food

Health Tip of the Day ~ Constipated? Real Food can Help

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Six Foods that will help get you regular

Many natural laxatives can help your digestive health by increasing stool frequency and improving stool consistency. You can also stay well hydrated, follow a healthy diet, and make time for regular physical activity.Fiber is a natural treatment and one of the first lines of defense against constipation. It moves through the intestines undigested, adding bulk to stools and encouraging regularity (3Trusted Source).

    1. Chia seeds.
    2. Berries.
    3. Legumes.
    4. Flax seeds.
    5. Leafy greens.
    6. Kefir.

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Health Tip of the Day ~ 5 Foods to Avoid

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There are bad foods. I will tell you that eating anything every once in a while will not completely disrupt your health says Kerry Glassman, R.D.. But that doesn’t mean fried Oreos aren’t bad. That also doesn’t mean you’re a bad person for eating them. Aside from those random times when we all succumb to “bad” foods, are there foods that nutritionists, like myself, steer clear of all the time? You bet. Here are my top five:

  1. Hot dogs – Processed meats in general are just one of the worst things you can put into your body. They’re high in sodium and saturated fats (not the good kind, like those found in coconut) and filled with sodium nitrite.
  2. Pretzels -Pretzels were the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing type of food. I mean, who didn’t pound them years ago while watching “Friends,” thinking they were “fat free”? Talk about a food 180. Pretzels are all refined carbs. In other words, you might as well be throwing back jelly beans. They have no fiber, no protein and no healthy fat to keep you satisfied or add health benefits to the calories you’re consuming.
  3. Diet soda – Just because something is calorie-free doesn’t mean it’s chemical-free. You wouldn’t drink Drano would you? Artificial sweeteners found in diet soda are known to trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and may lead to weight gain, even though the soda contains no calories itself.
  4. Processed pastries – Long shelf life and a long list of ingredients is a sure bet that you should place that package back on the shelf. Processed pastries are made with refined sugar, refined wheat flour, hydrogenated oils (unhealthy trans fats) and a whole bunch of other chemicals and artificial ingredients. Trans fat has been associated with coronary heart disease, sudden death from cardiac causes and diabetes.
  5. Fluorescent orange snacks – These crunchy old school lunch box go-tos are full of salt, chemicals and artificial coloring. They may taste good going down, but they are the ultimate junk with a capital J food. 

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Health Tip of the Day ~ Feed a Good Mood

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Eat With Your Mood in Mind

Your food choices has an impact on your overall physical health. Some foodsscan also affect your state of mind. For example:

    • Carbohydrates release serotonin, a “feel good” hormone. Just keep simple carbs — foods high in sugar and starch — to a minimum because that energy surge is short and you’ll crash. Choosing complex carbs, such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains, can help you avoid a crash while still providing serotonin.
    • Lean meat, poultry, legumes, and dairy are high in protein. Protein-rich foods release dopamine and norepinephrine, which boost energy and concentration.
    • Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, have been found to have anti-inflammatory effectsTrusted Source that extend to your overall brain health. If you don’t eat fish, you might consider talking with a doctor about possible supplementation.
    • Highly processed or deep-fried foods tend to leave you feeling down and so will skipping meals.

If you want to eat with your mood in mind, consider starting with making one food choice for your mood each day.

For example, swap a big, sweet breakfast pastry for some Greek yogurt with fruit. You’ll still satisfy your sweet tooth, and the protein will help you avoid a midmorning energy crash. Consider adding in a new food swap each week.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

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One of the tools your doctor may use to dial back your blood pressure is DASH — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It’s not a diet but a way of eating. You cut back on salt, load up on fruits and veggies, and round out your meals with whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy.

Try These Foods to Lower Blood Pressure

    1. Go green and leafy.
    2. Berries are good for you.
    3. Greek yogurt (watch the sugar)
    4. Fatty fish.
    5. Oatmeal
    6. Beets
    7. Garlic
    8. Tree nuts (without salt)
    9. Legumes and beans.
    10. Olive Oil

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Eat the Rainbow for Good Heath

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Focus on the Color of Your Food

One easy way to spruce up a simple dish and make it a mindful exercise is to be aware of the colors going into your recipe. Eating food that’s a monochromatic beige is way less interesting than eating a dash of green, a shock of red, and a burst of yellow.

Adding color to your meals brings your senses into the experience. Your eyes get to engage and enjoy the food as much as your mouth does. As a bonus, eating your colors also ensures you’re getting varied nutrition and a range of phytonutrients. Red, purple, yellow, blue, and even white foods all offer a variety of vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Certain colors in foods may even help prevent disease.. Next time you’re making a spinach omelet, take a moment to notice how satisfying it is to your sense of sight to throw in the vibrant red of a cherry tomato and the crumbly white of a bit of feta cheese.

An integral part of mindfulness is enjoying the beauty in simple, everyday things. Focusing on the color of your food is one way to attenuate the senses to the sensual pleasure of mealtime.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Getting Your Brain & Stomach in Sync

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Get your stomach and brain in sync by listening closely to your body

“It’s recognizing that when we feel hungry, particularly after we’ve been eating to capacity for a period of time, that our hunger signals might not be calibrated in the [usual] way,” Dr Fiona Willer says. To put this into practice, she says you need to envision what an “enjoyable” day of eating would look like for you, including nutritional foods that make you feel energized, and eat like this for a few days. 

Dr Willer says it’s important to include “core foods”, which are essentially less-processed food items that are high in nutrients. These include meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy. “The body needs the core foods to function properly … and if you’re eating a lot of non-core foods, you don’t have room in your day for [nutritional meals],” she says.

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Can What We Eat Cause Depression?

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What we eat matters for every aspect of our health, but especially our mental health. Several recent research analyses looking at multiple studies support that there is a link between what one eats and our risk of depression, specifically. One analysis concluded: “A dietary pattern characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated with a decreased risk of depression. A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression.”

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Today’s Health Tip ~ Blood is Your Body’s Superhighway

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Blood is like your body’s superhighway. It carries nutrients and oxygen to everything from your heart and brain to your muscles and skin. A healthy diet is one way to optimize your circulation, or blood flow. Combined with exercise, hydration, weight management, and not smoking, some foods can help improve circulation. Great foods to boost your circulation:

      1. Cayenne pepper.
      2. Beets.
      3. Berries.
      4. Fatty fish.
      5. Pomegranates.
      6. Garlic.
      7. Walnuts.
      8. Grapes.
      9. Turmeric
      10. Spinach.
      11. Citrus Fruit.

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Today’s Positive Thought ~ Want to be Popular?

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“People will never forget how you made them feel. (Maya Angelou).”

The host of a popular Food Network show visits small dinners across the US and experiences their food. He talks to the cook (usually the owner), learns how they cook their food, and samples it. He always praises them and leaves them feeling their food is the best on the planet. It’s no wonder his show is so popular. It’s true, people never forget how you make them feel.

Today’s Inspiration ~ Affirm Only the Good in Life

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“If I dwell on what I don’t want, then I will get more of it. I affirm only the good in Life.”

~ Louise Hay

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