you consume on a daily basis, I can only assume that you are taking your health very seriously. So here is the good news. There is no need to travel to the jungles of Borneo to seek out a certain, exotic food to eat for high cholesterol. Every list of foods that help to lower cholesterol can be found at your local mart.

High levels of LDL are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol mean a lower risk of heart disease. Most doctors suggest cholesterol levels should stay under 200 mg/dl. Lowering cholesterol is recommended to lead a more healthy life and main. Lowering cholesterol is just one way to look after your heart.

The blueberry group had cholesterol levels 37 percent lower than the control group while the ciprofibrate group’s cholesterol levels were 17 percent lower than the control group. Authors of the study attributed the cholesterol-lowering effect to a compound in blueberries called pterostilbene, which caused liver cells to activate a response that leads to lower cholesterol.

Anything not taken into the cell for use is transported back to the liver where it is recycled or simply eliminated.  It is important to note that every cell in your body has the ability to make what it needs internally, and every cell in your body has the ability to grab in out of the the blood and bring it into the cell for use.

The American Heart Association recommends the eating of fruits and vegetables high in soluble fiber which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. Fiber is that portion of plants that your body cannot digest. It is classified as soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber has little effect on blood cholesterol, but is good for maintaining proper bowel functioning.

Herbs to reduce blood cholesterol are new options to dealing with higher levels of cholesterol. It is especially good for people do not respond well to pharmaceutical cholesterol-lowering medications. Always consult to you doctor before use some of herbs to reduce blood cholesterol.

The recommended intake of polyunsaturated fats is about 10% of total energy intake. The best sources for this type of fat include liquid vegetable oils, semi-liquid margarine, and other margarines low in transfatty acids.

It is transported through the blood stream and tends to drop off along the way, clogging arteries and blood vessels, and contributing to plaque formation. HDL cholesterol on the other hand removes LDL cholesterol from the circulatory system and returns it to the liver which removes it from the body.

Read about mucuna pruriens and also read gymnema sylvestre and boost immune system

Posted on

Cholesterol Lowering Foods

The best cholesterol lowering foods are plant-based foods, which do not contain any unhealthy fats, or any other unhealthy substances that can cause high cholesterol levels to occur. Some cholesterol is good in the body, but when the bad cholesterol takes over in the body, serious health problems can occur.

Following is a list of some great cholesterol lowering foods that can be made a part of a healthy and a permanent diet.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats (omega 9) and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 and 6) are essential in helping to lower high cholesterol levels. These fats can be found in foods such as avocados, coconuts, nuts and seeds as well as in berries and leafy greens.

High Fiber Foods

High fiber foods also have a cholesterol lowering effect on the body. Fiber helps to prevent cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestines by grabbing a hold of it and eliminating it from the body.

In addition, fiber also eliminates toxins in the same manner, which prevents them from circulating in the body. Any toxins that circulate in the body, which the body is unable to get rid of in a timely manner are stored away in fat cells, which contributes to high cholesterol levels.

Foods that are high in fiber include just about all plant-based foods such as apples, prunes, peaches, pears, celery, carrots, leafy greens as well as nuts and seeds. These foods are best when consumed raw, as that insures that all enzymes and nutrients are still available to the body.

Plant Stanols and Plant Sterols

Plant stanols and sterols are found in most plant based foods such as legumes, nuts and seeds, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, avocados and broccoli.

These substances are very similar to the cholesterol that is produced by the body, or that is obtained from animal proteins. The only difference is that these substances will not contribute to high cholesterol, but rather, they help to reduce high cholesterol levels.

Furthermore, these substances also block the absorption of cholesterol when they are in the digestive system. Thus they are great for not only lowering the cholesterol levels, but they are also essential in helping to prevent high cholesterol.

Niacin Rich Foods

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3. It is often used as a drug to help lower cholesterol levels, but it can also be obtained through a healthy diet. Niacin rich foods include flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, peanuts, mushrooms, legumes and leafy green vegetables as well as many other vegetables.

Adding the above cholesterol lowering foods to the daily diet, and avoiding other cholesterol causing foods, will help to maintain the cholesterol levels at a healthy level.

To find out more about raw and living foods visit http://www.livingfood101.com/. You can also join me at http://hubpages.com/profile/LivingFood and http://www.triond.com/users/LivingFood

Find More Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Foods That Burn Fat

There are some foods, mostly vegetables, that need more calories to digest than it contains. These foods however, limit our choices as well as inhibit us from having a well balanced meal. There are certain food groups on the other hand, that increase metabolic activity and break down fatty components. These foods are varied and are often included in one’s daily diet. Taken in considerable amounts and paired with a consistent exercise and diet plan, these foods may indeed, appear to burn fats.

Proteins come in various forms. Foods such as eggs, milk, lean red and white meat, fish, legumes and nuts contain protein which build muscles. When we consume protein rich foods, more calories are needed to digest it. This is the reason why we feel full longer when our diet contains a lot of protein. Muscles need protein to grow and are known as the building blocks of the body. Our metabolic activity benefits from muscle growth because muscles burn many more calories than fat cells. These two benefits of protein is critical in fighting fat. Whether you are slimming down or bulking up, protein is an essential component of a healthy diet.

Whole grains and whole grain cereals contain a high percentage of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whole grains retain most of its components because they do not go through a lot of processing. Compared with refined, sugary carbs, whole grains do not cause insulin spikes. This is important excess insulin causes our body to store fats. Whole grains are harder to digest and therefore makes us fuller longer. Eating whole grains, especially in the morning, prevents us from overeating later in the day. It also increases metabolism because it requires more calories to digest. Oats, brown rice, corn, wheat, barley and rye are some examples of whole grain foods.

Vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts should be a staple of every diet plan. These foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein carbohydrates and water. They also contain hard to digest fibers that maintain optimal metabolism. Negative calorie foods that take more energy to digest than they contain belong to this group. Examples are vegetables like celery, garlic, lettuce, etc. Hot peppers and jalapeños have been noted to contain capsaicin which increases heat production for a short time after ingestion and may increase thermogenesis. These hot foods, taken as is, also use up more calories to digest.

These foods can help in your efforts to lose fat. We can be creative in their preparation and use flavor enhancers that are fat free. And don’t forget, the above mentioned group of foods also provide us with healthy, well balanced choices and will not leave us feeling deprived. These foods, coupled with a regular exercise plan, will help you reach your weight loss goals.

For more health and fitness tips and insider advice on selecting home gym fitness equipment, visit FitnessArmory.com where we review all the latest products, like the Sole TT8 Treadmill and the Bowflex Treadclimber TC5000. We invite you to stop by and drop us a line if you have any questions.

Find More Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Best Omega 3 Foods

By now most of you must have been aware of at least something about the advantages of including omega 3 foods in your diet will do for your whole health. However, still some of the remaining who don’t know what the foods are and its importance of increasing our intake of omega 3 fatty acids.

 

The truth of the matter is that these fatty acids are called essential fatty acids, and they’re called that for a very good reason: our body needs them in order to grow and develop in a harmonious way, but it cannot produce them so this means that external sources are needed in order to supply our body with these fatty acids, hence the need to eat more fishy foods.

 

Omega 3 fatty acids benefit the human body in so many ways it’s astounding, they will aid in protecting your cardiovascular system, our memory, and even our skin from a variety of ailments.

 

The best foods out there, and the best source for omega 3 oils is fish, and especially fatty oily fish like mackerel, salmon and tuna. It must be noted, for our more vegetarian inclined readers that you can find omega 3 foods that aren’t necessarily meat, you can get omega 3 fatty acids from nuts and leafy greens too.

 

Of course, nowadays, you don’t have to limit your intake of omega 3 fatty acids to those you get from omega 3 foods; nowadays due to the ingenuity of the human brain, there are a lot of omega 3 supplements available on the market.

 

If you’re considering taking omega 3 supplements as well as including more omega 3 foods in your daily diet, you should discuss it with your doctor, however doctors usually recommend taking omega 3 supplements regardless of any changes to your diet. The usual daily suggested dose is between two and four grams.

 

This is the dose believed to be necessary in order to affect problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol in a visible and fast way. With the aid of a doctor, you can find a balance between taking supplements and increasing the amount of omega 3 foods in your diet.

 

Laza Marius is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics such as – Natural High Dha Fish Oil that focuses on omega 3 as a whole, and in partcular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as Natural Dha Esters

Posted on

Cancer cure diet, Foods you need to eat and foods to avoid

 

The main reason why there is so much cancer today is because our diets have changed yet prior to that they hadn’t changed for thousands of years. A faulty diet is singularly the most important causative factor in the development of all cancers. While cancer maybe difficult to overcome for some people, it need not be a death sentence. The answer is “heal yourself using our natural food as your medicine” as food therapy plays a vital role in a cure for cancer. Food is our medicine and nature has provided us with an amazing array of fruit and vegetables that both protect us from cancer and can also reverse it.

 

Cancer is simply a deficiency disease because the deficiency has allowed cancer cells to develop. What is needed to cure it is a little self control by making changes to our diet from consuming the foods that stimulate our desires which causes cancer, to eating the food that nourishes the body which keeps us healthy. That is the only genuine way to remove cancer permanently. These days we no longer grow our own food, somebody does that for us and most of this food in western societies is available in supermarkets. Also more importantly most of this food has been processed and any food that’s been processed is nutritionally deprived.

 

There is a close relationship between cancer and a diet of processed food. The people who make this food are not health experts, they are business people out to make a dollar and don’t care how they do it. They lace their food with chemical preservatives and additives so it will last longer and that is to maximise profits. We may think we are eating healthy because of the information on the container and while some aspects of food labelling are heavily regulated, most of what’s on the label is pure marketing. Food manufactures always emphasis the good and gloss over the negatives to entice you into buying their products. It’s our western society which has created our processed food, and then we create advertisements that make us believe we need it all when in fact it gives us obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, diseases that weren’t common 40 to 50 years ago.

 

It is frequently incorrect to believe that we are smarter than nature and we can take a food item and make it better. No matter what it says on the packet, we can not, we can not improve on nature. With that in mind the best food to achieve a cure with cancer is food that’s been freshly grown, it hasn’t been processed in any form, it’s not been added to and if possible, it’s been produced organically.

 

 

The way a healthy diet is designed to work is the improved nutrition will strengthen the immune system, our built in repair system and with a strengthened immune system; the body will attack cancer cells and remove them, safely and without any side effects. It works for all cancers and in any part of the body. What you are doing is correcting the reason why cancer first appeared and that is essential.

 

The typical western diet is not known for its health giving qualities because it has many faults. They are too much salt, too much refined sugar, and too many refined foods, too much of the wrong fat and too many chemical additives. The state of every cell in our body is governed by the food we eat and if your diet consists mainly of food that’s been processed, then that is conducive to cancer.

 

Refined sugar in particular needs to be totally eliminated as discovered many years ago was the prime source of energy for cancer cells. Unfortunately today, refined sugar is to be found in many foods in modern mans diet.

Alan Wighton is an experienced natural therapist specializing in nutrition. This article is part of the information contained in his book on ways to overcome cancer. For further knowledge on how to become cancer free using the powerful natural healing ability of the human body please visit; www.cancerhealed.com

Related Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Diabetic Diet Foods to Eat – Best Foods You Can Choose

The diabetics are the most sufferers when compared with patients of other ailments. This is because they have to take medication, sometimes lasting for many years. More over, they are to be with controlled diet that may not be pleasing to them. However, you have a variety of diabetic diet foods to eat, probably the best foods to your choice and taste. Though the restriction may be annoying to you, the best choice to beat diabetes is by changing your lifestyle with a diabetic diet meal plan.

Prone to diabetes, you must consult a doctor for medication. Though there is no chance for permanent cure, controlling blood glucose may be easy by following the diabetic diet plan. It is not necessary for you to depend on plenty of medicines to alleviate diabetes, but it is possible simply by changing the diet. When you are struggling with diabetes, the right foods have the potential to control blood sugar. Here you have the list of best diabetic diet foods that you can choose to eat.

Vegetables:
 Eating more vegetables will be benefiting to reduce sugar in the bloodstream. If and until they are fresh, the nutrients are preserved to add everything good to your health. You can go easier with starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas, Soya and Lima beans. You are to enjoy higher calories in these varieties which can be had in four or five servings in a day. French bean, bitter guard, cauliflower and onion should be included in your diabetic diet menu.

Fruits
The fruits also have all the benefits found in low carb diet foods. Though the fruits have high  nutrients, they are low calorie foods. The red grapes, pomegranates and guava should be eaten just after meals. The benefits of eating fruits are doubled when they are eaten with seeds and unpeeled skin.

Nuts
Nuts are potent for reducing insulin resistance to some extent by controlling the sugar levels. Nuts are rich in Vitamin E which is an antioxidant in protecting cells. They also contain fiber as well as magnesium which can help for body weight loss. Since the nuts are rich in calories, the intake volume should be cut short.

Cereals 
Cereal is any grain or edible seed of the grass family which may be used as food. In this category, you have wheat, oats, maize and millet. Cereals provide the largest single foodstuff in almost all diets. If you have the breakfast with cereals, it is a right choice of food with more fiber. Rice is high carb diet food which can be reduced in size if you have are diabetes. 

Yogurt:
As a dairy product, Yogurt contains high nutrients and low-fat. It is a good diet packed with protein and high calcium. Foods rich in calcium help burn fat and effect weight loss. Weight loss helps to lower blood glucose and you have less chance for insulin resistance. For this reason you should not consume cheese and creams which are not good for diabetics.

Controlling diabetes is an art. Along with the above diabetes foods to eat, if you want to be an expert in it, you should know the description of diabetic diet foods to eat AND foods to avoid which can help you a lot.

More Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Diabetic Diet Foods to Avoid and Foods to Eat

Prone to diabetes, it is essential that the diabetic patients learn to follow a meal plan of diabetic diet foods to avoid and foods to eat for control of sugar in the bloodstream. It is a dreadful disease for those who are ignoring the importance of restriction in diet after recognizing signs and symptoms of diabetes. However, it is simply a maladjusted or retrograde functioning of pancreas owing to various reasons.

Among the numerous reasons, improper food items contribute much towards worsening the diabetic condition. Healthy diet has priority in keeping off the diabetic condition. For this simple reason, consuming those foods with all nutrients like proteins, minerals and vitamins alone cannot serve the purpose. Instead, there are certain items of foods charted in diabetic diet meal plan.

By giving priority for right diabetic foods, one can manage the disease without allowing it to aggravate. It is not surprising that the nutrition specialists claim that there are no specific diet foods stipulated for diabetics. The timings and the quantum of food intake contribute a lot to control blood glucose levels.

Though the habit of eating to appetite is the best policy for health, it can be slightly altered for the diabetics. The intervals should be shortened and the number of servings be adjusted as four to five times a day, the total calorie intake being fulfilled. Avoiding consumption of alcohol can be immensely benefiting to enhance the chance for controlling blood sugar levels.  

Here is the diabetic diet plan for the sugar patients to follow. If they pay attention to the diabetic foods to avoid and foods to eat, the agonizing ailment can easily be managed.

• Eat foods with high fiber and low fat. Such foods including fresh vegetables help regulating the digestion system and simultaneously they reduce blood glucose without much straining of the various internal organs of the body. As the high carb diet foods rich in starch content may shoot up your sugar level, they should be avoided anyway.

• Regarding vegetables, you have the general information that colored vegetables can help you lower blood sugar. Eating foods plenty in vitamins and minerals needed to your body can serve you the best in building the muscle cells. The fruits you eat should be with nuts and unpeeled skin for better results. But, fruits with high sugar content should be avoided.

• You are permitted to consume lean meat and all fish varieties for protein as you like. But, consuming red meat and processed animal fats should be totally avoided.

• Oatmeal and wheat are the best diabetic diet foods as they find a place in the list of low carb diet foods which help reduce the sugar in the blood stream. It will be safe if you avoid milk products with high fat contents.

• Wine prepared from red grapes may be consumed in less volume. But, excess consumption of alcohol is not at all recommended for diabetic patients.

Controlling blood sugar is an art. If you want to be an expert in it, you should know the description of diabetic diet foods to eat and foods to avoid which can help you a lot.

More Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Cholesterol Reducing Foods – Outstanding Foods You Want in Your Diet

If cholesterol reducing foods are a new concept to you, then you will want to thoroughly read this article. You see, most individuals turn to cholesterol medication when they learned that their lipid levels are high. However, this just does not make sense.

Considering the dangerous side effects of statin medication such as the potential for damage to your muscles, kidneys and liver, it makes much more sense to turn to foods for high cholesterol first, and leave medication as a last resort.

Cholesterol reducing foods can be extremely effective. I recently read an article about a doctor who could not tolerate the side effects of medication so he was forced to try to use foods and diet to reduce his cholesterol. He was surprised to find out the results that he experienced rescue to or better than what most of his patients experienced using medication.

The best foods for high cholesterol are going to be those that contain high amounts of fiber and plant sterols. These would include vegetables, fruits and nuts. The combination of plant sterols (naturally occurring substances in all plants) and fiber is powerful.

This helps reduce cholesterol levels in two ways. First of all, the fiber helps eliminate cholesterol from the body before it even has a chance to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Plant sterols on the other hand have been shown to compete for absorption with cholesterol, permitting less of it to get absorbed.

Many individuals are surprised to hear that nuts are among the best cholesterol reducing foods. They have always heard that nuts are high in fat and should be excluded from any diet plan. However, the truth is that nuts contain fiber and the omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to supporting a healthy body and mind. These fats will in no way the increase your LDL cholesterol levels.

A diet that is rich in cholesterol reducing foods and contains little saturated fat will be the most effective way for you to develop healthy cholesterol readings. I encourage you to visit my website where you discuss in more detail the diets and foods that reduce cholesterol.

Van Crawford has been studying health and nutrition for over 10 years as he has researched ways to lower his own cholesterol levels. Visit his website now for more information on powerful ways to improve your health and lower your cholesterol: How to Naturally Lower Cholesterol

More Diet Foods Articles

Posted on

Top 5 Power Foods

If you have been focusing on what’s wrong with your diet, it may be time to take a different approach. A recent Harvard Medical School study shows that the amount of healthy foods that you eat is more important than your weekly burger and fries tally. The more high-fiber, nutrient rich foods that you include in your diet, the less room you will have for unhealthy high-calorie foods. Keep reading to learn about the top 5 power foods that will help you lose weight, get fit and live a longer, healthier life.

1. Berries

These include strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries. Berries are packed full of antioxidants that can protect you from diseases as well as reduce your risk of several types of cancer. For maximum benefits, eat 1 serving of berries 3-4 times a week.

2. Plain Low fat Yogurt

Low fat yogurt is an excellent source of high-quality protein, calcium and B vitamins. It can also help treat food allergies and aid digestion. The probiotic bacteria found in yogurts that contain L. acidophilus and B. bifidus crowd out disease causing bacteria and may help prevent colon cancer. To gain the maximum amount of benefits from low fat yogurt, eat 1 serving 3-5 times a week.

3. Green Leafy Vegetables

Some excellent choices for green leafy vegetables include: Bok choy, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, swill chard and arugula. A study performed by Cornell University found that spinach scored higher than any other vegetable for inhibiting cancer cells. Green leafy vegetables supply powerful vitamins and minerals including: magnesium, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin K, calcium, iron and potassium. These nutrients can lower your risk of heart disease and memory loss. They also help build strong bones. Green leafy vegetables boost your fiber intake and are a good source of phytochemical lutein, which can significantly lower your risk of macular degeneration and cataract problems.

4. Bright Orange Vegetables

The most nutrient rich bright orange vegetables include: Pumpkin, spaghetti squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Orange vegetables contain beta-carotene, which helps to promote tissue and cell growth. 1 serving a day of orange vegetables is associated with a lowered risk of several types of cancer. It can also boost your immune system, which may decrease your susceptibility to colds and infections. Eating orange vegetables can also help protect your skin from sun damage.

5. Whole Grains.

These include: Whole-wheat breads, pastas, oatmeal, brown rice and buckwheat noodles. Compared to white breads, whole-grain breads contain four and half times more fiber, five times more magnesium, four times more zinc and seven times the vitamin B. Whole-grains are full of fiber and can lower your risk of several things including: Heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Whole-grains also help you feel full faster without packing on unnecessary extra calories. Whole-grains contain phytochemicals that can lower your risk of certain diseases. When grains are processed theses healthy phytochemicals are removed. To get the maximum benefit from whole-grains eat 5 servings per day.

For more information on health foods, visit http://www.healthfoods.com.

More Diet Foods Articles