Variety Healthy Diets' Key-Point

Variety Healthy Diets' Key-Point
By: http://skybluecross.com/
It has been said that variety is the spice of life, and that is certainly true when trying to eat a healthy diet. No one likes to eat the same thing day after day, and boredom is the enemy of a healthy diet.

Fortunately for those trying to follow a healthy diet, there is plenty of variety to be had in healthy foods. In addition to the hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables available at the average grocery store, there is a wide variety of beans, lentils, nuts, meat, dairy products, fish and poultry. There is no need for boredom to set in when pursuing a healthier lifestyle.’

The key to enjoying a variety of foods while eating healthy is to plan meals carefully and be sure to use the many varieties of foods that are available. Using a combination of fresh fruit, vegetables, meats and whole grains, it is possible to create a fresh, exciting and healthful meal every day of the week.

Nutritionists often stress the importance of a varied diet, both for nutritional and psychological reasons. A varied diet is essential for good health, since different types of foods contain different types of nutrients. And following a varied diet is important to your psychological well being as well, since feeling deprived of your favorite foods can lead you to give up your healthy lifestyle.

It is much better to continue eating the foods you like, but to eat them in moderation. Instead of giving up that juicy bacon, for instance, have it as an occasional treat, perhaps pairing it with an egg white omelet instead of a plateful of scrambled eggs. As with everything else in life, good nutrition is a tradeoff.

It is important for everyone to eat foods from the five major food groups each and every day. The five food groups identified by the USDA include grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy and meat and beans. Each of these food groups contains specific nutrients, so it is important to eat a combination of these foods to ensure proper levels of nutrition.

Of course simply choosing foods from the five food groups is not enough. After all a meal from the five food groups could include cake, candied yams, avocados, ice cream and bacon. Although all five food groups are represented, no one would try to argue that this is a healthy day’s menu. Choosing the best foods from within each group, and eating the less healthy foods in moderation, is the best way to ensure a healthy and varied diet.

For instance, choosing healthy, lean meats is a great way to get the protein you need without consuming unnecessary fat and calories. And removing fat and skin from chicken is a great way to eliminate extra fat and calories.

When choosing breads and cereals, it is usually best to choose those that carry the whole grain designation. Whole grains, those that have not been overly refined, contain greater nutritional qualities and fewer sugars.

In addition, many grains and cereals are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. While this vitamin fortification is important, it should be seen as a bonus, not as a substitute for a proper diet. Many foods are supplemented with important nutrients such as calcium (essential for strong bones and teeth) and folic acid (important in preventing birth defects).

Substituting healthier foods for less healthy ones is a cornerstone of a healthy diet. For instance, substituting lean cuts of meat for fattier ones, and substituting skinless chicken or turkey breast for less healthy drumsticks, is a great way to maximize nutrition without sacrificing good taste.

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, or what your ultimate fitness goals may be, you will find that a good understanding of nutrition will form the basis of your healthy diet. Understanding how the various food groups work together to form a healthy diet will go a long way toward helping you meet your ultimate fitness goals. Whether your goal is to run a marathon, lose ten pounds or just feel better, knowledge is power, and nutritional knowledge will power your diet for the rest of your life.

If Ginger Root Can Heals Ailments

If Ginger Root Can Heals Ailments
  By: http://skybluecross.com
 The vitamin ginger root offers you a lot of benefits, including the ability to treat headaches and common colds. One of the most common uses of ginger root is the treat an upset stomach, something we all know and hate. Normally in the form of flat ginger ale and crackers, this vitamin could fix even the most upset of stomachs - and fast to boot.

 For the last few decades, ancient civilizations have used the vitamin in both cooking form and medicine form. Although the technology back then wasn’t close to what it is today, the ancient civilizations knew that ginger root would help prevent ailments ranging from motion sickness to athlete’s foot. With ginger root having anti-inflammatory properties, it can also make the pain of rheumatoid arthritis less intense. Women that drink ginger tea have said that it helps them eliminate menstrual cramps completely.

 What many people don’t know, is the fact that ginger root isn’t really classified as a root, but instead an underground stem. Even though it is a very useful vitamin and supplement, it is harvested year round just like the hawthorne berry. The harvests, which are obtained roughly five months or so after being planted, are used in the creation of products such as candied ginger and ginger syrup. Harvests that are obtained later can be sold as fresh ginger. The longer the ginger remains in the ground before being harvested, the spicier and hotter it gets.

 Keep in mind that not anyone can grow ginger. It takes a special type of soil, which means that it won’t grow anywhere. It is normally grown commercially, in large harvests. Ginger is always in high demand, as it serves a lot of useful purposes. From adding spice to food to healing certain ailments, ginger root is easily one of the best vitamins around.

 These days, you can buy ginger in the produce department of many grocery stores. Ginger serves many useful purposes, including baking. It can be used with cookies and breads, or used to spice up your jellies and jams. When you shop for ginger root, you should ensure that the gnarly fist like bulb is smooth, the surface hard to the touch, and the weight being somewhat heavy. If the bulb is hard and light in weight, it won’t be as good.

 When it comes to common ailments, ginger root can be great to have around. It can be used with hundreds of cooking recipes, you can use your creative imagination to make even more uses with it as well. Ginger is used in many fine dining restaurants as well, as it tastes great as a dressing on salads. Serving a lot of healthy purposes, ginger root is one of the best selling items on the market - and easily one of the best tasting supplements out there.
 

Body Health And Antioxidant Foods

Body Health And Antioxidant Foods

By: http://skybluecross.com/

Even though a lot of people don’t actually realize it, a lot of antioxidant foods that we consume are from vegetables.  Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and peppers are all excellent choices with some great benefits for your body.  When consuming vegetables, you should always go for those that are rich in color, as they are high in what is known as phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are nutrients found in the skins of several fruits and vegetables, which give the food color as well as flavor and scent.  Phytonutrients are quite simply the best types of antioxidant foods that you can find anywhere.  If you are looking for a supplement value, the coq10 offers you a high level of antioxidant value.

Although fruits and vegetables are the best sources for antioxidants, the problem with them is that they are produced by the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and different types of fertilizers.  Over the years, studies have shown that fruits and vegetables which are organically grown are high in antioxidants, and boast a much higher concentration than those that have been produced commercially.

In the busy world of today, it can be very tough to eat like we should, nor can we eat organic fruits and vegetables all the time.  If you can’t or don’t have access to organic fruits or other sources of antioxidant foods, you should look into nutritional supplements that offer you the phytonutrients you need in your diet.

Supplements that contain phytonutrients do have advantages when compared to certain fruits, such as carrots - which can elevate your blood sugar level to a very high level.  Phytonutrients found in supplements are the extract of pigments where nutrients are concentrated, meaning that they draw the best from antioxidant foods, leaving the calories and sugar behind.

Don’t get the wrong idea here, fruits and vegetables are indeed good for you.  They are high in antioxidants, although those that are produced commercially generally come with chemicals and such that aren’t so good for you.  Canned fruits and vegetables come with high levels of sugars and calories, which antioxidant supplements don’t have.  The supplements offer you the levels you need, without any chemicals, sugars, or calories.  This way, you don’t have to worry about consuming anything that isn’t good for you.

No matter how you look at it, healthy eating for your body starts and end with foods that contain antioxidants.  There are several types of foods that contain antioxidants, although fruits and vegetables contain the most amounts.  Steak and meat are also great sources of antioxidants, along with other great benefits, such as protein.  Anytime you can’t get foods that contain antioxidants - you can count on supplements to deliver the amount you need to stay healthy.

Greatest Vitamin Sources

Greatest Vitamin Sources
By: http://skybluecross.com
There is a lot of debate as to what the greatest vitamin actually is. Each vitamin has its own essential functions that contribute to a person’s general health and well-being. It is impossible to actually state that one of these is the greatest vitamin. However there are a number of foods that provide the greatest vitamin quantities.

The greatest vitamin sources vary for each vitamin. It is important to have a balanced diet to ensure that the required amounts of each vitamin are obtained. However, it may be useful to list the greatest vitamin sources for each vitamin to be used as a guide.

* Greatest vitamin A sources are milk, eggs, butter, yellow fruits & vegetables, dark green fruits & vegetables, liver

* Greatest vitamin B1 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, brown rice, organ meats, egg yolk

* Greatest vitamin B2 sources are brewer’s yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ meats, blackstrap molasses

* Greatest vitamin B3 sources are lean meats, poultry & fish, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, milk, rice bran, potatoes

* Greatest vitamin B4 sources are egg yolks, organ meats, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, soybeans, fish, legumes

* Greatest vitamin B5 sources are organ meats, egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat germ, salmon, brewer’s yeast

* Greatest vitamin B6 sources are meats, whole grains, organ meats brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ

* Greatest vitamin B7 sources are egg yolks, liver, unpolished rice, brewer’s yeast, sardines, legumes, whole grains

* Greatest vitamin B8 sources are who1e grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat, milk, nuts, vegetables, brewer’s yeast

* Greatest vitamin B9 sources are dark-green leafy vegetables, organ meats, root vegetables, oysters, salmon, milk

* Greatest vitamin B12 sources are organ meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk, lamb, bananas, kelp, peanuts

* Greatest vitamin B13 sources are root vegetables, liquid whey

* Greatest vitamin B15 sources are brewer’s yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower, pumpkin & sesame seeds

* Greatest vitamin B17 sources are whole kernels of apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, plums

* Greatest vitamin C sources are citrus, cabbage family, chilli peppers, berries, melons, asparagus, rose hips

* Greatest vitamin D sources are salmon, sardines, herring, milk, egg yolk, organ meats, sprouted seeds, sunflower seeds

* Greatest vitamin E sources are cold-pressed oils, eggs, wheat germ, organ meats, molasses, sweet potatoes, nuts

* Greatest vitamin F sources are vegetable oils, butter, sunflower seeds

* Greatest vitamin K sources are green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, safflower oil, blackstrap molasses, cauliflower

* Greatest vitamin Q sources are pinto beans, legumes, soybeans

* Greatest vitamin T sources are sesame seeds, raw seeds, butter, egg yolk

* Greatest vitamin V sources are raw cabbage, sauerkraut, leafy vegetables

Good Food Health Vitamin Intake

Good Food Health Vitamin Intake

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
It is essential that a person is aware of what constitutes good food health vitamin intake. The federal drug administration produces a recommended daily allowance for the majority of vitamins which it regards as a good food health vitamin intake. These figures vary according to a person’s age, sex and some other factors so that the good food health vitamin intake for a young woman is going to be different to that of a man in his seventies.

The food health vitamin intake amounts of certain foods are included in the nutritional labelling. This labelling is important for a person to consider and helps ensure that they are receiving the correct food health vitamin intake from the foods that they eat. The nutritional information is often represented as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance of each vitamin and mineral and can help assess the value of the foods in the quest for good food health vitamin intake.

There are also a number of items that a person may want to restrict in their diet as part of their good food health vitamin intake. Again, the nutritional labelling of certain foods can help a person to see how high a product is in these undesirable contents. Salt and fat, for example, may be items that a person wants to consider limiting as part of their good food health vitamin intake even though they are not strictly vitamins. The majority of people actually refer to nutrients when they use the word vitamin and food manufacturers are aware that a person is looking at minerals and other items when they are considering their good food health vitamin intake. Fiber is another element that many people are more aware of as forming an essential part of a balanced diet and is necessary for good food health vitamin intake.

If a person is on a restricted diet for any reason then they need to pay even more attention to their good food health vitamin intake. Obviously, some foods contain different nutrients to others and this is applicable to vitamins as well and it may be more difficult for a person to achieve their good food health vitamin intake if they are unable to eat certain foods. Vitamin supplements can form an essential part of a good food health vitamin intake for people who are unable to obtain their vitamins from their normal diet. It is also worth remembering that the good food health vitamin intake for a person varies throughout their life depending on their general health.

Mineral Vitamin Supplements

Mineral Vitamin Supplements

By: http://skybluecross.com/
The majority of mineral vitamin supplements are made from chemicals rather than natural substances. However, there is a steady growth in the demand for natural mineral vitamin supplements. This is due to the amount of debate that there is as to whether chemical mineral vitamins can be more harmful than beneficial in the long term.

The fact is that chemical mineral vitamin supplements are not as easily absorbed as normal food particles are. The mineral vitamin industry is constantly striving to create products that are more easily processed by the body and therefore more beneficial.

Every now and then the industry comes up with a new 'more bio-available' form of a vitamin or mineral. To overcome this, a large number of mineral vitamins have been developed that combine other elements with the vitamins and minerals to enable them to be more easily absorbed by the body. Iron is commonly combined to form iron gluconate which enable the mineral vitamin supplement to be more absorbable.

The amount of a nutrient in a mineral vitamin supplement needs to be far greater than it would be in a more natural form for the body to be able to absorb the amount that is required. This can obviously lead to problem where a toxic level of the particular nutrient is being consumed by the large doses of the mineral vitamin supplement that are needed. It is therefore extremely important that a person does not simply take vast quantities of all of the mineral vitamin supplements that are advertised on television and should seek advice from a health professional. It is also worth being aware of the developments in the mineral vitamin supplement industry as there are constantly new and better combinations being developed.

One method that mineral vitamin manufacturers have developed to help aid absorption is through culturing the raw materials with yeast cells. This form of mineral vitamins are known as ‘food state’ and are up to four times easier for the body to absorb the required nutrients as the yeast is completely digested.

Of course, the need for mineral vitamin supplements depends on the diet that a person has. There is no doubt that it is far more preferable for a person to obtain the nutrients that they require from their food rather than by taking mineral vitamin supplements wherever possible. During certain periods it may be necessary for a person to take mineral vitamin supplements on a temporary basis but their long term use is not recommended for a number of the supplements that are available.

Healthy Hair Vitamins

There a number of different specific hair vitamins and minerals that can play a major role in helping a person have a healthy head of hair. If a person does not have sufficient hair vitamins then the deficiencies can lead to thinning hair or even total baldness in the most severe cases. The fact is that the state of a person’s hair reflects the overall condition of their body. Extra hair vitamins are likely to be needed if a person is generally unwell or is undernourished as their hair will show damage too and may even stop growing.

Some of the most important hair vitamins that a person needs to have healthy hair include B6, biotin, inositol and folic acid. The best way to ensure that a person receives enough of these essential hair vitamins are for them to be taken as vitamin supplements. It is not just hair vitamins that are necessary for healthy hair though as there are a number of minerals that are essential, including magnesium, sulphur, silica and zinc.

The most essential hair vitamin is vitamin a but the best form of this is to include in the diet is beta-carotene. This is because the hair vitamin A can be toxic if consumed in large quantities but beta-carotene has no such problems and is converted by the body into vitamin A that can be used to promote healthy hair. Of course, vitamin A is not just a hair vitamin, it is also needed for a number of other functions including normal growth of bones, skin, nails and the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres.

Protein is another essential hair vitamin. This is because hair itself is essentially protein. The amount of this hair vitamin that a person consumes in their diet can affect the hair directly. If a lot of protein is included in a person’s diet then this hair vitamin will lead to improved hair growth and a far fuller head of hair. However, a person who has a diet that is lacking in this hair vitamin will suffer from thinning hair and slow hair growth.

Of course, it is not just hair vitamins and minerals that are needed to ensure that a person has healthy, strong hair. There are a number of researchers who have found that there are direct links between the overall health of a person and the condition of their hair. If a person is under a lot of stress or suffers from a lack of sleep then their hair is also likely to suffer and it is likely that their diet will not provide enough hair vitamins to counter these effects. Hair vitamin and mineral supplements can be the solution to weak and damaged hair.