To reduce your exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) keep your consumption of canned food at a minimum.
“Let food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates
10 Great Reasons to Eat Oatmeal
If you want a real superfood, try oatmeal. It’s cheap, healthy, quick, tasty … what more could you want?
Here are five important reasons to make oatmeal a regular part of your diet:
- It doesn’t get much cheaper than oatmeal! Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. Oatmeal makes a great food if you’re watching your budget.
- Oatmeal isn’t time-consuming. Good quality oatmeal doesn’t have to take long. You can microwave any form of oatmeal with milk.
- The American Dietetic Association states that foods rich in both insoluble and soluble fiber, like oatmeal, lower your risk for heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
- Oatmeal helps you to lose and maintain a healthy weight. The fiber in the oatmeal helps you feel full longer meaning you are less tempted to over-eat.
- Oatmeal may help to prevent type 2 diabetes because it helps to regulate your blood sugar. Several studies suggest that if you already have type two diabetes, steel-cut oats may be your best choice. These help to lower your sugar levels. Read More »
Are You Getting Enough Fiber?
Are You Getting Enough Fiber?
Fiber is a fundamental part of our diet, and critical for good health. Experts recommend a fiber intake of 25- 30 grams per day, yet the average American only gets 15 grams.
A high-fiber diet:
- Makes you feel full faster – helping you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Maintains healthy cholesterol
- Reduces your risk of developing diabetes (and if you have diabetes, a high fiber diet can help you healthy blood sugar)
- Maintains regularity, so you don’t need laxatives
- Reduces your risk of certain cancer
- Improves your immune system
Focusing on fiber helps you return to the foods that Mother Nature intended you to eat in the first place. Read More »
How to Lose Weight – By Snacking
Many people make the mistake of thinking that they can’t snack at all if they’re trying to eat healthy or lose weight. But it’s not only okay to snack – it’s beneficial.
Snacking keeps the cravings down. You don’t get over-hungry-so you don’t eat as much at mealtimes. If you snack a little during the day, you’ll consume fewer calories during meals: aim to eat a light meal or snack every three hours.
Of course, you need to eat the right things. Snacking on candy bars and chips won’t help you lose weight. Here are some healthysnacks to try:
Healthy Snacking: Nuts
Almonds make a great snack: your portion shoyld be about 12 – 15 individual almonds. They’re a great source of calcium – which makes them especially good for those of us who don’t like milk. They’re also heart healthy.
For the chocoholics (like me!) out there, combine almonds with about an ounce of good quality dark chocolate – 70% 0r more cocoa. Avoid milk chocolate, as it usually has a lot of sugar. Dark chocolate has been scientifically proven to lower your blood pressure.
Nuts in general are good for snacking. Peanuts have gained a bad reputation – they’re actually healthy, so long as you don’t eat too many. Walnuts are a great choice as they contain Omega 3 fatty acids – particularly useful if you dislike fish.
Healthy Snacking: Fruits
It’s important to include fruits in your diet: they’re high in fiber and vitamins. Bananas are often a good choice, unless you’re diabetic (they have a high sugar content, especially when very ripe). They contain a lot of potassium so they’re good for people with high blood pressure.
Many fruits are easy to grab and eat straight away – like grapes (freeze them if you like) or berries. The dark-colored berries like blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are packed with antioxidants.
Snacking While You’re Out
It can be tough to eat healthily when you’re on the move – traviling or shopping, for instance. You may need to plan ahead and take some healthy snacks with you.
Although popcorn makes a good snack while at home, the type you buy at the movies is often covered in butter, sugar or salt. Wholewheat pretzels are a better option.
Other good snacks on the move include fruit, and small containers of yogurt (look out for the sugar content, thought).
Don’t just think about what you eat while you are out and about – think about what you’re drinking, too. “Liquid calories” can add up to a surprising amount. Your favorite latte could contain up to 500 calories, which is equal to a cheese burger. While the occasional special coffee will not ruin your diet, having one every day may may add on the pounds.
You can – and should – snack while you’re trying to lose weight. Sensible snacks are a vital part of a healthy diet.
Have you got a favorite healthy snack? Share your suggestions in the comments.
Bio: Patricia Setzer is the author of How to Eat Healthy for Life (Without Giving Up the Foods You Love), available in ebook form for just $9.99. You can click here to find out about it here.
How to Keep a Food Diary (And Why You Want To)
If you’re struggling to lose weight, have you tried keeping a food diary?
A food diary is considered one of the most effective weight loss tools that there is, potentially doubling your rate of weight loss.
Your food diary makes you aware of what your habits are. Many people aren’t even aware that they’re eating - you can probably think of times when you have eaten “just a few” chips from a friend’s bag. Little snacks can easily add up to the equivalent of an extra meal a day, without you realizing.
You can’t solve a problem if you don’tknow what it is. People often think they’re working hard to lose weight or to get healthy – but nothing’s changing. This is because they don’t know what they need to change. A food diary can help.
How to Keep a Food Diary
- Decide what your goal is. Are you aiming to lose weight, to eat healthier or something else?
- Record your portion sizes - how much you are eating at each meal?
- Record the time of day you ate - you may find that you end up eating at a specific time (or in a specific place) even when you’re not hungry.
- Try writing down what you’re going to eat in advance of eating it: this can help you make good decisions.
- It’s often helpful to record the calories or the grams of fat inwhat you’re eating, because this makes you aware.
- Write down the drinks you consume - It’s easy to forget the sugar and/or fat content of these. A 64-ounce super-sized drink can contain 64 grams of sugar.
- Aim to fill in your diary every time you eat - otherwise you forget. Take a small notebook if you’re out and copy snacks, drinks and meals into your diary later.
- Make sure you record everything - including free samples, or just one candy. It all adds up.
If you want to get going, you can download my free food diary template by clicking here.
For lots of tips on how to eat healthy without depriving yourself, buy my new book, How to Eat Healthy for Life. It costs just $9.99 in ebook format – and you can find out all about it here.
Announcing How to Eat Healthy for Life – My New Book
I am very pleased to announce that my book, How to Eat Healthy for Life, is now available in digital form. You can find out more and buy your copy here.
How to Eat Healthy for Life will teach you:
- The most important tool for healthy eating (it’s free!) – clinical studies have shown this to doubleparticipants’ rate of weight-loss
- What shapes your eating habits – so you understand the triggers that cause you to over-eat
- Which food myths just aren’t true – don’t risk harming your health by following poor advice
- Nine easy steps to a healthy diet – you don’t have to make huge changes overnight
… and much more.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Click here to check out the full details for the ebook today.
Hi there. I'm Patricia Setzer, and I show you how to prepare your favorite foods in a way that can help boost your energy, maintain a healthy weight and improve your overall health ...